February 14, 2025
The Liberals screwed up hydro in Ontario and now Doug Ford has to clean up the mess
When the PCs took over in 2018, they were in a difficult spot. The Liberals’ fake power prices had become the new normal
When the PCs took over in 2018, they were in a difficult spot. The Liberals’ fake power prices had become the new normal

The Ontario government’s effort to eliminate its projected $9-billion deficit is a grim struggle that involves unpopular service changes, wage restraint and general penny-pinching. Imagine if there was one change that would cut that deficit nearly in half without raising taxes or taking away any services.

As it turns out, there is. Have you heard about the Ontario Electricity Rebate? That’s the one where the government subsidizes everyone’s power bills, so that we can all pretend that the cost of power is lower. The bill for this act of self-deception is expected to be $4 billion this year. That’s a heck of a way to spend money the government doesn’t have.

The PC government did not invent what was called the Fair Hydro Plan, but it has taken what is probably the worst policy of the former Liberal government and given it a brand new name. Same stupid content, though.

The Liberals, after years of merrily committing to high-priced power deals, finally realized that the cost of electricity had gotten to a number far, far higher than the public was prepared to accept. The government reacted like it was holding a live wire. At first, if offered to eliminate the eight per cent sales tax on power bills. Then it cut 25 per cent from the cost of the bill.

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See Also:

(1) What a year for Toronto — highs and lows of 2019

(2) Tory on tax hikes — That was then, this is now

(3) Three-year journey from India ‘worth the struggle’ for Scarborough family