The Liberal provincial government has defeated a motion by Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horvath to immediately remove the Harmonized Sales Tax from hydro.
She was not amused.
“This government has made decisions that are driving the cost of hydro through the roof,” Horvath said.
“It is not acknowledging, not paying attention, not listening to the people of this province who are saying they simply cannot afford to pay their bills anymore. That’s why it’s important to provide Ontarians with a break, by taking the HST off hydro.”
Since launching the NDP’s HST-off-hydro campaign in September, Horwath has crisscrossed the province to meet with ratepayers hard-hit by skyrocketing hydro costs.
“I’m talking to all kinds of different people. I’m talking to senior citizens, I’m talking to families with young children, I’m talking to people who are just regular working folks trying to make ends meet and who have seen an enormous spike in their hydro bills,” she said.
Horvath said that while the Dalton McGuinty government continues to ignore the concerns of Ontarians, she and other members of the NDP caucus have brought their stories of hydro bill hardship to the floor of the legislature on an almost daily basis.
They concluded through their leader, “Unfortunately, the Liberal government refuses to listen. They used their majority to kill a motion that would have provided immediate relief to Ontarians who are simply unable to keep up with rising costs,” said Horwath.
