Province selling off Hydro One, putting beer in grocery stores

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Ontario’s Liberal government plans to sell off 60 percent of Hydro One to help pay for new transit and infrastructure projects.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says this will strengthen its long-term performance and generate billions for the needed investments.

“This will generate about $4 billion based on the council’s estimates which we will set aside for moving Ontario forward. This is money that we will not need to borrow and every dollar will now be dedicated to help build those roads, highways, bridges, transit and other priority infrastructure.”

“We’re taking careful, deliberate steps to ensure that our approach to Hydro One generates direct and additional benefits to ratepayers and maintains ongoing protections for the public and our electricity system.”

The idea to sell Hydro One comes from a government-appointed panel that examined crown assets to try and squeeze out the maximum value for the Liberals’ infrastructure plans.

Interim Progressive Conservative leader Jim Wilson says any proceeds from the sale of Hydro One must be used to pay off the Liberal government’s $27 billion debt. He says if the money is used for other purposes, it would mean even higher hydro rates.

Beer coming to grocery stores

Wynne also announced that beer will soon be sold in 450 grocery stores across Ontario.

“When it comes to the sale of beer in Ontario, I’m here to announce that the status quo is over, and that the days of monopoly are done. Beer will be sold in Ontario’s grocery stores and we have a new agreement with The Beer Store to serve consumers even better.”

“This is the biggest shake-up of beer sales in Ontario since we repealed prohibition in this province and that was in 1927.”

Ontario will also start a new project to sell 12-packs of beer in 10 LCBO stores and make it easier for craft brewers to list their products in The Beer Store locations across the province.

Horwath demands answers from Wynne; gets tossed from legislature

Just before Wynne’s announcement, things got heated inside the legislature when NDP leader Andrea Horwath demanded answers from the premier about the Hydro One sell-off.

“First the Liberals show how they disrespect Ontarians by keeping their plan to sell Hydro One secret during the election campaign. Now they’re disrespecting Ontarians and this assembly, in the way that they rolled out the Clark report.”

“My question to the acting premier is, can he phone the premier and tell her to get over here and answer the questions of the opposition.”

The NDP continued banging on their desks for almost 20 minutes before several members including Horwath were kicked out of the legislature.