Auditor General's report proves Liberal incompetence, says Huron-Bruce MPP

The Auditor General's report, issued Dec. 2,, has confirmed what Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson and the Progressive Conservative (PC) Caucus have been saying all along: the Liberal government is just not in it for Ontarians.

 

The report raised concerns about Ontario's skyrocketing debt, which when broken down, is equal to each Ontarian owing $23,000. 

 

The Auditor General also confirmed there is no government plan to pay off current or future debt, and raised concerns about the cost of interest payments, which is currently higher than the amount the province spends on post-secondary education.

 

Another concern identified was the cost of electricity. The report found that consumers have already paid $37-billion above the market price for electricity, and are expected to pay $133-billion more between 2015 and 2032.

 

"Taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of the Liberal government's inability to manage essential public services efficiently or even appropriately," says Thompson. "No wonder Ontarians continue to pay some of the highest prices for hydro in North America".

 

In addition, the Auditor General discussed the province's over-production of electricity. 

 

From 2009-14 the province has overproduced by 5,160 megawatts (MW) per year - enough to cover the generation capacity of the entire Province of Manitoba.

 

It was also reported that Hydro One misled the Ontario Energy Board when asking for rate increases, by not completing projects for which the company wanted revenue.

 

"The people of Ontario have the right to know why their hydro rates are skyrocketing," says Thompson. "It's a shame that this is the last report we will have into Hydro One."