This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information. 


Register opposition to Hydro One sellout at the ballot box

“The people of Ontario need to let the Liberals know what they think, and the best place to do that is at the ballot box.” — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President

Toronto (21 Sept. 2015) — Ontarians opposed to the privatization of Hydro One, the provincial electricity transmission company, can make their opposition felt by not voting Liberal in the October 19 federal election, says the President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).

OPSEU/NUPGE urges voters to show opposition to Hydro One sale

“With the latest Environics poll showing that 83 per cent of Ontarians oppose what the provincial Liberals are doing with Hydro One, the Wynne government should already have called off the sale of Hydro One shares,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “Unfortunately, today’s news shows the Liberals are pushing ahead, public be damned."

“The people of Ontario need to let the Liberals know what they think, and the best place to do that is at the ballot box.”

The government issued a “preliminary prospectus” on September 18 to inform potential investors about its plan to sell shares in Hydro One. Sales could begin as early as November.

Forty-eight per cent of Ontario voters less likely to support federal Liberals over hydro privatization

Thomas said close ties between Kathleen Wynne’s provincial Liberals and Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal party make the federal election the logical place for Ontarians to fight back against the Hydro One sale.

“The ties between the federal and provincial Liberals have never been closer,” he said. “Justin Trudeau supported Kathleen Wynne’s election campaign last year and she’s supporting his this year.”

Many Ontarians have already made the connection. In the September 3 Environics poll, 48 per cent of respondents said the Hydro One sale made them “less likely to vote Liberal” on October 19.

Still time to call off sale of Hydro One

“Public control of electricity transmission is vitally important to the future of Ontario,” Thomas said. “If it becomes clear in the next month that Kathleen Wynne’s bad policy will be Justin Trudeau’s bad news, she still has time to call off the privatization of Hydro One.”

More information: 

OPSEU - Fighting Privatization

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE