Election Should Precede Hydro Sale

TORONTO -- - No Ontario government should be allowed to sell off what has been one of the best public power systems in the world without the approval of voters, New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton said.

It's especially important given that the public power system was created in the first place by the will of the people, Hampton said.

"Ontario's public power system was created through three referendums," said Hampton. "I say to (Premier) Eves: allow the people of Ontario to have their say again."

The Ontario government is currently trying to privatize 49 per cent of the province's publicly owned electricity-distribution grid.

That decision last spring followed a public outcry over plans to sell off the entire grid sparked by a court decision that the province had no authority to make the sale.

The government has also ordered publicly owned Ontario Power Generation, which produces about 70 per cent of the province's power, to slash its share of hydro production.

Eves rejects Hampton's call for an election before further deregulation or privatization of electricity, a spokesman for the premier said.

"We do not agree with Mr. Hampton," said Barry Wilson. "Our government will continue, as it has in the past, to make any decisions regarding hydro to serve the best interests of the people of this province."

The Conservative government deregulated the generating market last May, but despite the advent of competition, prices soared, forcing Eves to cap prices to consumers.

In the early 20th century, concern over high power prices and the reliability of supply prompted the move to public power.

"If you look at the political history of Ontario, or the economic history of Ontario, over the past 100 years, this has been a defining issue," said Hampton.

"The battle for public power in the elections of 1905, the referendums of 1907, 1908 and 1917 were a triumph of public purpose over private greed and private monopoly."

Hampton, who has long crusaded against the deregulation and privatization of power in the province, also announced he had just finished co-writing a book on hydro, which will be published in March.