Former premier “astounded” he’s to blame for Ontario’s high energy prices

NORTH BAY — Former Premier Mike Harris says he is “astounded” to hear that current Premier Kathleen Wynne blamed the Harris government of the early 00’s for the current high energy rates in Ontario. 

Wynne made that statement during her stop at the ONR yards last Friday as part of the Premier’s week-long tour of Northern Ontario.    

“I think the Ontario government has to accept some responsibility for now the highest electricity in North America,” stated Harris at the Osprey Links Golf Gala taking place today in Callander, Ontario.   

“It’s hurting homeowners, it’s really hurting farmers, and of course it’s killing off manufacturing jobs so those are all in her pants, she puts the pants on and I am astounded she still wants to blame somebody else 14 years later.” 

Wynne claims the Liberals inherited a degraded generating system when the Liberals under Dalton McGuinty took over from the Conservative government in 2003.

She stated that led to the creation of around 10,000 kilometres of new transmission lines - lines that local MPP Vic Fedeli says were created to make energy for windmills.   

Harris tried to set the record straight. 

“When I left office electricity prices in Ontario were about half of Alberta’s,” he said.  

“Alberta went to a deregulated market, competitive bidding on the generation and private ownership of the wires or the transmission if you like. We had Ontario positioned to do this, the Liberals got in 2003, they cancelled all of that and what I can tell you today electricity prices in Alberta are about half of Ontario.”   

- BayToday