Liberals misled public in gas plant spending scandal, Horwath claims

NEWS RELEASE

PROVINCIAL NDP COMMUNICATIONS

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Auditor’s Report shows families are paying for cynical Liberal power play

QUEEN’S PARK – [Monday's] report into the cancelled private power deal in Mississauga shows that the Liberal government spent $275 million in public money cancelling private power deals, hid information from the public and misled people as to the real cost, says New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath.

“People should be prepared for a shock when they see the Auditor’s report,” said Horwath [shown]. “The Liberals not only spent millions cancelling private power deals, but did everything they could to hide information and downplay the real cost. They put the needs of their party ahead of the public interest and now families are stuck with the bill.”

Horwath first asked Auditor General Jim McCarter to look into costs of cancelling the Mississauga gas plant on September 29, 2011.

This call was later echoed by the Legislature’s Public Accounts committee.

His investigation results were announced today and found cancelling the gas-fired generating station cost $85 million more than the $190 million the government has insisted was the cost.

The auditor says the decision to cancel the plant in mid-construction weakened the province's negotiating position with the developer of the project and results in some costs being higher than they otherwise would have been.

“Ontario households are already paying the highest electricity bills in the country,” said Horwath. “Instead of putting them first, the Liberals invested millions in a seat-saving plan to buy one power plant for the price of two. That’s money that could have hired 4,700 nurses, help business create 25,000 jobs for youth or buy 70 new MRI machines.”

“At every stage of this scandal, the Liberals have put the needs of their party ahead of the public interest,” said Horwath. “They signed this private power deal and when it was no longer politically convenient they turned off the lights hoping no one would see the real cost of cancelling the gas plant.”

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