Nicholls rips the Liberals over gas plant cancellation costs

Rick Nicholls, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex

QUEEN’S PARK – “The Auditor General confirmed what we have been saying all along, that the Liberals have been hiding the true cost of this cancellation from taxpayers and we’ll all be forced to pay the bill,” said PC MPP Rick Nicholls.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk tabled a damning report this week that said the cost of cancelling the Oakville gas plant was over $675 million. The total cost of cancelling both gas plants is now over $1 billion.

Chatham-Kent-Essex MPP Rick Nicholls is outraged that hydro users in his riding will be forced to pick up the tab for the Liberal scandal.

“The Auditor General confirmed that hydro bills will go up as ratepayers are forced to pick up the tab. The Premier has said she’s sorry. Sorry doesn’t help the families in our riding of Chatham-Kent-Essex as they struggle to pay their hydro bills as winter approaches,” Nicholls said.

“This money could have been reinvested to improve local infrastructure or help improve access to health care. Additional funding could have been provided for physiotherapy, knee and hip replacements and social dental benefit programs just to name a few,” Nicholls explained.

“Kathleen Wynne misled the people of this province,” said Nicholls. “She co-chaired the campaign that cancelled the plant, and signed the document authorizing the cancellation.”

“She stood up in the Legislature and told the people of Ontario the Oakville cancellation would cost as little as $40-million. The Auditor General confirmed yesterday that the cost is actually $675 million, and that the government has known the true cost for months,” Nicholls said.

“Wynne’s government deleted emails, misled the people of Ontario, and put the interest of the Liberal Party before the interests of the people of Ontario.”

“We saw it with Ornge, we saw it with eHealth, this is a government that has little regard for the taxpayers of this province,” continued Nicholls.  “Kathleen Wynne should be ashamed at how she’s misled the people of Ontario. They deserve better.”