During a stop last week in Wallaceburg, the Ontario NDP leader questioned the hydro plan – or lack-thereof – Â from the Opposition in Ontario.
“Well I mean, that is a bit of a problem because the Conservatives have no plan,” Andrea Horwath told the Sydenham Current in a one-on-one interview, just a day after announcing the NDP’s own hydro plan.
“They have not announced any plan, they have no plan that we know of and that is worrisome. They talk a good game but, you have to put a plan out there for people to look at.”
Horwath said it was the Conservatives who started the province down the road of privatization when it comes to electricity.
“I don’t imagine they would be able to put a plan together that totally goes against what one of their fundamental beliefs is,” Horwath said.
“They believe in privatization.”
Horwath said the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, Patrick Brown, is still an unknown.
“The leader of the Conservation Party here in Ontario, people don’t know,” she said.
“They don’t know because he is not indicating what he wants to do, what his goals are, what his plans are. He has been a politician for 17 years… and nobody knows him. We know he spent nine years with Stephen Harper, a Conservative Government that made a lot of cuts, did a lot of privatization at the Federal level. We know that that is, what they do. Conservatives cut and they privatize.”
Horwath said she does not think that is what Ontario needs right now.
“I don’t think that in the next election when people are looking to take a different choice from the Liberals, because people are frustrated and quite angry with the Liberals,” she said.
“People are going to have an important choice to make and from my perspective, I believe that choice needs to be not the same old thing that we have been getting from the Liberals which is privatization and cutting. We need bold change that actually puts people at the center of everything we do, including our energy system.”
The NDP finished in second place on the ballot in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex during the last Provincial Election in 2014.
However, the NDP candidate Joe Hill finished far behind the incumbent MPP Monte McNaughton of the Conservartives.
Hill picked up 12,160 votes, 26.52%, compared to McNaughton’s 20,710 votes and 45.17%.
Horwath said a candidate has not been chosen yet to represent the NDP in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex for next year’s election.
“We don’t have our nomination meeting set up yet, but we are certainly listening to and talking to people in the area about their intentions and whether or not they are interested, but there is nobody public at this point,” she said.
“It is interesting, there is a lot of interest out there. People recognize that this election, there is going to be a change. People are excited about that.”
With an early start out of the gate, Horwath said she wants the people of Ontario to know they are serious.
“We want Ontarians to know that we have ideas, that we have good plans,” she said.
“Look, I would be thrilled if the Liberals took this plan and implemented it. I would be the most thrilled person in Ontario because it is a good plan and it makes sense for people. I don’t think they are going to do that but you never know.
Horwath added: “Again, people need to know that they do have a choice and that there are leaders that are thinking about them because right now people feel that the Liberal Government has been so out of touch with Ontarians for so long that it is time for a big change.
“So we will see what happens. That’s why we are putting our ideas out there. Letting people know that we are thinking about them, we are interested in making change that makes life better. People should be able build a good life in this province. They should be able to. We don’t see that now. People are struggling. People are loosing ground and they are really worried about the next generation as well. IT is up to us to make sure that we provide a good opportunity for the next generation as well.”
Here is more coverage stemming from our interview with the Ontario NDP leader when she came throuhg Wallaceburg last week:
– Horwath: NDP wants to bring Hydro One back in-house
– Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath visits Wallaceburg
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
