Presentation of petition to Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas calling on the provincial government to stop privitization of Hydro One
Presentation of petition to Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas calling on the provincial government to stop privitization of Hydro One

By Angela Gemmill

Over 400 people across Nickel Belt have added their names to a petition to keep Hydro One a public asset, despite the fact the Liberal government is trying to sell it off.

N-D-P M-P-P France Gelinas plans to take the signatures to Queen’s Park next week.

The signatures were collected by Kathy Whipple from the Citizens Coalition Against Privatization -Nickel Belt, who heard from families worried about skyrocketing energy bills.

The petition calls for the energy system to be kept within the public fold and out of the hands of private companies.

She suspects Hydro One customers across Nickel Belt would see higher rates if the system became privatized.

Gelinas says it’s easy for Toronto consumers to support the sale, when they don’t use Hydro One, but every household in Nickel Belt depends on electricity from Hydro One.

Gelinas says the public energy system generates revenue used to grow the economy, and fund schools, hospitals and infrastructure…wheras a private company is only looking to make a profit.

(Picture: Nickel Belt M-P Claude Gravelle, Citizens Coalition Against Privatization Nickel Belt Kathy Whipple, Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas and Sudbury NDP federal candidate Paul Loewenberg)