Hudak announces relief on household hydro bills

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington – Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2011

Hudak announces relief on household hydro bills
(Queen’s Park) – Relief is on the way from skyrocketing home hydro and heating bills. Tim Hudak,
leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, yesterday announced that a PC government
would remove the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) from hydro and heating
bills.

“We are listening to Ontario families,” said Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott. “For many
people, especially those on fixed incomes, hydro bills have become simply unaffordable.” The
McGuinty Liberals’ policies are a major reason for such high rates, he added.

“Tim Hudak is committing, if elected Premier of Ontario, to deliver meaningful relief,” said Mr. Arnott.

In addition to removing the provincial portion of the HST on hydro and heating, including natural gas,
heating oil and propane, a PC government would also remove the so-called “Debt Retirement
Charge” from residential hydro bills. Taken together, these steps would provide a typical Ontario
household $275 in immediate relief from rising energy bills.

“Family budgets are stretched to the limit,” said Mr. Arnott. “It isn’t fair to keep asking families to pay
more for essentials like hydro and home heating—just to pay for the McGuinty Liberals’ expensive
energy experiments.”

The Liberals’ own Fall Economic Update forecasts hydro rates to rise by an additional 46 percent by
2015.

“In the next provincial election, voters will have a choice between the McGuinty Liberals, who would
continue to raise our taxes, or a Tim Hudak government offering meaningful relief,” said Mr. Arnott.

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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org