Fedeli announces energy bill relief for families

Standing outside of his childhood King Street home Nipissing PC Candidate Victor Fedeli announced that if elected a PC government would remove the provincial portion of the HST from hydro bills.

Today, Nipissing PC Candidate Victor Fedeli announced that if elected a PC government would remove the provincial portion of the HST from hydro bills.

Making the announcement in front of his childhood King Street home, now the residence of Roger and Monique Beaulieu, Fedeli said after years of 'failed Liberal hydro experiments' it is time to implement an Energy Bill Relief program, an Ontario PC plan initiative that Fedeli says "will give families and seniors the relief they deserve."

Fedeli says that while Ontario families struggle to raise their kids and balance their check book, they need to know that their government understands what it is they're going through.

"The PC's understand that people need relief from hydro and home heating costs that have rising so much under Dalton McGuinty", Fedeli says.

Fedeli believes that the people of Nipissing who work hard and "play by the rules" like the Beaulieu's deserve to be dealt a fair hand from their government.

"I believe that the people who pay their bills should come first", says Fedeli.



Fedeli thinks that the HST tax hike that was put forth by the McGuinty Government is unfair to Ontarians and ultimately impacts their daily life essentials, such as hydro, natural gas and home heating oil.

Fedeli says that in Northern Ontario, heating homes is not a luxury and feels that those who live in Nipissing should be granted some form of immediate financial relief. He says that the PC's will remove the HST portion from these bills.

"HST has made life unaffordable for many families, particularly when hydro rates were already soaring", says Fedeli.

Fedeli claims that since 2003, McGuinty has raised hydro rates eight times or a whopping 150 percent increase for families who have had Hydro 'Smart meters' installed.

"The smart meters forced on our homes at a cost that recently blew by $1 billion have become nothing but a government sponsored tax machine,” Fedeli said.

Fedeli Further announced that an Ontario PC government would retain the 10 percent 'Clean Energy Benefit', which is already accounted for in the budget and allows families to unplug their smart meters should they wish to do so and end mandatory 'time of use' pricing.

"We will let you decide whether to use the time of use pricing system." he said.



In addition, Fedeli says that a PC government will also remove the 'Debt Retirement Charge' from residential hydro bills.

"The full of debt that has been charged has already been collected, yet the McGuinty Government continues to charge us,” Fedeli says.

Once the PST and debt retirement charges are gone, families such as the Beaulieu's will save $500 a year although the average savings for a typical home is expected to be approximately $275.”

The Tories will also conduct a forensic audit to determine where the extra money collected on the hydro debt retirement charge went.

Fedeli says that it's steps like these that need to be taken now which will in turn give people of Ontario "a clear choice of who to vote for".

"We can choose another Dalton McGuinty Liberal Government that will keep hiking taxes and raising hydro rates, or we can choose a Tim Hudak government with me here in Nipissing, that gives families and seniors the relief and respect that they deserve,” Fedeli states.