Keeping the lights on

The end of the year comes with many traditions. The Christmas holidays give families a chance to get together and share quality time with one another. New Year’s gives people a chance to look back at the year that was and look ahead to the possibilities of the year that will be.

It is also the time of year that the auditor general tells us how well our provincial tax dollars are being spent.

The most recent report is among the largest ever produced by the office, with much of it detailing the money wasted by Hydro One, the province’s electricity provider. In the past eight years, Ontario residents have been forced to pay $37 billion too much for their power. And the overspending won’t stop there, with the report forecasting that Ontario residents will pay an additional $133 billion by 2032.

This means that over a 25-year span, Ontario residents will pay $170 billion too much for their electricity. The mind runs wild when thinking of all the things that money could be spent on. Instead, it will be used to keep the lights on.

Since things certainly couldn’t get worse, Hydro One moving towards an ownership model that is predominantly private seems a logical option. Rather than looking at Hydro One as a public service, it will instead be seen as a profit-seeking corporation, looking to find the best payout for shareholders. This also means that expenses will be scrutinized and will not treated like there is a bottomless pit of wealth that currently comes with a government mentality.

Government has had its opportunity to take a business and provide a service. We’ve seen nothing but higher bills and wasted spending – to the tune $37 billion. It’s time to cut the purse strings and take this heinous financial ruin and give it to someone who can run a business and balance a book.

Isn’t anyone tired of giving their hard-earned money to a government sector that sees no limits to its spending?

There needs to be a better way of keeping Ontario’s lights on.