Hydro Increases Blasted

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton is speaking out against Hydro One's plan to raise rates.

The NDP member says the move will have a crippling effect on Northwestern Ontario.

"It's just going to make that much more difficult for people who are living on fixed incomes or for people struggling on low incomes," says Hampton, "and it's going to make it even more difficult for small businesses to survive. When you add in the McGuinty government's plan to create this new blended sales tax, and you add that on, another 8 per cent onto the hydro bill, it's going to make it that more difficult (to cope)."

Hydro One is asking the Ontario Energy Board to approve a rate increase totalling almost 24 per cent over the next two years.