For most Ontarians the affordable squeeze shows no sign of letting up

When Doug Ford first ran for Premier, he made a simple promise: lower hydro bills.

He pledged to cut electricity rates by 12 per cent and argued that Ontario families were paying too much. Affordability was a central part of his campaign. Eight years later, families are still waiting.

Instead of seeing lower hydro bills, Ontarians continue to face rising electricity costs. Here in Ottawa, Hydro Ottawa customers will once again see higher bills this year. A typical household will pay roughly $70 more per year for electricity at a time when families are already facing higher costs for groceries, housing, transportation and virtually every other necessity.

The problem is that electricity is not a luxury.

Families cannot choose whether to heat their homes in the winter. They cannot stop refrigerating food. Seniors cannot unplug medical devices. Electricity is an essential service, every bit as important to modern life as running water.

Yet governments continue to treat it like any other consumer purchase.

That is why Ontario Liberals have proposed removing the HST from home heating and electricity bills.

If heat and electricity are necessities, they should not be subject to a consumption tax.

Unlike complicated rebate programs, removing the HST would provide immediate savings that families would see directly on every bill.

This proposal is part of a broader affordability plan. Ontario Liberals have also proposed a middle-class income tax cut, a small business tax cut, and a refundable tax credit to help families cover the costs of children’s sports, arts and extracurricular activities.

Here in Ottawa, the affordability challenge is especially acute. Families are paying more for electricity, more for groceries, more for housing and more for transportation. OC Transpo fares have increased while service remains a concern for many commuters.

Property taxes continue to climb. Every increase may seem manageable on its own, but together they add up to real pressure on family budgets.

After eight years of promises to lower hydro rates, Ottawa families are paying more, not less.

That is why broken promises matter.

When a Premier campaigns on lower hydro rates but families find themselves paying more year after year, people have every right to ask what happened.

Ontarians were promised relief.

They deserve result.