Winnipeg Free Press

Re: Manitoba Hydro argues future at risk without rate hike (July 19)

Thank you, NDP. The lies are over, now the truth is being told. Manitoba Hydro lawyer Patti Ramage now tells us the export revenues are down $880 million and export prices are down 30 per cent.

What happened to all the claims made previously by the NDP, that our Hydro was going to be Manitoba’s oil? Gary Doer’s dream of the east side of Lake Winnipeg becoming a UNESCO site is now a nightmare, with the Bipole III now running down the west side of Lake Winnipeg at an additional cost of millions of dollars, let alone the millions of dollars more in line loss annually.

Ramage states that "once it comes on stream it generates minimal revenue," adding that when it does come on stream there will still be a $205-million "deficiency" in revenue every year. Who in their right mind would have developed a business plan that loses that much money every year?

Now we find out that Hydro has spent so many millions, if not billions, on Bipole III and Keeyask, that it is impossible to shelve the project and they still need to borrow $12 billion over the next five years to complete the generating station.

Yes, thank you, NDP — you have saddled us and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren to pay for your inability to be responsible to those elected you to govern our province.