HYDRO ONE BILLING = LACK OF DEMOCRACY

Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Hydro One billing "hopeless": Marin". To date there have been over 8,000 complaints by Ontario residents concerning their nonsensical and out of control Hydro bills. The Ombudsman Andre Marin has been investigating and he does not mince words regarding Hydro One's idiotic billing practices. What is ironic is that I have just read an Editorial in the Woolwich Observer written by Steve Kannon titled "Without electoral reform expect more of the same poor quality". Steve draws upon the expertise of Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch. This group have some solid suggestions for reengaging Ontario's electorate but it will require significant electoral reform. I would suggest that these two stories are intrinsically linked. How else can you explain the abject failure of a government Crown Corporation being so widely known yet the longtime government in charge just receiving a majority government from the electorate. Steve Kannon's article goes a long way to explaining that. the bottom line is that the government of the day does not need to be responsive or accountable and still get reelected thanks to the first past the post system. In essence less than 20% of the eligible voters wanted a Liberal government badly enough to go out and vote for them.