QUEEN’S PARK – The Liberal Government’s smart meters are now potentially harmful to people’s lives, as well as adding to their tax burdens, said PC Energy Critic John Yakabuski today. “A smart meter caught fire and exploded in Collingwood…If a smart meter in Collingwood could catch fire and explode despite your assurances, how do we know there are not tens-of-thousands more like it in the province waiting to go off?” asked Yakabuski.
Smart meters have been problems since they were first introduced by the government, stated Yakabuski, and this is the sort of scandal the Auditor General should be able to investigate. However, as a result of the passing of the budget, all public oversight of Hydro One is removed, so this is now impossible. “Smart meters haven’t cut consumption at peak times and often they don’t even relay their information back to the central data centre.
They have been a disaster due to your abysmal administration of the rollout. Now we learn that these devises may burn without warning and burn ratepayers’ houses down…given these new problems with smart meters, will you commit to allowing the Auditor General and the Ombudsman to continue to have oversight of Hydro One, even though you took it away in the budget?” demanded Yakabuski.
