WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s Opposition New Democrats are promising to freeze hydroelectricity rates for one year if they win the Oct. 3 provincial election.
NDP Leader Wab Kinew says he would reduce the annual fees that Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro pays the government by $37.5 million, which he adds would be enough to allow for the freeze.
The Progressive Conservative government recently cut those fees in half, which prompted Manitoba Hydro to revise its desired rate increases downward.
The utility has said it needs annual increases of about two per cent for the next several years.
The NDP have been making several announcements related to affordability and the cost of living.
They include subsidies for people who buy electric cars and a temporary suspension of the provincial tax on gasoline.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2023.
The Canadian Press
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