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Privatization of Ontera was a mistake: Bisson

"You decided to leave them to the avails of the market, which the market is not large enough, and now we’re forced to pay more to get less service.  So will you finally admit privatizing Ontera was a mistake?" says Bisson
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File photo of Gilles Bisson

NEWS RELEASE

NDP MPP GILLES BISSON

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QUEEN'S PARK -  During Question Period Tuesday morning, Gilles Bisson, NDP MPP for Timmins-James Bay demanded that Premier Wynne admit that privatizing Ontera was a mistake.

Bisson told Premier Wynne and her government about one of his constituents, Bill Waychison of Timmins, who has been affected by the privatization of Ontera, the telecommunications provider, which was sold to Bell Alliant in 2014.

“He was forced to go to the private sector with Bell to purchase internet service. The cost went up by 50 per cent and his service went down with lower bandwidth. Will you finally admit that privatization of public services is a bad thing?”

Premier Wynne passed the question to the Minister of Municipal Affairs who stated that this was done as the private sector was able to provide services more efficiently.  

“Minister, what hogwash,” Bisson responded, “Ontera was set up for the reason that there isn’t a large enough market for the private sector to deliver the service needed. That’s why the Ontario government stepped in with Ontera so that people in places like Timmins and Iroquois Falls and other communities are able to get the internet.”

“Instead, you decided to leave them to the avails of the market, which the market is not large enough, and now we’re forced to pay more to get less service.  So will you finally admit privatizing Ontera was a mistake?” Bisson asked the Premier.

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