Public ownership vs. private ownership. The most recent controversy in this regard is the upcoming sale of 60% of Hydro One by the Province of Ontario. Selling public assets is proposed for many reasons. The most nefarious reason is because of a belief that any kind of business activity should be conducted by the private sector as a matter of principle. Only slightly less so is selling public assets to "cook" the books, to make it appear we are in better financial shape than we really are. A more understandable reason is the realization that large long-term investments are needed, the risks and costs of which the public will not tolerate. I suspect that this last reason applies to the Hydro One sale. There is so much private investment money out there looking for a home that a private corporation has no trouble raising any amount of cash for the right project. One has only to look to Bruce Power as proof of this. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce's request for a guarantee that electricity prices will not rise as a result of the sale is more than a little disingenuous. If businesses really do need a subsidy, there are better and more targeted ways to do it.
Bill Moses
