The Ontario government is holding back details on the Hydro One sale to limit damage to federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign, the New Democrats charged Monday as MPPs returned from their summer break.

Both opposition parties slammed Premier Kathleen Wynne over the controversial $9-billion deal, with new Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown calling it a “fire sale” and urging the government to “hit the pause button.”

Wynne, who has repeatedly refused to back down on selling 60 per cent of the Crown utility to bankroll transit improvement and debt reduction, defended her position.

“The reality of governing is there are very difficult choices and decisions that have to be made,” she told the legislature during its first daily question period since June.

New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns accused her of delaying a prospectus containing financial information on Hydro One because of a recent Environics poll suggesting half of voters surveyed were less likely to support Trudeau’s Liberals in the Oct. 19 federal election because of the controversial deal.

“The prospectus was supposed to be released this month, but it is nowhere to be seen.”

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the document will come “in due course” but wouldn’t set a date.

Meanwhile, MPPs are going back to the drawing board in hiring an ombudsman as André Marin’s second term expires after an all-party committee couldn’t agree on a successful candidate.

Marin, who will reapply for the $236,000-a-year job, was disappointed he didn’t get a temporary extension and called the hiring process “shambolic.”

MPPs did agree on Dianne Saxe, a veteran environmental lawyer, as Ontario’s new environment commissioner, replacing Gord Miller, who retired last spring after three terms.

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