TORONTO

The Ontario government will proceed with the partial sale of publicly-owned Hydro One, despite prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau’s promise to provide federal infrastructure dollars.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath demanded Wednesday that the government abort the IPO plan for Hydro One now that a new source of infrastructure dollars has become available.

“One wonders what the big hurry is to get Hydro One into the hands of private investors,” Horwath said.

Premier Kathleen Wynne told the legislature that the sale is going forward.

Trudeau won in part because he recognized the importance of investing in infrastructure, she said.

”But that doesn’t let us off the hook,” Wynne added. “We have to stick to our plan.”

It’s expected that the Ontario government will eventually realize about $9 billion from the sale of up to 60% of Hydro One, and Wynne has promised to devote about $4 billion to infrastructure like road repairs and transit.

Horwath said she doesn’t buy that Hydro One is being sold off for infrastructure.

“I don’t know what the premier’s game plan is here but some people on Bay St. are going to do very, very well at the cost of Ontario’s public hydro system,” she said. “It’s unbelievable that she’s stubbornly refusing to back away from the sale. It is very, very obvious that the sale has not been necessary from day one.”