Mar 30, 2009
By Peter Shurman
Vaughan Today
Premier Dalton McGuinty has been preaching about the ailing economy for well over a year now. But instead of seizing the opportunity to create meaningful employment, he has instead introduced Bill 150, The Green Energy Act, also known as the ?energy tax and power grab bill?.
Like many of the hidden taxes that McGuinty has introduced over the years, the tax hidden in Bill 150 is a shape-shifter. This time it takes the shape of mandatory energy audits and additional energy costs. Energy Minister George Smitherman has pegged the cost of this new legislation at $5 billion. With 4.2 million energy consumers in Ontario, that price tag means an extra $1,200 for each consumer ? a 30-percent increase in energy costs ? which is no small change for households that are already struggling to make ends meet. In fact, we think that estimate may be on the low side.
The Progressive Conservative caucus is in full support of a green economy. We recognize that Ontario?s future success depends on our ability to incorporate green energy and our record of supporting green innovation speaks for itself. The Drive Clean Program introduced by the Progressive Conservative government in 1999 has tested over four-million cars and reduced harmful car emissions by the equivalent of taking 500,000 cars off the road. We also introduced a 14.3-cent per litre fuel tax exemption for bio-diesel fuels, extended the sales tax rebate for hybrid-electric automobiles to cover sport utility vehicles and light duty trucks, and we protected Ontario?s environment by reducing imports of hazardous waste by 31 percent. The list of examples of action taken by Ontario?s Progressive Conservative government in order to get our province on the track toward a greener economy goes on and on.
Unfortunately, while the PC caucus and I are motivated by action and results, McGuinty seems to be motivated by newspaper headlines and media hits. Sadly, he seems to think that green means costly, when it doesn?t have to.
The Green Energy Act was advertised by Ontario?s Energy Minister as job-creating legislation. McGuinty and Smitherman boasted that Bill 150 would create 50,000 jobs, but what they neglected to mention is that 40 percent of those jobs would be short-term and the rest would consist of government-paid inspectors with sweeping powers to enter our homes and monitor our energy use. Ontario does not need more public servants. Ontario needs private sector, full-time jobs that will provide long-term security for families. Instead, the only thing McGuinty gives Ontarians is the one-size-fits-all answer of ?when in doubt, hire government employees?.
The health of our environment and our future economic success depend on the decisions that we make today. The Liberal Green Energy Act is not the solution to our current economic woes nor does it chart a visionary course for a green future in our province. It is yet another tax-grab bill that will achieve little but cost the Ontario taxpayer an extra $1,200 a year.