Local MPPs question need for new Liberal agency
(Queen’s Park) – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott and Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece teamed up in Question Period on May 15 to raise questions about a new Liberal Government agency, which is supposedly intended to address climate change.
“We all know that life just keeps getting harder for the people of Ontario under this Liberal Government, and we all know of their reputation for scandal, waste, and mismanagement,” Mr. Arnott reminded MPPs. “Now we learn that they’re setting up the Ontario Climate Change Solutions Deployment Corp.”
Mr. Arnott, who serves as the Ontario PC Critic to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, raised several questions about the new agency.
“How is this new agency not redundant? How much is it going to cost to administer?” he asked. “Does it overlap with other existing Ministry functions and programs? Why do we need it? Will the Minister commit to this House that it will not become just another Liberal slush fund?”
Mr. Pettapiece, the Ontario PC Critic to the Minister of Government Consumer Services, followed up on Mr. Arnott’s question.
“The Government wants to stuff the Board of Directors of this climate change agency with green energy insiders and lobbyists,” Mr. Pettapiece charged. “Of course, under the Liberals’ terrible long-term hydro contracts, many green energy firms have already cashed in big-time. The result? Amongst the highest hydro rates in North America. Now they’re appointing insiders and lobbyists to spend cap-and-trade tax money on Liberal vanity projects instead of putting the money back in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians.”
“We need the Minister’s personal guarantee,” Mr. Pettapiece continued. “Will he tell us that his green energy friends will see no personal or commercial benefits from this boondoggle in the making?”
(Attached: Hansard record of Mr. Arnott and Mr. Pettapiece’s questions and the Minister’s responses, May 15, 2017 )
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Ted Arnott, MPP Randy Pettapiece, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880 Phone: 416-325-3400
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org Email: randy.pettapiece@pc.ola.org
Ontario Hansard – 15-May2017
CLIMATE CHANGE
Mr. Ted Arnott: Our next question is for the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. We all know that life just keeps getting harder for the people of Ontario under this Liberal government, and we all know of their reputation for scandal, waste and mismanagement, but now we learn that they’re setting up the Ontario Climate Change Solutions Deployment Corp. How is this new agency not redundant? How much is it going to cost to administer? Does it overlap with other existing ministry functions and programs? Why do we need it? Will the minister commit to this House that this new agency will not be become just another Liberal slush fund?
Hon. Glen R. Murray: I always find it entertaining getting questions from the party that managed to double hydro rates.
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Simcoe–Grey, it’s time.
Carry on.
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Hon. Glen R. Murray: They managed to double hydro rates in one summer in—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): All right, we’ll play that game. The member from Kitchener–Conestoga, come to order.
Carry on.
Hon. Glen R. Murray: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s very kind. They managed to double hydro rates in one summer. Talking to us about costs is a little amusing.
The green Ontario corporation operates very much like its counterpart in Quebec, which has been hugely successful. It will deploy billions of dollars into home heating retrofits, reducing the energy and heating costs of Ontarians and cutting the costs to businesses. In the supplementary, I can already give you a list of people who are doing that. It works very much on the model of OCWA as a very highly—
Interjection.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, come to order.
You have one wrap-up sentence, please.
Hon. Glen R. Murray: It will continue in that tradition, Mr. Speaker. There are many good models around the world. It’s a much more efficient system for delivering programs.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary? The member from Perth–Wellington.
Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Let the minister be further amused, then.
The government wants to stuff the board of directors of this climate change agency with green energy insiders and lobbyists. Of course, under the Liberals’ terrible long-term hydro contracts, many green energy firms have already cashed in big-time. The result? Amongst the highest hydro rates in North America. Now they’re appointing insiders and lobbyists to spend cap-and-trade tax money on Liberal vanity projects instead of putting the money back in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians.
We need the minister’s personal guarantee. Will he tell us that his green energy friends will see no personal or commercial benefits from this boondoggle in the making?
Hon. Glen R. Murray: Oh, Mr. Speaker, this is so very simple. People go and retrofit their homes. When they retrofit their homes, they buy a high-efficiency furnace or a geothermal system, and this corporation gives them a grant to help with the cost of that. This corporation helps them sort out what is the most—
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Member from Lanark, come to order.
Finish, please.
Hon. Glen R. Murray: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think you and I are having a good aerobic workout this morning.
The opposition in lieu of this would cut $8 billion of subsidies to Ontario families and businesses to help them reduce GHGs, and they would increase the cost of carbon reduction per tonne by 400%.