Ontario ‘Bait and Switch’ Climate Plan

Ontario has finally set into action a plan to do its bit to reduce climate change.

But wait … what they’re doing is creating more electricity consumers instead of gas consumers.

For those of you who know me or who follow my writings on this blog, you’d probably say ‘but you’ve always preached that’s a good thing, right?’

Possibly.

I’m nervous.

I don’t trust Kathleen Wynne.  And I certainly don’t trust her and her $10,000 per plate fundraiser friends to do what’s in the best interest for those in Ontario.

Let’s start with the facts as to why I’m uneasy about this:

• Ontario Hyrdo was recently privatized.
• There are only a small handful of auto manufacturers that produce electric vehicles.  To what extent have they been in active talks with the Liberals to get their electric cars off the ground?
• Very few structures exist to support the introduction of new producers of electric vehicles.  Who’s in line for those juicy electricity station hookups?
• Extremely few consumers have electric hookups to their homes.  Who’s getting the lucrative installation contracts for this work?
• Most consumers of electricity – present and future – are unlikely to invest in renewable energy.  If they do, how much infrastructure do we actually have to support the creation of independent, user-owned electricity?

This feels creepy.  It feels like the crack dealer giving away free samples to get the junkies hooked for life.

$8.3 billion as an ‘action plan’ feels like we’re using $8.3 billion in public money to convert people to private energy users and to give it away to a lot of lobbyists and the companies they represent.

You’ve seen the bills and the increases over the last 10 years.

Why would you trust the Ontario Liberals to actually do something in the best interest of the people of Ontario or for the climate?

This is a little like the Davis Conservatives selling off the 407.  It was built by the public for private users.  Now we’ve got Ontario Hydro – built by the public – but handed off to private buyers.

However, this time it’s different because everyone needs electricity.  We can’t avoid it and sit in the slow lanes on the 401 with everyone else that’s trying to avoid a steep commuting expense.

Now what we have is $8.3 billion being used to indirectly subsidize GM, Tesla and maybe Toyota and the now-private Ontario Hydro.

I would feel much better about this plan if Wynne hadn’t just given away Ontario Hydro.

I want to be optimistic about this, but I can’t.  Ugh.

Wynne, you make ‘clean’ seem so dirty.