Toronto - The NDP-Conservative HST alliance to borrow $350 million is
an opportunistic ploy that will reward big energy users – often the
wealthiest – and drive up provincial debt.
“Ontario needs to
provide help for seniors, low-income families and remote communities.
The NDP-Conservative alliance does the opposite,” said Mike Schreiner,
Leader of the Green Party of Ontario. “Instead of a regressive tax cut,
a better plan would use refundable tax credits or energy rebates to
provide targeted relief for folks who need it most."
Ontario
must reign in its deficit spending. The NDP-Conservative proposal will
force Ontario to borrow an additional $350 million per year to subsidize
home heating bills, on top of the Liberals borrowing $1.2 billion per
year to subsidize electricity prices. These subsidies add to Ontario's
$18,000 per-person debt, do not create jobs and do not result in long
term energy affordability.
“Ontarians deserve to
be rewarded for their efforts to conserve, not be forced to pay big
energy users,” said Schreiner. “We need programs that help people save
money by saving energy.”
Earlier this year Queen’s
Park politicians quietly allowed a popular and successful program that
helped people save money by using less energy expire. The Home Energy
Savings Program created good, local jobs in Ontario and permanently
lowered energy bills.
The Green Party is calling
for a Green Building Program to help tenants, home owners, and
businesses save money by using less energy. This program will:
- Save rate-payers money on their utility bills permanently
- Save the province money by reducing the need for costly new generation
- Create good local jobs
- Reduce pollution and preserve our environment
