A federal election is not the only election in the air. Ontario Green Party Deputy Leader and candidate for Parry Sound-Muskoka, Matt Richter, is also turning up the heat.
Recently, Richter issued a media release in response to the Ontario government’s launch of new energy efficiency programs, including the Home Renovation Savings Program, part of a new $10.9 billion, 12-year investment in energy efficiency, touted as the largest in Canada’s history.
“Ontario Greens have long-called for a robust retrofit program, but this program will be virtually inaccessible to low and middle income households in Parry Sound – Muskoka. Homeowners are required to pay the costs up front and then wait for an unspecified amount of time to receive a 30% refund,” stated Richter.
However, Smith, also in a media release, noted that all residents will have access to the programs. “These new Energy Efficiency Programs that all residents will have access to will lower energy bills, put more megawatts into Ontario’s energy grid, and ultimately put more money back into your pockets,” he said. “These are important measures that will bring down the cost of home heating and air conditioning for residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka.”
But Richter accused Smith of “actively campaigned against a home retrofit program in 2022 and was willing to go so far as to lie about our plans in order to win. The people of Parry Sound–Muskoka have said time and time again that they want programs to reduce cost and environmental impact. It’s time they have an MPP who listens to their needs and not just the whims of our Premier,” he added.
Smith, on the other hand, accused the Greens of being purely ideologically driven and making the cost of living more expensive.
“While we remain committed to making life easier, the Greens have once again confirmed their ideologically-driven obsession with making everything, particularly energy, more expensive. The Greens support Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax and want to increase the current tax rate from $80/tonne to $300/tonne. This would prove tremendously harmful to residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka who rely on natural gas and propane in their homes and who use gasoline and diesel in their vehicles,” said Smith. “Every step of the way, the Greens have shown themselves to be ideologues, who are out of touch with the realities of life for people across Parry Sound-Muskoka.”
Richter said the Ford Government spends over $7 billion annually subsidizing electricity bills, which are skewed towards higher income households that use more energy.
“I’m pleased to see the Ford government finally announce a version of a home energy retrofit program to support people and small businesses to save money by saving energy,” said Richter. “Since my first campaign, the Greens have been calling for the government to support retrofits programs over energy subsidies.”
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The fact is Doug Ford cancelled energy efficiency programs in 2018. He hopes you have forgotten.
Saving energy means saving money so you are better off.
Ford has demonstrated he prefers expensive GHG spewing natural gas plants and extremely expensive nuclear plants.
Ontario’s grid used to be very green. Not since Doug Ford.
Search “Polluting gas will provide 25% of Ontario’s electricity in 2030 – up from 4%”
Improving energy efficiency has the same effect on the grid as new generation. The rebates cost pennies on the dollar compared to the cost of new generation. Pennies. There never was a valid reason to cancel energy efficiency programs. “Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner pointed out the government cancelled a similar program when Ford first took power. “I’m glad that, six years after cancelling energy efficiency programs, the Ford government’s answering the Green Party’s call to actually have those programs in place to help people and small businesses save money by saving energy,” he said. “But we’ve lost six years of financial, economic and environmental benefits that could have come from these programs if the Ford government hadn’t cancelled them in the first place.”
Smith, Ford, Lecce and Poilievre all know the big carbon tax rebate means most Canadians are better off with the tax and the rebate. Especially low incomes. Yet they all continue to complain about the tax and fail to mention the rebate. The rebate is up to $2,160/year. Depends on province and family size. The rebate goes up as the tax goes up.
For some facts: Search “Is the carbon tax suffering from a failure to communicate?” Remember “Poilievre ran in favour of carbon taxes multiple times in his career.” He hopes you have forgotten. Despite what Poilievre keeps ranting “What if ‘Axe the Tax’ leaves most Canadians worse off?” and “If Canada axed its carbon tax — and rebates — this is how different households would gain or lose.” Despite what Poilievre keeps ranting “There’s now a Bank of Canada number for carbon tax’s impact on inflation. It’s small” “That number: 0.15 percentage points of the inflation increase can be attributed to the carbon tax.” Almost nothing. Inflation is way down while the tax and rebate have gone up. So obviously the tax is a tiny part of inflation. While climate change is hugely expensive and responsible for a huge part of inflation. Search “From chocolate to home insurance, climate change is making life more expensive.” The carbon tax is a small part of the price of gas which is a small part of the cost of transportation which is a small part of the cost of goods. So the carbon tax is obviously a tiny part of the cost of goods.
It’s good to see a lively discussion between political parties around cost of living, and the carbon tax.
I would however challenge Mpp Smith on his ridiculous assertion that the Greens are driving up the cost of living ,because as far as I know there have been no Green Party governments formed to enact legislation that would affect cost of living.!
On another note Mpp Smith talks about lower energy bills ,and making life ‘easier’ for taxpayers.
All the while his boss Premier Ford is going full steam ahead to build more Nuclear power plants. Nuclear power generation is the most expensive way to produce electricity, and they take 10 to 15 yrs to build.
Ontarians have another choice, solar installations, and wind turbines, faster to build for a faster solution, far less expensive power, the choice most countries are opting for.
My question for Graydon is just who are you making life ‘easier ‘ for? For sure Corporate Canada will make more ‘easier ‘ money on Nuclear power plants….
Mr Smith criticized the Green Party for supporting the carbon tax.. Right now we are watching Californians writh in agony ,their lives burning up, houses, and businesses disappearing in wildfire smoke. Is it not time the Conservative Party admitted that the climate crisis is real, and that we need real solutions Now, like carbon taxes?
I have not seen or heard of a Conservative plan to make our lives ‘easier’ in a world facing vastly increased risk of wildfires, floods, tornadoes, landslides, and crop failures. It’s high time for the Conservatives to stop criticizing and actually do something!