Green Energy Act an abysmal failure

The false dilemma portrayed by the Liberals in Ontario about the environment and the Green Energy Act is tiring. Through their rhetoric anyone opposed to the failed Green Energy Act is portrayed as a climate-change-denying-simpleton. Frankly, this line of attack does us no favours.

It is completely acceptable to acknowledge the abysmal failure the Act has been and still be cognizant of environmental protection. What’s more dangerous is the Liberal government blindly ignoring these failures and instead bribing voters with a refinance plan, which it claims will save voters 25 per cent on their hydro bills.

What they fail to mention is the fact that most hydro bills have climbed much more than 25 per cent and their plan will cost $45 billion to save $24 billion. Sadly, the Liberal’s own internal documents show rates will continue to climb.

The Green Energy Act costs have been prohibitively expensive for little environmental benefit. The Act has been a major drag on the economy. It has increased hydro rates, driven out manufacturing and divided rural communities.

Additionally, we’ve replaced lower-cost hydroelectric production with inefficient turbines and produced untimely energy surpluses that we give away to neighbouring jurisdictions.

Instead of accepting the fact that the Green Energy Act is not working, the government is opting for a BandAid solution. I don’t know if it’s an attempt to save face or another example of this government’s holier-than-thou, callous attitude, but I suspect it’s a combination of both. Scott Fenn, St. Clair Beach