Statement from Ontario PC Environment Critic on cap-and-trade funding announcement

The following is a statement from PC Environment and Cap-and-Trade Critic Lisa Thompson on the government’s climate change announcement today:

“The government has a responsibility to provide social housing to those in need. Unfortunately, Premier Kathleen Wynne has repeatedly failed to do so. In fact, Ontario’s waiting list has now reached a record high, with more than 170,000 families remaining in need.

“To hide this failure, the Premier likes to hold photo-ops and announce plans to raise even more revenue, the latest being the Liberals’ cap-and-trade scheme, which was passed into law last week.

“Today’s photo-op is nothing more than an attempt by the Liberals to justify setting up cap-and-trade and raising $1.9 billion in new revenue to fund existing government programs and new subsidy schemes.

“This funding announcement is also a part of the Liberals’ radical climate plan, which includes Premier Kathleen Wynne’s commitment to ban natural gas heating in homes. This drastic policy will affect 76 per cent of Ontarians and increase heating bills by $3,000 a year.

“Combatting climate change shouldn’t be about raising new money for government programming. That’s nothing more than a cash-grab. Instead, it should be about reducing greenhouse gas emissions while keeping the cost of living and doing business in Ontario affordable.”