NDP leader Andrea Horwath is once again playing political games, rather than contributing solid ideas for Ontario’s economic recovery. Last time it was selling out the environment in an attempt to buy votes, now she is calling for weekly price ceilings to be placed on gasoline.

The Green Party has already pointed out that gas price regulation just won’t work and that what is needed is programs to help business modernize and cut energy costs through efficiency rather than through temporary taxpayer subsidies.

A year-over-year review of gasoline prices in unregulated Alberta and Ontario follow trend lines nearly identical to that of the regulated gas prices in Nova Scotia. Any NDP postering to the contrary is simply dishonest.

At this point the Ontario New Democrats’ motto seems to be: Spend millions to re-create yesterday’s jobs today, so that we can lose them again tomorrow. What is needed, and what the Green party offers, is a practical plan to help Ontario businesses become more competitive and profitable through reducing waste.

These attempts to bribe voters at the expense of real action is corrosive to our economic recovery. Perhaps, nothing illustrates why we need Green MPPs at Queen’s Park more than the GPO’s commitment to responsible opposition rather than thoughtless pandering.

The Green Party of Ontario would:

• Create jobs through a building retrofit program. Studies show that for half the cost of building one nuclear reactor, we can retrofit 1.6 million homes to save the same amount of energy, and create 90 times more jobs.
• Implement British Columbia style carbon pricing paired with income tax cuts to help businesses save money by reducing waste.
• Provide incentives for financial institutions to develop products and tools for the renewable energy sector.

Dave Bagler
Critic for Economic Development and Innovation