Make Polluters Pay Their Fair Share

 
(Queen’s Park): I’m deeply disappointed that the Liberal government missed the mark by failing to even mention the climate crisis or the need for polluters to pay their fair share in the Fall Economic Statement, presented at Queen’s Park earlier today.
 
Two weeks ago the IPCC said we face extreme and irreversible impacts from climate change if we don’t reduce carbon pollution now. The U.S. and China just announced an agreement to act on the climate crisis. B.C. has shown how a carbon tax can result in a growing economy with less carbon pollution.
 
Yet, the Liberal government remains silent on the climate crisis in their economic statement. Neither the NDP nor the PCs mentioned the climate crisis in their response to the economic statement.
 
In addition to making carbon polluters pay their fair share, the government also missed an opportunity to reverse their $509 million revenue shortfall and $12.5 billion deficit by ending the fire sale of Ontario’s natural resources. Ontario has the lowest effective mining royalty rates in the country. The province practically gives its water away by charging companies only $3.71 per million litres.
 
Inaction by Ontario’s three status quo parties risks having the province left behind in the emerging clean economy.
 
Not only does Ontario have a record fiscal deficit, the province also has a political deficit that is failing to take action on the big issues of our time.