Tesla lawsuit adds to mounting legal costs for PC government

August 16, 2018

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario and MPP for Guelph, issued the following statement regarding the news of Tesla suing the province:

“This lawsuit is why Ford’s ‘cut first, think later’ agenda is bad for business in Ontario. Campaign slogans and back-of-the-napkin ideas cannot substitute for real policy.

Cutting off green rebate programs and shutting the door to the $7 trillion clean economy without any notice was always going to hurt people and the economy. Now we’re learning of the legal trouble that happens when you rule by decree.

In just a month since taking office, the province has invited legal challenges over the repeal of sexual education, its undemocratic cuts to Toronto City Council and the sudden cancellation of 758 clean energy contracts. Not to mention $30 million committed to a frivolous carbon pricing fight with the federal government.

Premier Ford is running an employment agency for lawyers.

And let’s not forget there could be much more to come. Companies hold $2.8 billion in emissions permits that will be worthless if the cap-and-trade cancellation bill passes. The Ford government thinks it owes just $5 million in compensation. I suspect many of these companies could seek a second opinion from the courts.

This Premier is driven by ideology over evidence, and all it’s doing is creating more work for government lawyers.”

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