Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this pending legislation.

I am a voter, a father of school-aged children, and a member of the middle class trying to live a decent life as a proud Ontarian and Canadian. I am not a member of any political party.

I'm concerned about the world my children will live in, and the opportunities they will have in that world, and I believe that this bill takes away opportunities for my children and my province, and sends the wrong message to my country and my world.

The cap and trade system affords opportunities for new kinds of businesses, economic investment, and changes to our economy that provide opportunities that I might not be able to take part in, but are critical for my children. They come from a generation that is rightfully and critically concerned about carbon emissions because they will have to live through more of the changes, and more of the disasters than I will. Why is it necessary to take away the opportunities to start or work for businesses that can create and sell carbon credits? How does this help anyone?

Secondly, this legislation sends a negative, destructive, and insulting message not only to the federal government, and to the world - suggesting that Ontarians and Canadians don't care about the destruction associated with climate change - but more importantly to a generation of Ontarians who have to live with it, including my children.

I believe this legislation is a hasty attempt to fulfill a position hastily taken during a difficult election cycle. Mr Ford did not promise to take away current and future jobs associated with cap and trade. Mr Ford did not promise to take a destructive position on climate change and was, in fact, careful not to state that he did not believe in climate change because regular Ontarians like me support efforts to fight climate change.

I believe you can do better, and should. I'm sure there are other options that will fulfill the policy direction and election position to protect Ontarians and grow the economy. I'm sure you can find other ways to encourage the "green" economy, and oppose the federal government (if that is necessary) without sending the message that Ontario is against environmental concerns, against science and the world, and overwhelmingly negative and frightened of change.

Thank you for accepting and reading my comment, and I wish you good luck with the hard work ahead.