Bill 4 is joke. It should…

Bill 4 is joke. It should not even make it to first reading.
The following is an email I received from the office of my MPP, Toby Barrett:

*** We are taking the next step in the fight against the federal govt’s carbon tax. Carbon taxes have nothing to do with the environment & everything to do with increasing government revenues. We are moving forward to keep more money in the pockets of hard-working Ontarians. This is something that was openly campaigned on.

That said, the government will be working on alternative programs. Here is a direct quote from Minister Rod Phillips on the issue:

“Our government takes climate change very seriously and we understand the importance
of taking steps to ensure we protect our environment. We care a great deal about the
environment and remain committed to take action to encourage lower emissions.

As you are aware, I have introduced Bill 4 that requires us to develop a climate change
plan, set emission reduction targets and report on our progress to the public.” ***

This comment has only made me more resolute in my concern that the Ford government has no idea what they are doing with respect to energy policy.

The first idea: to fight the federal government on this, is ridiculous. Our federal government should absolutely insist that a price be put on carbon. If this means forcing this on provinces, so be it. However, if if the federal government were wrong to do this, fighting them in court will be a massive waste of taxpayer dollars. This was not campaigned on, and should not even be considered.

Next idea: "Carbon taxes have nothing to do with the environment..." Really? Is this an opinion? Is this an attempt to read the minds of every government around the world who has instituted a price on carbon? I could go on, but this is simply a ludicrous statement. In addition, putting a price on carbon will absolutely reduce emissions. This is simple economics. For example - make gasoline $10/litre and people will drive less!

"and everything to do with increasing government revenues". The cap and trade program was collecting money from the most polluting companies to fund environmental initiatives to help regular people. Obviously this is/was a good thing. To cancel this would be irresponsible and pandering to polluting corporations.

Next the quotation from Rod Phillips our Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks:

“Our government takes climate change very seriously and we understand the importance
of taking steps to ensure we protect our environment. We care a great deal about the
environment and remain committed to take action to encourage lower emissions.
As you are aware, I have introduced Bill 4 that requires us to develop a climate change
plan, set emission reduction targets and report on our progress to the public."

He cannot expect to be taken seriously. Our province had a plan in place which had moved fairly far forward, with a cap and trade program, and initiatives to decrease emissions. In other words, a plan. Very detailed. Internet searches still show remnants of the consultation process. Experts in the field had referred to Ontario as an example of a jurisdiction which was making progress. And now? To introduce a bill which will require a plan to be developed? Hello? Full stop! Keep the Green Energy Act.
Certainly begin a process to study it as well as the results so that this plan can be adjusted and improved upon. But cancelling with no plan in place would be deplorable. The opposite of leadership.

The 200+ page New Climate Economy report included the conclusion that a price must be put on carbon and carbon taxes /cap & trade programs are essential parts of fighting climate change. The Ford Ontario government was mentioned as an example of a jurisdiction which was considering "backsliding"; in other words, pointed to as an example of what not to do (cancelling the Green Energy Act)

The 200+ page report from Ontario Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe addressed the cancellation of the Green Energy Act. It says the Ford government has 'gutted' climate change programs which were working.
"Most of the cap-and-trade money was funding energy efficiency programs in Ontario communities in schools, public housing, transit and hospitals, for example, that would have reduced GHGs and saved millions of dollars in energy costs"

These are just 2 examples of detailed reports. Now, this government wants to say it has consulted the public, so here I am making a comment which should not be necessary. There are already experts who have looked into this. No amount of public consultation is needed or likely even helpful. The public is grossly undereducated about climate change issues and policy. Focus your energy towards educating the public about the issues instead of cancelling programs which are poorly understood.

From Environment Ontario on twitter: "Ontario is taking action to scrap the cap-and-trade carbon tax and put money back into the pockets of families. This will help reduce gas prices by 10 cents per litre and save the average family $260 per year."

My thoughts:
1. My family could save thousands from the now cancelled Green initiatives. $260 is paltry, even if it weren't also a terrible idea from an environmental standpoint.
2. The technology now exists (affordable solar panels, electric cars, etc) to replace fossil fuels with clean energy for many applications. Incentivization through cap and trade (or other price on carbon) will make this happen faster, helping all Ontarians.
3. Governments should avoid communicating through twitter posts. Perhaps link to something substantive, but these 240 character thoughts are insulting. They may be popular to some, but they do not represent leadership.

Abandon Bill 4, keep the Green Energy Act and reinstitute the Green initiatives now. Go ahead and consult experts and the public about how they can be improved. The importance of this issue cannot be overstated, and it is worth far more than "keeping $260