Good Afternoon, I am an…

Good Afternoon,
I am an Ontario tax-payer, in the Toronto area and I care deeply about this program. As someone with several family members with genetic breathing / lung defects, air quality and climate change are very real issues for my family.

I believe that Ontario could be a world leader on the global stage. The cap and trade system is innovative and effective. It allowed us to drive millions of dollars towards renovations for private and public buildings, infrastructure and transit across the province. This has already had significant benefits for job creation, reducing costs for public institutions in terms of heating and cooling (thus reducing costs for taxpayers), and provided Ontario an opportunity to lead on taking action on climate change and making polluters pay. All this for essentially no cost to taxpayers.

Cancelling cap and trade is going to be hugely expensive for Ontarians, puts the government at risk of being sued by companies who have spent millions, and creates distrust for those who might otherwise invest in Ontario due to its lack of policy stability.

Cancelling such an important program is morally and fiscally irresponsible. I urge the government to be brave, innovative and think longer term than an election cycle and not cancel the cap and trade program.