Every politician will say that they entered politics as a public service, to try to do something good for the people, to give back (Credit: Sam via Flickr).
Politics is an interesting game. Every politician will say that they entered politics as a public service, to try to do something good for the people, to give back. And yet, in order to have an impact, they have to win. And in order for leaders of parties to have the biggest impact possible, their party has to win.
Trying to resolve the lofty ideal of doing good for the greatest number of people in a blood sport like electoral politics cannot be easy. And unfortunately it produces what we saw yesterday, when the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) party revealed their campaign platform for the October election. Good public policy that supports energy efficiency and clean, renewable power was sacrificed on the altar of Tory populism.
Let me take a step back and explain. The PC platform, revealed by its leader Tim Hudak, included a number of measures that the platform said were intended to get "home energy bills under control." The Tories promised to cancel the feed-in tariff program that supports clean renewable power and the contract with Samsung to bring $7 billion in investment in clean energy to Ontario.
It doesn't matter apparently that both of these measures have already led to billions in investments and thousands of jobs created in Ontario's green economy. Or that those investments have little to do with recent increases in energy prices. They will be cut because Tim Hudak says they are the culprits, despite evidence from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario showing that spending on conservation and renewables make up just 3% of the total cost of Ontario electricity.
A similar sleight of hand involves removing the Debt Retirement Charge from power bills. That debt continues to exist, due to lousy investments in nuclear power by both the PCs and the Liberals in the past. But now it is Ontario taxpayers rather than Ontario energy ratepayers who will be responsible. Since just about every Ontarian is both a taxpayer and a ratepayer, Mr. Hudak needs to explain how we are further ahead.
Removing the HST from home heating and power bills? Pure populist gold. The result of this and other measures is that we will pay less than it costs for our energy and the difference will have to be made up somewhere else... by all of us, of course, just not on our energy bills.
And meanwhile we are foregoing huge economic opportunities in clean energy. When Mr. Hudak first promised to cut the feed-in tariff program (FIT) and the clean energy contracts, many spoke out against his proposal. Business leaders and investors said that the FIT program was essential to the long-term economic prosperity of Ontario. Labour unions pointed to all the jobs that had been created and that would be foregone in the future. Doctors and nurses lamented the lost opportunities to support clean energy and close down coal-fired power plants, whose pollution is leading to respiratory illnesses and death on a daily basis in Ontario.
But those reactions didn't dissuade Mr. Hudak or the Progressive Conservatives. It appears that grassroots populism in this case has won out over good public policy and common sense.
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2 Comments
8:31 PM
I agreed with what Mr. Dale Marshall has written in his report.
As part of my graduate study at university, I spent more than 4 months working on a research paper about the cost and benefit of FIT program, specifically about solar energy.
What Mr.Tim Hudak has claimed FIT as "expensive and experimental" is nothing more than a lie. The Ontario FIT program modeled after the successful German FIT program launched since 1990 and amended in 2000, since that time, most European country and even China has adopted a similar program to promote renewable and clean energy. FIT program is credited as the most single biggest driving force to encourage public support for development renewable energy on global scale.
General household, small business and investors participating in the Ontario FIT program pay for all research and start up cost to install a solar system, not the government. OPA does not pay a cent towards the renewable system until the system is completely installed, inspected, certified and connected by the local energy company. OPA only paying for the energy produced when it reaches commercial operation. And so far, only a small % of application has reached commercial operation. The increased cost of hydro has nothing to do with OPA and the introduction of renewable energy.
In terms of solar energy efficiency, Ontario and Germany in very similar latitude in terms of ability in harnessing solar energy. Therefore, claiming Ontario is not in the most effective zone for solar energy development again is incorrect.
Every day, the sun emits at least 10,000 times more energy than the world population can consume, it is clean, abundant, provide energy locally at peak demand hours and has no emissions of CO2 that could damage our health and environment. In long run, it should alliviate the burden on the aging grid system since the energy produced can become self sufficient.
Every country in the world is planning to cancel nuclear plant, because it cost billions to build, it is dangerous, it is environmentally damaging… the list can go on, any responsible leader of a country or a province should not lead us to that path. Mr. Hudak is being extremely irresponsible in considering building more nuclear plant.
Solar energy in 2010 alone resulted in over $750 million being injected into Ontario's enconomy. Solar industry made a significant contribution in reducing the unemployment rate to 9.6% in February 2011 from a high of 15.2% in July 2009 for the Essex Windsor area.
In their newest report, the International Energy Agency has just projected that solar energy would account for about 60% of energy supply by 2060. Ontario is already in an advantage and leading position, don't lose that leading edge..
For the sake of our economy and our next generation, there are every reasons to go green and to keep the FIT program.
FIT rate should be reduced because of already lower capital cost to build solar system, but not completely eliminated.
I hope that we can get the fact out….
6:00 PM
I believe there is more to politics then just the energy problem. We have to vote concerning many things, not just one. Our current government has stepped on a lot of people to do what they want. Its true we need better energy, but we also have to be able to pay for it. If we can't feed out family, or pay the rent, or have a doctor, because the cost of our hydro is so high, then what? I am a single person on ODSP. I have to pay higher rent then I am allowed to have a place to live. I can't afford the proper food I require for my illnesses and I don't even know what it means to have extra money for haircuts, clothing, entertainment etc. This government has done nothing for me. You talk about energy, I'm taking about people who live in this province, who are handicapped, terminal illnesses and mentally unable to cope. What do they do when they can't pay their hydro, do without? As I say, there is more then just energy when it comes to voting for a new government.
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