Statement by Ontario NDP Environment, Climate Change and Energy Critic Peter Tabuns

Ontario NDP Environment, Climate Change and Energy Critic Peter Tabuns issued the following statement:

“Today’s report from the Interim Environment Commissioner is clear; the Liberal government will miss their 2020 emissions targets unless they take aggressive action.

Aggressive action means that they need to use all the means they have at hand -- selling off Hydro One reduces their options.  Does anyone believe we would have had a coal phase-out if the coal plants had been privately owned?

A public Hydro system allows governments to invest in energy conservation programs through Hydro One. It’s clear, if the Liberals were serious about meeting their emissions targets, they wouldn’t be selling off one of our key strategic assets in helping to meet those targets.

If Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals sell off Hydro One, it will come at a cost to the environment. Ontario’s New Democrats believe that keeping Hydro in public hands helps us to make the right choices, the smart choices, we need to make in the fight against climate change.”