I attended yesterday’s rally called in protest of the Ontario Government’s wildly expensive green energy program.
The rally took place outside of the Liberal Energy Minister’s Bob Chiarelli’s Constituency Office here in Ottawa and about 250 souls braved the cold to hear a number of speakers dis the high cost of electricity brought to you by the current Government and Ontario Power
I did a recent blog on this so I do not see the need in rehashing here how Ontario consumers – i.e. all of us – are paying through the nose for our lights and heat – some 4x more than our neighbours across the river in Quebec.
These costs have a knock on effect since businesses pass on their extra costs to us or they simply move out of Province.
The situation is reaching critical status – but enough about that… I want to deal today instead with yesterday’s Rally.
I entitled this piece ‘ the usual suspects’ since the ‘crowd’ consisted of the usual complainers – the Johns and Marys; the Jims and Joans who regularly attend such rallies. I do not for a minute want to demean their efforts since I consider myself amongst their numbers – indeed, there is lots to protest about this current government … indeed, it is the worst government I can ever recall.
But it is always the same people here in Ottawa who turn out for these protests – be it the Ornge fiasco, the gas plant debacle …what have you.
I was expecting lots more – 500 to a 1,000 given the importance of the issue. New faces and a greater determination to see these rascals at Queen’s Park called to account.
But alas it was not to be.
Same old – despite their just complaint.
No wonder voting numbers are in serious decline. We seem to be living in a state of apathy.
I did though take away a few things yesterday – mostly issues of concern.
First, while I was there, there were no MPPs in attendance. Unbelievable. (Update: apparently Lisa MacLeod – the Conservative’s Energy Critic spoke before I arrived)
On a postive note, in a backhand way, Tom Black spoke – Black is the head of the Ontario Landowners Association and his message to the group was to caution them not to trust any politician regardless of Party. Perhaps surprisingly, this comment drew loud applause from the mostly card carrying Conservative crowd.
They are obviously disappointed in their own leadership … as I am. (As an aside, I have come to the conclusion that Tim Hudak needs to go but I realize this will only happen in the most unlikely event that Hudak himself comes to the realization that he is not the man to become Premier. He needs to do this soon if a leadership change at this point has any chance of succeeding. I won’t hold my breath).
And to prove the point – a Tory Candidate in waiting – namely Randall Denley did speak and when asked what the Conservative Plan is when it comes to Power – he said it is with “Nuclear … they would be building new nuclear facilities.”
I was dumbfounded – I too am a proponent of Nuclear Power but it has its time and place and right now and for the distant future, Ontario does not need more power…nuclear or otherwise.
We suffer from too much power – so much that even at half capacity we have to sell power at a steep loss – some $1.2 Billion over the last 10 months alone. Chiarelli calls it the cost of a cup of coffee per Ontarian – I would hate to buy my coffee where he does.
So here we have the McGuinty and Wynne Liberals having wasted $billions and $billions on nonsensical green energy and if what Denley says is true – the Ontario Tory’s want to come into power and spend $billions more on nuclear development for power we do not need. Is this not Alice in Wonderland?
No wonder Black warned the rally not to trust politicians of any stripe.
Heaven Help Ontario…its politicians do not seemed inclined to.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
