Political tensions are as high as the corn these days as we are now officially into a federal election. In my view, I’m sure not surprising to anyone, this is not the time in Canadian history to be electing a new government. The re-election of Stephen Harper and the federal conservatives is a must in these uncertain times. I wanted to make that clear because Ontario’s Premier, Kathleen Wynne, has waded into the campaign in a big way; she is pledging, in any way she can, to defeat our Prime Minister. Given the number of negatives Ms. Wynne is carrying herself these days, I am doubtful that her voice opposing Stephen Harper will carry much weight.
On the provincial side of things, we are into an election—albeit a by-election—as well. Our Leader Patrick Brown will have the chance on September 3rd to secure a seat in the Ontario Legislature giving him the opportunity to directly hold Kathleen Wynne to account for her mismanagement of the province. Over the next few weeks I’ll be involved in that campaign as well, doing what I can to help secure Simcoe North for our Leader. There are always interesting times in politics.
Throughout the summer I have heard, time-and-time again, the people’s discontentment with the current provincial government. The issue of the sale of Hydro One and the cost of electricity continues to be among the top subjects—not only here in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke but in all parts of the province. Recently I was in Northern Ontario meeting with mayors and others, and while there are some issues that are unique to the North, the price of power affects us all. One thing we all agreed on was that the power generational decisions of this government are one of the biggest drivers of skyrocketing electricity prices.
This past month the global adjustment reached a record 9.17 cents per kWh—the highest ever. As I have explained in the past, global adjustment (simply put) is the difference between the actual wholesale price of electricity and the price we pay generators to produce it. What it comes down to all of those expensive contracts that the government has signed for wind, solar, and gas—that far exceed the wholesale price of electricity—are all getting worked into the hydro bill. If you’re a Hydro One customer, you won’t see it directly but it will mean further price increases down the road. If you’re an industrial user—like our sawmills—you’re getting hit with it right up front. High electricity rates kill jobs. Either the Liberals don’t get it, or they don’t care.
“Big Wind” which is a darling of the provincial Liberals, has adopted an aggressive strategy of throwing money on the table to secure the support of municipal governments hoping that they will pass resolutions declaring themselves a welcoming host community. While this hasn’t happened here in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke yet, it is very likely on the agenda of the Big Wind developers. They recognize the impact of offering significant incentives at a time when municipalities are struggling to maintain the level of services people expect. They are hoping that the prospect of “short-term gain over long-term pain” will be an offer they can’t refuse. As these are playing out in some of our neighbouring ridings keep a close watch here at home.
Summer is not only the season for growing corn—it is the construction season as well. We have seen quite a bit of it this year. While I know it can be frustrating for those trying to get around, we all need to exercise patience as the saying “short-term pain for long-term gain” certainly applies here. Whether it is on provincial highways or county and municipal roads, the improvements that are taking place will certainly benefit us all.
An issue that the provincial government has not properly addressed—and is indeed wringing their hands hoping something will happen to make it all go away—is the possibility of a province-wide strike in our schools this fall. They have mismanaged this so badly that as summer draws to an end we are no closer to an agreement than we were six months ago. Parents need certainty when it comes to scheduling their lives around their children’s education. And both they and their children need to know if they will be in school come September. Kathleen Wynne needs to spend a lot less time fighting Stephen Harper and a lot more time fixing the mess she created in our school system.
County fair season is upon us—enjoy!
