The fall session of the Legislature rose for the Christmas recess on Thursday, December 11, leaving the opposition only two days to question the government on the Auditor General’s Report. It is convention that the report be released prior to the end of the fall session but it is the government that determines the actual date. Not surprisingly, the government set Tuesday, December 9th as its release date, leaving, as I said earlier, the opposition only two sitting days to question and challenge the government on its contents. While there were many things in Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s report to cause concern, including her projection that the provincial debt will rise to $325 billion by 2017/2018 and that the Kathleen Wynne Liberals are in no way on pace to eliminate the deficit by that time. I will concentrate on just two of the matters that she raised, regarding the very important issue of what you pay for electricity.
It turns out that the Liberals much ballyhooed introduction of “smart meters” is costing you almost double what they said it would – $1.9 billion for a program that has not delivered the promised results. They have not succeeded in reducing peak demand nor have they succeeded in requiring less new generation to be built. These were two of the key points, the Liberal government made when they introduced smart meters.
One of the reasons that they have failed was the introduction of the Green Energy Act which has caused the mysterious “global adjustment” to soar. The global adjustment is not well understood by most electricity ratepayers but simply put, it is the difference between the wholesale market price of electricity and the amount the province pays to its generators through the exorbitant contracts they have signed with them. Sixty per cent of that can be traced to wind and solar. What the Auditor found will shock you. The cost of the global adjustment which is hidden on most people’s electricity bills, will amount to a staggering $50 billion by 2015. Can you imagine, how many medical procedures could have been provided in the last 10 years with $50 billion or how many highways, including Highway 17, could have been four-laned.
In an unprecedented move, the Liberals challenged the credibility of the Auditor General but let’s be clear, there is no motivation for Bonnie Lysyk to provide anything but accurate information. It is the Liberals who are trying to protect their you know what. Ask yourself, who do you believe? You can access the full report at www.auditor.on.ca
On December 16th, I had the opportunity to address the incoming council for the County of Renfrew at their inaugural meeting. I wish to congratulate each and every one of them for their electoral success and assure you as I assured them, that I will continue to take their concerns on issues of a provincial nature to Queen’s Park.
Let me also take this time, to express on behalf of Vicky and our family, our best wishes to each and every one of you for a blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy 2015.
