McGuinty Misled Ontarians
On Auditor General’s Report
NEWS:
QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario PC MPP and Accountability Critic John O’Toole said today that Premier McGuinty deliberately ignored facts from the Auditor General’s report throughout the 2011 election campaign. Despite receiving a draft of the report prior to the election, the McGuinty government continued to claim its expensive energy experiments were working.
In his report, Auditor General Jim McCarter confirmed that, contrary to Dalton McGuinty’s claims, the Green Energy Act is costing Ontarians billions of dollars and killing jobs throughout the economy. According to the Auditor General, Ontario consumers have paid $1.8 billion since 2005 to export power to New York State and Quebec. At the same time, Dalton McGuinty’s green energy schemes are killing jobs in Ontario at a rate of 4-to-1. For every one green energy job created up to four jobs are lost in the broader economy due to increased hydro costs.
The auditor also confirmed that consumers have paid more than enough to cover the $7.8-billion Debt Retirement Charge (DRC), but the government continues to charge it on hydro bills while keeping the remaining debt a secret.
Rather than come clean about his failed policies, Dalton McGuinty chose to ignore and suppress the Auditor General’s findings until after the provincial election. In fact, the Premier continued to make false claims about his energy record throughout the election, misleading Ontarians before they went to the polls.
QUOTES:
“Premier McGuinty boasted about his energy policies throughout the election, all the while knowing that the Auditor General confirmed what our leader, Tim Hudak and the PCs have been saying all along. That the Green Energy Act costs Ontarians billions of dollars and kills jobs in the economy”
- John O’Toole, MPP and PC Accountability Critic.
“Trust and accountability are two things Ontarians deserve from their government. Premier McGuinty has failed on both accounts.”
- John O’Toole, MPP and PC Accountability Critic
QUICK FACTS:
- During the recent Ontario election, the McGuinty Liberals issued at least 15 news releases claiming they were creating 50,000 jobs. However the Auditor General reported, “The high proportion of short-term jobs was not apparent from the Ministry’s public announcement.” And further “Experience in other jurisdictions suggests that jobs created in the renewable energy sector are often offset by jobs lost as a result of the impact of higher renewable energy electricity prices on business, industry, and consumers” (Auditor General’s 2011 Annual Report, Page 117)
- As recently as November 10, 2011, a Ministry of Energy news release claimed that over the last five years Ontario “generated $1.8 billion through net exports.” However the Auditor General reported, “Ontario received $1.8 billion less for its electricity exports than what it actually cost electricity ratepayers of Ontario.” (Auditor General’s 2011 Annual Report, Page 112)
- On March 2, the Minister of Finance claimed, “We’re paying [the hydro debt] down each and every year. The auditor signs off on it. The books are open and clear.” However the Auditor General reported, “Our view is that the Minister should make a formal determination of the outstanding amount of the residual stranded debt in the near future and make this determination public.” (Auditor General’s 2011 Annual Report, Page 126)
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For further information please contact:
John O’Toole, MPP – Durham (905) 697-1501 / 1-800-661-2433
