"Ontario Needs a New Energy Economy Now": Tabuns

"Job one as NDP leader will be to get McGuinty to catch up," said Tabuns. "Ontario is facing an economic and environmental crisis, and needs what it hasn't had for 20 years: A government willing to regulate out bad practices and help companies move ahead."

As leadership candidate, Tabuns has made a new energy economy a centrepiece of his platform.

"Some of my ideas appear to be noted in McGuinty's comments ," said Tabuns. "But we know from sad experience there's often a gulf between McGuinty's words and reality. Two years ago, for example, he promised bold action on climate change and there's still virtually no budget for it. And the coal plants he promised to shut by 2007 are still going strong in 2009.
"And the fact is Ontario is well behind other jurisdictions in the race to build a new energy economy. Still, this is the future and I welcome McGuinty's acknowledgement that the jobs of tomorrow depend on urgent, bold environmental initiatives today. As leader of the NDP, I would work to improve and strengthen McGuinty's proposals.

Among Tabuns' solutions are:

– Creating construction jobs and cutting costs for families and businesses through energy retrofits; and reducing energy demand through mandatory building energy efficiency. Australia's recent stimulus package offers free house insulation to more than 2.2 million homes.

– Following the lead of Denmark, Pennsylvania, Quebec and California in helping kickstart a renewable energy industry in Ontario.

– Following the lead of Michigan and Ohio in helping auto plants diversify; and using government support to help the Big Three make more green cars in Ontario.

– Focusing on generating more energy in Ontario, and creating more jobs, by moving towards renewable energy and efficiency, not McGuinty's nuclear-centred plan.

– Creating jobs in northern and rural Ontario by making the electricity grid more adaptable to renewable generation.

"If Ontario's next election is about how to better create a new energy economy, not the side-show of school funding, Ontario's workers, businesses, families and environment will be all the better off," Tabuns concluded.