Ford’s climate scheme is a gift to polluters that doesn’t address climate change

Ford government to spend $400 million paying polluters while setting some of the worst emissions targets in the world

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP MPPs Ian Arthur (Kingston and the Islands) and Peter Tabuns (Toronto–Danforth) called out the Ford government’s climate change announcement as a dangerous scheme, and a favour to the province’s biggest polluters.
Arthur, who is the Official Opposition critic for Environment and Sustainability, addressed the government’s policy announcement in a press conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday.
“This so-called climate plan is Doug Ford’s gift to big polluters,” Arthur said. “Instead of having polluters pay for the damage they are doing, Doug Ford wants to use your money to line their pockets.
“The $400 million Ford has put aside to pay massive corporate polluters could go to actually addressing climate change – or it could go to the schools or hospitals that Ontarians need.
“Instead, people are getting another Conservative scheme cooked up in a backroom – one that will not help the environment or slow climate change.”
In his response to the Ford government’s announcement, NDP Energy and Climate Change critic Peter Tabuns said the scheme doesn’t set effective targets for emissions reductions, and has no hope of meeting them.
“The emissions targets Doug Ford has set here are some of the worst in the world,” Tabuns said. “They are nowhere near the Paris Accord targets the international community set to address climate change. In fact, these are in the same league as Russia and China’s targets.
“This Conservative scheme puts us on the road to disaster. At the end of the day, Doug Ford’s insiders win, the environment loses and Ontario families pay for it.”