...But just in case, the Liberals kept one foot firmly on the brake, with a hard cap on rates charged by government-owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG) for electricity from its "heritage assets," the nuclear plants and major hydro facilities such as Niagara Falls.
That cap comes off on April 1, 2008, however, and now the province's tolerance for higher electricity rates is really going to be put to the test, as OPG served notice late last week that it will be seeking a 14-per-cent hike...
...The government was silent on the matter last week. "The intention is just (to) leave it with the OEB," said a spokesperson for Energy Minister Gerry Phillips...
A footnote: It is no accident that OPG's proposal for a rate hike was released three weeks after the Oct. 10 election. An informed source says OPG was ready to roll last summer but was prevailed upon by its single shareholder, the government, to wait until now.So that's a second source saying the same thing. Sounds like somebody was pulling some strings.
* * * *
From Nov. 3 Globe - OPG to seek 14-percent rate hike:
...The spectre of rising electricity prices is a sensitive topic for the government. OPG's announcement comes just three weeks after the provincial election, when Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberals won a second majority. Energy industry sources said government officials instructed OPG not to apply for the higher rates until after the election.
Energy Ministry spokesman Steve Erwin responded, "It's up to OPG, not us, to decide when they do or do not want to file such an application."
"McGuinty gets re-elected, and the cost of living goes up for Ontarians at a time when they can afford it least," said Progressive Conservative MPP John Yakabuski...
Yeah, that's sure going to help the old manufacturing sector.
More Ontario comment: Cross-border medicine (Christina Blizzard)
We don't expect much from this Liberal crew - (John Snobelen):
...The dismissal or demotion of several senior ministers and the promotion of many new MPPs will consolidate more power in the premier's office. Dalton and a few key ministers will run the show and that tells me Dalton isn't planning on leaving any time soon. Why should he? He has won two majorities in a row and both opposition parties are now in disarray having squandered the chance to defeat McGuinty over his broken promises.
No opposition, low expectations and a very compliant cabinet spells a cake walk for this premier into the next election. Maybe McGuinty will go for three majorities in a row. Maybe he will be handed a third election victory by opposition parties that just aren't up to the job of defeating him. Maybe.
There is some good news in all the changes. Michael Bryant can't be happy about the shift to aboriginal affairs but the creation of this ministry is a good idea and maybe the energy Bryant brought to banning pitbulls will help bring some justice to Caledonia...
On that last note, we can only hope.
* * * *
Update: Halls of Macadamia features a great link that gives us a glimpse into Dalton's cold, calculating mind. Tony covers this too.
In case you missed it, please read Linda Leatherdale - Unions feed at the trough.
In case you missed it, please read Linda Leatherdale - Unions feed at the trough.
29 comments:
Let's see... the health tax levy came how many weeks after the 2003 election? Good ol' Dalton; I knew he wouldn't let me down.
Hmmmm, the wife said it best just now, its time to get out of this province and move under the sea,LMAO
Now if only the conservatives could provide a credible alternative for the next election.
Kingston, I like your wife's idea.
Let's claim part of the Arctic for ourselves. We'll start a new province. No Grits, Dippers or Greens allowed - and only True Blue Tories!
Gee, go figure - McGuinty's in charge and costs are increasing...
As for the last comment, if Bryant brings his wilful ignorance, refusal to listen to experts, love of style over substance and willingness to legislate citizens into second-class status on a whim while playing to the cheap seats, things in the Halidmand Tract should be interesting indeed.
Personal, unsupportable fantasies and fear-mongering for the sake of media ops do not good public policy make.
Bryant has perverted the rule of law in many ways, not least of which is presumption of guilt in the absence of wrongdoing. The burden of proof is on the one who says something is true, not on the one who says it isn't.
I feel a blog post coming on LOL
And let's not forget education Joanne. I predict that either we see an education premium slapped on Ontario taxpayers(see the November issue of the People for Education newsletter that shares that Ontarians would willingly roll over and pay more taxes to secure the public education system). People for Education is a lobby group closely linked to the Minister of Education, and the recipient of gov't grant money of late. Is the tail wagging the dog here in setting the stage for even MORE money going into the black hole of education spending?
or/and we move to slowly erode local school boards by melding them into a type of educationsl LHINs. Any takers on this?
Fun With Numbers and Who Do We Trust is going to be the game we here in Ontario play for the next 4 years.
I just rec'd a notice from my provincial riding association of a fundraiser. First time ever, I tore it up and threw it away. I'm not sure I want to be a member any more because I certainly didn't feel that I was listened to by my party during the last campaign....far from it.
At a social function yesterday I met an Ontario couple who after they graduated moved to the USA. That was more than thirty years ago. They're back in Ontario because they'd like to retire in Canada. Almost all of the advice they rec'd in the week they were here touring the Simcoe, Bruce, Wellington areas was - CHOOSE ANOTHER PROVINCE. SHOP AROUND BECAUSE ONTARIO'S NOT THE PROVINCE IT ONCE WAS. And, it had nothing to do with Mike Harris, or global warming, or George Bush.
BBH!!!
I can't wait to see Donna Cansfield in hip waders, doing the best to keep the black flies off her during her first press conference from Pickle Lake. What a bad choice for an urbanite, ex-school board marm.
Listening to her in Question Period is like listening to her read a story to 2nd graders. She slows her speech and uses her indoor voice.
Ontario voted for a lying socialist who is beholden to the wealthy unions - it's going to get very expensive to live here. At least housing prices will come down as jobs are exported.
I agree with anon. poster 10:28. Parents who have kids in the public system will be kicking themselves for having been so eager to open their wallets for fundraising to pay for things like supply teachers(Waterloo), playgrounds, and extra-curriculars to the tune of over $40million in the 2005-2006 school year.
McGuinty can turn that right back on the parents, who genuinely believe that their money will buy them a better education system.
Don't forget the McGuinty gov't now requires school boards to report how much their parents and school councils fundraising each year. I wonder why? Could it be that he can point to such generous parents and school communities and say, as People for Education does that if parents have all of this extra cash to spend, then why not and education tax?
Wait for it folks. It's not a matter of "if" as "when" - I'm thinking this spring just ahead of the teacher union contracts coming due.
Fundraising to pay supply teachers in Waterloo Joanne? Is someone pulling a fast one, or is this true?
Let's claim part of the Arctic for ourselves. We'll start a new province. No Grits, Dippers or Greens allowed - and only True Blue Tories!
How will you see each other, since the water is blue too?
Now I wish I'd told you to go jump in the lake during some argument.
Fundraising to pay supply teachers in Waterloo Joanne? Is someone pulling a fast one, or is this true?
The kids have to pay for supply teachers in Waterloo Region when the trips are out of province or out of country. This is a new policy.
At first they tried to stick it to the kids for all trips, but now compromised on only those out of the province, etc.
L.S. - lol!
Good post about Caledonia at Caveat.
I just rec'd a notice from my provincial riding association of a fundraiser. First time ever, I tore it up and threw it away. I'm not sure I want to be a member any more because I certainly didn't feel that I was listened to by my party during the last campaign....far from it.
Anon - What party are we talking about here?
what party? Provincial conservatives.
Provincial conservatives.
Oh, that's sad.
I was so unmotivated that I didn't even sign up in the first place. I'm still waiting for a sign that they are listening to the grassroots. Sounds like you're the same.
I don't know about you and the previous anon. Joanne but I feel like you do too. The problem is that it's not making me feel better that John Tory's hanging in there, either.
Yeah, the fact that John Tory had not stepped down sends a bad message.
Is it possible for provincial tory bloggers to put together a really good survival kit telling us how in the hell we're going to survive four more years of Dalton McGuinty?
I've already got a family size bottle of Tylenol, what else do I need?
Padlock for my wallet?
Anything else?
I've already got a family size bottle of Tylenol, what else do I need?
Padlock for my wallet?
Watch out for those 'hands in your pocket', Anon!
This is what I'm going to do - If anyone I talk to complains about anything under the Ontario provincial jurisdiction, I'm going to ask them if they voted Liberal.
If so, I'll laugh in their faces!!!
Hmmmm, the wife said it best just now, its time to get out of this province and move under the sea
Her name isn't Ariel, perchance?
What we pay for energy pales in comparison to what we would be paying, without political involvement/interference.
Expect huge increases in electricity prices over the next 5 - 10 years, even without Kyoto. We don't have the capacity we need, and aren't building more fast enough.
If so, I'll laugh in their faces!!!
Now that's not nice to laugh at people.
Just play them this
(WARNING: plenty of gratuitous foul language, so don't click at work, or around the kids)
Delete this comment if you feel it is too over the top, even if you get a laugh out of it...
Delete this comment if you feel it is too over the top, even if you get a laugh out of it...
Definitely not for my Mom! O.K. it was funny though. But Mom, don't click on it!! Seriously.
Wow. Alot of anonymous posters. By the way, guess who?
guess who?
Mmmm... Someone I know personally?
Great name & avatar, BTW.
Hey Joanne, thanks for the plug!
I'm amused (hey, I'll laugh at anything) by the pervasive sense of surprise regarding McGuinty's dishonesty.
Did people expect that he'd changed, somehow?
"The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour"--Dalton McGuinty
Either people are living completely in the present or they are as gullible as Dodos. Either way, they asked for it this time.
Should be a good show although having McGuint-O-Rama held over for four years is a bit rich.
When does the House reopen? Has anybody heard?
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