For Immediate Release:
August 5, 2005

Coal closure campaign continues to blur reality – MPP Barrett

Queen’s Park – As the people of Ontario become accustomed to ongoing concerns over electricity capacity in the province, the McGuinty government continues to blindly go where no government has gone before – with our energy future hanging in the balance.

Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett says that ignoring the reality of our province’s energy future will lead to more importation of power from U.S. coal plants, more exportation of jobs, and higher prices for energy consumers.

“Despite the heat of one of the most sizzling summers on record baking us all and prompting more warnings about energy use, the McGuinty government is continuing with its blind “aggressive plan” to shut down up to 25 per cent of Ontario’s energy production by eliminating coal fire generation,” said Barrett. “This government fails to understand the reality that this heatwave has made blatantly obvious – quite simply, we are facing an energy crisis and any move to eliminate power production is a step in the wrong direction.”

Barrett says he heard many of the same concerns as he door-knocked in Haldimand this week.

“Electricity supply and pricing was the number one issue of those I met on the doorstep in Hagersville and Caledonia,” Barrett pointed out. “It’s time this government open its ears and hear what the people are saying.”

Barrett continues to call on the government to back away of its plan to close coal fired energy and investigate the benefits of investment in clean coal technology – the former PC government put $250 million into emission reduction through Selective Catalytic Reduction units at Nanticoke and Lambton.

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett: (519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629