Convince me that this is nothing more than a government who's been unable to get spending under control (http://www.debtclock.ca/provincial-debtclocks/ontario/ontario-s-debt/) looking for another way to generate revenue. Ontario spends 1 billion a month in interest alone to service the debt.
Wynne warns Ontario drivers will pay at pump for cap-and-trade.
Kathleen Wynne said gasoline prices could rise by 4.3 cents per litre as Liberals ramp up plan to reduce greenhouse gases.
By: Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Published on Wed Feb 24 2016
Motorists will pay a price at the pumps under Ontario’s new cap-and-trade system to fight combat change, says Premier Kathleen Wynne.
On the eve of Thursday’s provincial budget, Wynne said gasoline prices could eventually rise by 4.3 cents per litre as the Liberals ramp up the plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
“We need to deal with climate change,” the premier said Wednesday at Ryerson University.
“The cost of doing nothing is much, much higher than the cost of going forward and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions,” she said.
“In terms of gasoline we expect that there would be in the order of an average of 4.3 cents increase.”
Wynne said the government expects natural gas prices to jump by about $5 a month per household.
“It will take some time. These are estimations,” she said, stressing electricity rates may actually decrease as the climate-change plan is ramped up.
Ontario is entering a carbon-pricing scheme with Quebec and California that is designed to encourage businesses and consumers to cut emissions.
Wynne emphasized that that should lead to innovations reducing other costs.
With both gasoline and natural gas costs dropping due to record-low oil prices, Queen’s Park is banking on drivers and ratepayers not being jolted by sticker shock.
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/02/24/wynne-warns-ontario-drivers-will-pay-at-pump-for-cap-and-trade.html