Toronto Environmental Alliance

May 19, 2011
Amber LeBlanc and 680News staff

TORONTO, Ont. - Tory leader Tim Hudak is promising, if elected in October, he would take measures to help people cope with rising hydro bills by removing the provincial portion of the HST off hydro and home heating bills.

The promise comes a week after the Progressive Conservative leader vowed to scrap the Liberal government's $7-billion green energy deal with Samsung and to stop offering huge premiums for wind and solar power.

Hudak said the average household would save $275 dollars a year.

However, one local green group is not impressed with what they are calling a "short sighted strategy".

Franz Hartmann, the Executive Director of the Toronto Environmental alliance told 680News it would be a false savings.

"If Mr Hudak is serious about really helping save tax payers money, he should be making sure the Green Energy Act and renewable power has a future in Ontario instead of trying to kill it." said Hartmann.

Hartmann said Hudak's energy policy is directly from the 1950s.

"He wants to get rid of renewable power, which every other country in the world is realizing that it's good for the environment, it's good for creating jobs and it's going to help us save money in the long run."

He said that although consumers may see a savings of about $20 a month in their bills, the cost of keeping non-renewable sources of energy in place is much more expensive.

Hartmann added that he would not be surprised if this tax reduction is replaced with a tax hike in another area.

The NDP's Peter Tabuns said that Hudak's promise should be taken with a grain of salt and reminded voters that it was Hudak's federal colleagues who helped introduce the HST in Ontario.

As originally published here: http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/228983--hudak-to-scrap-the-hst-off-hydro-and-heating-bills-if-elected