With the municipal elections over, you might hope the politics is done.　 But here at Queen's Park, we're back in session and debate has a much harder edge.　 Question Period is rougher than before.　 Fixed election dates have their downsides, as we can expect a full year of politicking, through next October.

It's appropriate, then, that politics—not facts—dominate a hot issue no matter where you live.　 Electricity pricing.

As a strong supporter of clean, green energy, the level of politicking alarms me.　 And I'm frankly worried that the McGuinty Liberals are giving good, sustainable ideas an expensive image.　 As I'm sure you agree, the last thing we need is for people to think environmental ideas cost them a lot of money.

But in the face of all facts, the McGuinty Liberals are going out of their way to link price hikes with green energy.

Here is a Toronto Star report on the Liberal's policy convention a few weeks ago:

"The premier said he is not spooked by the poll, even while opposition parties attack him daily for making life less affordable for Ontarians because of the new 13 per cent harmonized sales tax and higher electricity rates as the Liberals modernize the power system with more green power."

The problem, of course, is clean energy only represents a fraction of current price increases.　 The overwhelming cause is due to nuclear power, gas-fired power and greater privatization.　 But these aren't as popular with the public, so the McGuinty Liberals use green energy as a shield to hide their own—and truly unpopular—policy choices.

I see the same in Question Period.　 Regularly, concerns about rising prices resulting from bad policy mistakes are defended by the Premier and Minister of Energy in green language.　　 It's just factually wrong, and politically dangerous.　 The Tories do enough of a job demonizing green power; they don't need a hand from the Liberals.

Indeed, the Tories and Liberals agree on nuclear and privatization, the only point of difference is on the green aspect.　 So this is where they fight—leaving the impression with voters that if they got rid of the green, they'd get lower bills. But nothing could be further from the truth.

It's time we made this point strenuously to the McGuinty Liberals.　 And in place of this absurd partisan spat, build consensus among all parties for inexpensive, clean, green energy—which delivers cleaner air, and creates jobs and income across Ontario.

Peter Tabuns