Tories revive contempt motion against Liberals for cancelled Mississauga, Oakville gas plants

TORONTO—The Progressive Conservatives are reviving the contempt of parliament charge against the Liberals over cancelled gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga.

The Tories will ask the Speaker to consider the contempt motion before today’s throne speech that formally opens the new session of the legislature, but debate on the motion would not come before Wednesday.

The contempt motion names former energy minister Chris Bentley, who resigned his seat last week, but the Tories say it’s really about finding out who ordered the cover-up of the decisions to cancel the two gas plants.

Legislative business virtually ground to a halt last fall as members debated the Tories’ original contempt motion, which triggered then-premier Dalton McGuinty’s decision to prorogue the legislature.

Premier Kathleen Wynne has said she wasn’t involved in any meetings or decisions to cancel the two energy projects, which cost Ontario taxpayers at least $230 million.

Wynne was the Liberal campaign co-chair in 2011 when the party cancelled the Mississauga gas plant, and the Tories say newly released documents show she was briefed on Project Vapour, the Liberals’ code name for the projects.

The new ad from the Opposition questions whether Wynne has chosen to forget she was part of the decision making to cancel the gas plants, and says governments should take responsibility for their actions.

The Tories released the ad just hours before Wynne’s first throne speech, which Liberal sources said will reach out to the opposition in an effort to find common ground.

Wynne has already agreed to a Tory demand for a legislative committee to review all the decisions surrounding the gas plants.