Ontario party leaders talk climate plans ahead of election

The leaders of Ontario’s main political parties highlighted their climate plans on May 24 after a deadly weekend storm ripped across the province, offering different approaches to dealing with severe weather events that are likely to become more frequent.

The leaders of the New Democrats and the Liberals focused on long-term climate solutions while Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford touted electric vehicles and clean steel as key to dealing with the issue.

Ford, who is looking to hold on to the premier’s office, said the province is investing in converting some steel plants to use electric arc furnaces rather than using coal. He also doubled down on electric vehicles, manufacturing their batteries and building roads.

“I believe in climate change, let’s make that clear, and we’re doing everything to prevent it by building electric vehicles, having an investment into the battery plants,” Ford said at a campaign stop in Brampton, Ont.

Ford also touted his plan to build subways, along with the Progressive Conservatives’ plan to build highways in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion.

“One of the worst examples of pollution: go stand on the bridge of the 401 and watch bumper-to-bumper traffic,” Ford said.

“That’s why we’re building roads and bridges and highways to get people home quicker so that they don’t have to sit in gridlock and smell someone else’s fumes.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said her party, if elected, would fix the disaster relief program to get money to affected residents quicker after a severe weather event. New Democrats also have plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, she said.

Horwath said Ford was “out of touch” with climate change.

“It’s really just obvious he was a crusader against the environment for the entire time he was in office,” she during a virtual press conference. Horwath, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, said she had tested negative but was continuing with a remote campaign on May 24 due a few lingering symptoms.

Horwath also pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent blow 2005 levels by 2030. Her government would electrify all transit systems in the province. The would also plant one billion trees and mitigate shoreline erosion.

The plan will be financed by a cap-and-trade system, she said.

“That is that is going to help us finance the big, big changes that we need to make,” she said.