Nickel Belt MPP worried Tories will cost northerners thousands over the Green ON energy program

The MPP for Nickel Belt believes the Tories are discriminating against rural and northern residents with the Green ON energy program.

France Gelinas says people who bought the Green products like windows, haven’t installed them yet and contractors won’t get to the work until after the October 31^st deadline.

“Many of my constituents are on the verge of losing thousands of dollars they don’t have,” Gelinas said in the Legislature.

“It looks like this P.C. government is actually taking money out of the pockets of rural and Northern Ontario residents.”

In response, Rod Phillips, the Environment Minister said the Tories campaigned on ending the cap and trade program of the former Liberal government and that’s exactly what they’re doing by ending the Green ON energy program.

“This government is in the business of putting money in people’s pockets that’s why we got rid of cap and trade and why we’re fighting (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau’s carbon tax,” Phillips said.

Phillips added that the Tories are expanding natural gas to the people of Northern Ontario.

“For the first time (in years) rural and Northern Ontario see a government that understands the issues and they’re being responded to,” said Phillips.

However Phillips remained silent on Gelinas’ request to extend the October 31^st deadline to install Green ON products so people who bought the products before the program was cancelled can still collect the subsidy.