Ontarians were shocked to learn this morning that the Liberal government continues to keep information from the public surrounding the cancellation of gas plants in Mississauga and Oakville.

Minister of Energy Bob Chiarelli revealed that even more documents relating to the $1 billion cancellation of gas plants in the GTA exist, despite assurances last year that all documents were tabled and made public. Cambridge MPP Rob Leone, who first requested all documents in the Standing Committee on Estimates early in 2012, was outraged at the Minister’s announcement.

“It’s getting pretty ridiculous,” said Leone. “Ontarians have to have faith that their government is acting in the best interest of the people it governs, and that is no longer the case. We want the McGuinty-Wynne government to stop lying to us.”

Just days prior to the election in 2011, the campaign co-chair Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal campaign team made a decision to cancel an unpopular Mississauga gas plant in order to win 5 seats in the surrounding area. In late 2012, with the government on the verge of contempt, a Speaker’s order asked for all documents relating to the closure of the plants to be released.

Some 36,000 pages were handed over to the media, PC, and NDP Caucus after, what Leone says, were heavy stalling tactics.

“The McGuinty-Wynne government had gone to great lengths to keep information on the plant closure from the public, including using code words like ‘Project Vapour’ at cabinet meetings and handing over heavily redacted documents.”

After the initial documents aroused suspicion of a cover-up, the government handed over an additional 20,000 pages of documents, and shut down parliament 3 days later. During prorogation, a memo distributed by the OPA showed a staffer at the Ministry of Energy had instructed that documents not be released.

“After twice being told all documents were released, we get more documents,” said Leone. “There comes a point where we can no longer rely on this government to be truthful and I think we have arrived at that point.”

A very unruly Question Period Thursday culminated with both opposition parties demanding answers from the government that never came.

“I’m glad the NDP share our desire to get to the bottom of this for all Ontarians,” concluded Leone. “Perhaps it will discourage them from continuing to prop up this scandal-plagued Liberal government once and for all.”

For further information, please call

Cal MacLellan | cal.maclellan@pc.ola.org | 416.325.8451