Rough summary of Nov. 27 Interview with Tom McConnell — CKTB radio 10 am time slot
Link:
http://www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/shows/the-tom-mcconnell-show-1.1816233
2:00 intro
2:30 Q: The PCs promise a further 12% cut, OK?
3:00 A: The starting point for the PCs is to flipflop on their previous opposition to Wynne’s fake 25% rate cut. The PCs used to support the Auditor General’s analysis. Now the PCs have adopted the Wynne model and promise to ramp it up 12%.
4:00 Q: You don’t seem to be a fan of the PC plan.
A: I’m a fan of telling people the straight facts. Not everybody prefers that approach. Power rate cuts using scam measures is junk. The PCs should be embarrassed by the Brown plan. The financial plan the PCs present with the Brown plan endorses the Wynne approach of hiding the costs of the 25% rate cut from the deficit. Short weeks ago, the top PC spokespeople endorsed the Auditor General’s criticisms of Wynne’s plan to hide the deficit impact of the 25% rate cut scam. Now the PCs thumb their noses at her. What’s that?
6:00 Q: Wow! But,isn’t this good politics?
A: That’s the PC logic. I recognize that perfection is not an option. Folks are upset about power rates. The PC party base hates everything about the power system. They overwhelmingly support nice sounding measures like eliminating the smart meter charge. Turns out that some of those nice sounding ideas don’t work.
8:30 A: Those costs can’t be simply erased. Discontented public opinions about metering charges don’t get the next government off the hook from having to make responsible decisions about our electricity. The PCs have expressed no interest in that assuming that level of responsibility.
10:30 Q: Is Brown proposing more politicization of decision making?
A: Much more. Brown wants less public utility regulation and more politics in power system planning. Brown wants more politics and more hidden costs. Considered from the perspective of long-term impacts, Wynne’s got a better plan than Patrick Brown. (At which point, McConnell screams in pain and goes to ads.)
17:00 Q: Big picture, is the cost of power really going to get a lot cheaper.
A: (18:20) Technology is driving the cost of making power down. Solar is getting cheaper. Package cogen is getting cheaper. The future of power is that costs will go down. That’s good news for the world. Ontario loading up with bad politics, bad debt and bad choices, making it hard for us to join the party.
20:00 Q: Ontario missed the bonanza of cheap gas-fired power.
A: It’s almost as if our politicians aren’t that good at picking winners. They say they are all in favour of innovation but they’re too involved in yanking the levers of power. Often their decisions turn out to be focused on short-term gains but result in long-term pain. Ontario and other provinces are blowing it in electricity. One might have hoped that the 2018 Ontario election might have been an opportunity for an adult conversation about electricity options, like what to replace the Green Energy Act with if you don’t like it. Instead, we’re going to be talking about stupid tricks for hiding costs.