With the possibility of a fall election, the Green Party of Canada commissioned an independent poll by British Columbia-based McAllister Opinion Research in Leader Elizabeth May’s BC riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. On the heels of national opinion polls showing the Greens gaining ground and polling very high provincially in BC, this poll shows a tight two way race in this key riding.

“It has been a year since Elizabeth May announced she was running in Saanich-Gulf Islands. The welcome has been warm, and supporters have been enthusiastic. We expect to continue rising in the polls as more people have the chance to meet Elizabeth and realize she is the best MP they could have,” said Jonathan Dickie, May’s Campaign Manager.

“We have the momentum. Support for Elizabeth is increasing and the race with the incumbent is essentially neck and neck,” said Dickie.

The poll shows May with 32% support from decided voters, only slightly behind Lunn with 34% of the vote, and within the margin of error of 4.8%, The NDP and Liberal candidates trail with only 17% of the vote, neither in striking distance of second place.

“I’m gratified by the support that Saanich-Gulf Island supporters have shown me in the past year,” said May. “Electing the Green Party Leader as MP will send a strong message to Ottawa that the citizens here are ready for a different sort of political leader, one who puts the health of the community above all else, one who will work for the renewal of democracy, one who will have a powerful influence on environmental policy in this country, one who realizes Canada needs to be a leader in the green economy. The citizens of Saanich-Gulf Islands are ready to make history.”

In the next federal election, Canadians will have the opportunity to repeat what just happened in the United Kingdom and in Australia this year: sending Greens to Parliament.

Debra Eindiguer
GPC Press Secretary

OTTAWA — Green Party members from the Ottawa area were joined by new deputy leader Georges Laraque for the Pride Parade this past Sunday.

Recognized by those lining the streets, Georges stopped frequently to shake hands, give hugs, pose for pictures, and sign autographs.

“Georges is not a career politician.” said Green Party organizer for the Ottawa Pride Parade Kevin O’Donnell. “He speaks naturally and connects with people in a very genuine way.”

“It was fun and energizing to march in the parade with Georges and so many Greens from the region” said Ottawa-Vanier Green Party riding association president Katie Gibbs. “By attending, Georges helped make this year one of our most exciting years at the Ottawa Pride Parade yet.”

The Green Party of Canada was the first federal party to officially support the inclusion of same-sex couples in civil marriage and were the first party to have an openly gay leader (Chris Lea 1990-1996).  Green Party policies include strong support for ending discrimination based on race, creed, ethnic background, political beliefs or sexual orientation.

“Everyone has the right to live their life without discrimination, without fear, and with joy and acceptance.  Greens continue to work for a world where differences in sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression are accepted and celebrated,” said Georges Laraque.

Please mark Wednesday, September 22nd on your calendar, and join us at 6:30 PM at the Blue Nile Restaurant, 577 Gladstone Avenue (just east of Percy St.) to choose a candidate to represent us in the 2011 provincial election.  One person has already been nominated, so if you or someone you know is interested in being a candidate, please contact Paul Merriam (paul.merriam@ottawacentregreens.ca).

Provincial Leader Mike Schreiner will be speaking and listening.  Everyone is invited to stay for food and conversation following the official meeting: please join us for some of Ottawa’s finest Ethiopian food.

To vote you must be a Green Party of Ontario member before September 8th. Click here to join the GPO.

The McGuinty government’s credibility is on the line as the public awaits a final decision on the proposed rate cuts to the province’s solar MicroFIT program. The unexpected announcement proposing to reduce the feed-in tariff rate for small ground-mounted solar projects by 27% has sparked outrage from thousands of farmers, solar energy entrepreneurs and citizens who have invested thousands of dollars in helping Ontario develop a vibrant solar industry.

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) is expected to announce its final decision later this week, but whatever final decision is reached, the MicroFIT debacle offers important insights into the priorities and values of the current Liberal government as well as lessons for those who support a stable, fair and transparent investment climate promoting sustainability in Ontario.

Last year, the Liberal government introduced the MicroFIT program to stimulate the development of small-scale renewable energy in the province. The program offered landowners who invested in solar energy projects smaller than 10 kilowatts the opportunity to sell power back to the grid at $0.802 per kilowatt hour under a 20-year, fixed price contract. The government said the offer would remain in effect until a review in 2011, and everyone who met the contract conditions would be offered a contract.

The response showed a deep ground-swell of support with over 16,000 applications received by the start of last month and installation companies, distributors and manufactures began investing in staff and equipment to meet the demand.

Then, on the Friday of the July long weekend, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Bud Duguid made the surprise announcement that wreaked havoc in the emerging solar energy industry. The government would no longer stand by its commitment to pay $0.802 kilowatt hour for ground mounted solar projects. Worse yet, this change would be applied retroactively to the nearly 10,000 project owners who had already submitted an application but did not have a contract because of processing delays at the OPA.

The instability and uncertainty created by the unexpected cuts caused a domino effect. Betrayed and outraged project owners, mostly farmers, cancelled outstanding orders. Renewable energy entrepreneurs saw business collapse overnight, leaving them on the hook with millions of dollars invested in inventory and training. Solar manufacturers halted job-creating investments in new facilities. Sadly for some, RRSP investments and savings may be lost.

There is no dispute that the government has the right to review programs based on changes to the economy or budget resources. What farmers and solar energy entrepreneurs have demanded, with the support of the Green Party, is that the government honour it’s commitment to all those who had submitted a contract application by the start of July, and that any review of the feed-in tariff going forward should be done in an open, transparent and predictable way.

Renewable energy, including community-based renewable energy, needs to be a key pillar of Ontario’s energy strategy moving forward. A community focused energy strategy will lead to a decentralized and distributed system of power generation that will be more resilient and secure. Such an approach creates opportunities for every Ontarian to be green energy entrepreneurs generating income and creating jobs in communities across the province. To achieve this vision, the public must demand the Liberal government honour its commitments and support a transparent, open and predictable process.

— Schreiner is leader of the Green Party of Ontario

VANCOUVER — The Green Party of Canada is pleased to announce NHL star player Georges Laraque as the new Deputy Leader.  “Georges is a very committed Green, passionate about a number of causes, including the relief effort in Haiti, animal welfare and sport,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.  Originally from Montreal, Mr. Laraque officially joined the ranks of the Green Party of Canada earlier this year.  Mr. Laraque will join Adriane Carr as Deputy Leader, as under the Green Party of Canada constitution there are two deputy leaders.

“I am so pleased that we are here today in my riding of Vancouver Centre, the day before our Pride Parade, to welcome Georges Laraque as Deputy Leader of the Greens and to put a focus on the link between an active society and a sustainable society,” said Deputy Leader Adriane Carr.

“After working for many years on key issues like animal welfare and improving lives in Haiti, I am so pleased to have joined a political party that truly cares about building a healthy and just society,” said Georges Laraque. “I believe that the world becomes a better place one person at a time and that every single individual should do their part to make a difference.  Canada has a serious problem with inactivity and obesity that deserves attention.  I look forward to working with the Green Party on making Canada the world’s healthiest and most sustainable country,” continued Mr. Laraque.

“As Deputy Leader, Georges will help us realize our goal of promoting active, healthy, sustainable lifestyles as part of the Green agenda,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Canadian Greens. “The Green Party would implement a broad-based national program of active living to both lower health care costs and improve the overall health of Canadians. We would also introduce a national standard of daily, quality participation in physical activity for our youth to combat the epidemic of obesity.”

“Of course, the reason I was drawn to the Green Party is that it has excellent policies on a wide range of issues. From standing for social justice to strong fiscal policies, from supporting youth and the arts to eliminating poverty, I strongly believe that Green values and policies are the best for this great country of ours,” said Mr. Laraque.

The provincial CA and federal EDA executives had a joint meeting a week ago and here’s a brief update on what was discussed, what the near term plans are, etc.

Next meeting
The next EDA and CA combined meeting is on August 18th at 7:30pm (in the Glebe).  If you’d like to attend then drop me an email.

PRIDE Parade
Things are coming together nicely for pride parade. It’s a dutch date between us and Ottawa-Vanier – but of course EVERYONE is welcome to walk with us.  We won’t have Adriane Carr’s awesome “Shades of Green” swag from last year but we’ll bring all the enthusiasm nonetheless.
Green Party of Ontario Nomination Race
The CA has passed a motion that a nomination meeting will be held in September. A final date hasn’t been selected yet because we’re trying to coordinate the date with Ottawa-Vanier so Mike Schreiner will be able to make one trip up and attend both nomination meetings. If you’d like to seek the nomination you can contact the CA President, Paul Merriam (pmerriam at technologywise.net).

Carleton – Orientation Week
The Carleton Greens rebuilt themselves last year and I’m looking forward to getting out to the campus to help run a table during orientation (or anytime really). So join the Carleton Campus Greens and stop by when we get something going. Jon – I’m looking at you!

Fall Fundraiser
Look for a GPO fundraiser in the last week of September – we’ll be doing a dinner/talk/something-fun the week after the nomination meeting to get the ball really rolling for the provincial election next fall.  The plan for this event just hatched – so if you’d like to bring ideas forward for speakers, etc, I’m listening!
EDA Constitution
It was a long journey, but the federal EDA is now officially the “Ottawa Centre Federal Green Party Association”, courtesy of a motion the national council passed in June.  I realize this isn’t the most exciting news, but to anyone that was involved in getting the EDA’s constitution fixed up in 2010 you’ll be happy to hear the last item has been stricken from the TODO list!

The Green Party is launching a province-wide campaign to call on Premier McGuinty to honour his word and stand behind the promised pricing for all current solar MicroFIT applications. Recent tariff reductions for ground mounted solar projects will hurt thousands of farmers and other project owners, as well as solar installers and manufactures.

Take Action Today!

Act now to help pressure the Ontario government to stop the planned reduction in prices paid for ground-mounted solar projects:

• Get informed. Read Mike Schreiner’s open letter to the Minister Energy and Infrastructure.
• Share the news. Share Mike’s letter on facebook with friends and colleagues
• Tell politicians what you think. Click here for a list.
• Organize a press conference or other local action. Click here to join our campaign.
• Attend an event. Upcoming activities where you can learn more and speak out.
• Click here to follow provincial press coverage of the MicroFIT issue.

Part 1: Kevin O’Donnell
O’Donnell criticized the McGuinty government’s decision to change the microFIT rules without any consultation from the solar industry or their customers.

Part 2: Jim Cummings
Cummings described how the sudden price change shows a lack of commitment by the government to their own program which has led to instability and uncertainty in the solar power industry.

Part 3: Rob Beckers
Beckers described how the OPA and the Ministry of Energy have cast a shadow on the industry’s future without any real justification for the sudden pricing changes.

Part 4: David Long
Long described how the slow processing time for microFIT applications, culminating in the pricing reversal, has shaken consumer confidence and will make it very difficult for solar companies to win back customers.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

July 23, 2010

NEWS

Green Party of Ontario (GPO) representative Kevin O’Donnell joined local solar businessmen Rob Beckers (President, Solacity Inc.), David Long (President, Pheonix Radiance) and James Cummings (President, Clearly Solar) at a news conference in Ottawa today to demand the McGuinty government honour its promise to pay green energy entrepreneurs 80.2 ¢/kWh for solar projects under 10 kilowatts.

• O’Donnell criticized the McGuinty government’s decision to change the microFIT rules without any consultation from the solar industry or their customers.
• Beckers described how the OPA and the Ministry of Energy have cast a shadow on the industry’s future without any real justification for the sudden pricing changes.
• Long described how the slow processing time for microFIT applications, culminating in the pricing reversal, has shaken consumer confidence and will make it very difficult for solar companies to win back customers.
• Cummings described how the sudden price change shows a lack of commitment by the government to their own program which has led to instability and uncertainty in the solar power industry.

The Green Party is launching a province-wide campaign to call on Premier McGuinty to honour his word and stand behind the promised pricing for all current solar microFIT applications. Click here to learn more about the campaign: http://www.gpo.ca/node/2615

QUOTES

“The Green Party considers the solar sector to be an emerging industry that Ontario can be a leader in. We must ensure that investors, businesses and individuals can depend on the Ontario government to honour its commitments. We see the unexpected rate changes as damaging to this emerging industry and damaging to the ability of entrepreneurs to fulfill Ontario’s potential as a sustainable energy leader.”
- Kevin O’Donnell, GPO Representative in Ottawa Centre

“This sudden price change shows a lack of commitment on the part of the Ontario Government to their own program. Changing the rules half way through the game demonstrates instability and uncertainty – the last thing investors want to see. It will kill jobs.”
- Jim Cummings, President, Clearly Solar Inc.

“This rate change has cost us several orders, and discouraged many potential customers. By taking 6 months to process applications the OPA is in essence changing the rules of the MicroFIT program retro-actively, and causing great uncertainty for industry and home owners investing in green energy. A more equitable system would fix the rules, including the feed-in-tariffs, as they apply on the application date. The justification given by both the OPA and the Ministry of Energy are not based on realistic data, and we would very much like to see a real analysis of the costs involved. Keep in mind that even if the $1B number would be correct, this works out to just $1.38 per months on our hydro bill. Is that worth throwing away the future of a vibrant new industry that provides employment for Ontarians, and that can propel Ontario to be a world leader in green energy?”
- Rob Beckers, President, Solacity Inc.

“The introduction of the MicroFIT program created a surge of interest for prospective solar customers in Ontario. It stimulated the growth of Phoenix Radiance, the new green energy division of SageTea Group. There is no question that the slow processing time for MicroFIT applications has impacted our business. This reversal by the Ontario Government will make it difficult to win back potential customers. Ground mounted solar projects are the best ones to do because they have the lowest construction costs. Drilling into people’s rooftops, especially when it involves third party roof warranties made rooftop based solar systems something that we chose to avoid. Since the government is targeting our exact product line, we must now re-evaluate our green energy marketing program.”
- David Long, President, Phoenix Radiance – SageTea Group Renewable Energy Division

QUICK FACTS

• The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) says it has received over 15,000 contract applications since the microFIT program was announced 9 months ago.
• The majority of applications have been for ground-mounted solar panels predominantly in rural areas. Ground mounted panels are the target of the government’s cuts.
• The OPA had only approved 3,000 of the contract applications when the cut was suddenly announced. This means close to 10,000 people could be affected by this cutback which will reduce the income on their investment by 27%.
• A 10 kilowatt solar project costs $70,000 or more to install.

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Contact:
Kevin O’Donnell
(613) 203-2620
kevin@kodonnell.ca

As a GPC member, you have the chance to control the direction of the party by voting on resolutions appearing at the biennial general meeting.

The Ottawa-Centre Greens are holding a discussion on Wednesday, July 28, to help members consider the implications and intent behind the resolutions. It’s being held at Malone’s Pub at the Dow’s Lake Pavilion, starting at 7:30. Please RSVP to evan.c.hughes@gmail.com if you will attend.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Ottawa Centre Green Party of Ontario representative Kevin O’Donnell joins local solar businessmen Rob Beckser (Solacity Inc.), David Long (Phoenix Radiance) and James Cummings (Clearly Solar) to discuss the government’s recent changes to the solar microFIT program.

Location Contact:
Phone: 613-992-4511