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