Conclusion of exchange in Ontario Legislature

Mr McGuinty:

Premier, leadership is not an option.

You've got the big job.

You're going to have to do a few things now.

One of those things you have to do is take responsibility for cleaning up Ontario air.

I put a plan before you.

I've got a plan.

It's going to take us three quarters of the way to satisfying our province's responsibilities under the Kyoto accord.

By the way, they're laughing at us in the States.

We can't go to any international tribunal unless we've got clean hands.

Let's clean up our act and then we can assert our rights before the US.

I'm asking you again, Premier, where do you specifically stand on the Kyoto accord?

Are you with Ralph Klein or are you with Ontario families and Ontario Liberals?

Hon Mr Eves:

If he's talking about the Ontario Liberals who are with Paul Martin, who I presume are vastly greater in number than the Ontario Liberals who are with him, then they happen to be with our side of this discussion.

We have taken great steps in the province of Ontario -- we've taken them not just through this government but through predecessor governments -- to lower emission levels in Ontario.

He will know that Premier Harris, for example, a few years ago talked about the phasing out of coal-burning Lakeview by 2005.

He will also know that this summer I turned down the sale of Thunder Bay and Atikokan coal-burning plants because the prospective purchaser would not agree to convert them to natural gas or to shut them down.

That will be a condition of any sale or they will be shut down.

So those are three of the five plants.

Lambton and Nanticoke, he will also know, will have technology on board by next year, by 2003, to reduce emission levels --

The Speaker:

The Premier's time is up.