The member of the opposition talked about the Ontario Energy Board. While the Ontario Energy Board makes hundreds of decisions a year—and to their credit, almost all of them I’ve agreed with—this one particular decision did some raise concerns about public engagement in the decision-making process. One commissioner noted that this decision, which could have a significant impact on electricity demands, was reached without input from the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator. It is concerning that members of the commission didn’t know the impact of the decision before signing it off. Therefore, we’ve proposed to increase public engagement.

Does the member opposite agree that increasing public engagement is the right thing to do?

It’s interesting how this government wants public engagement now. How much did you have for the greenbelt debacle? How much did you have for the “notwithstanding” clause? How much did you have for Bill 124? How much did you have for severing of the farmland? All of a sudden, now you want community engagement, you want public engagement.

Well, as I told you, there were tens of thousands of pages of documents analyzed in public hearings, dozens of interviews with experts across the energy industry—and hearing from stakeholders such as the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario and the Building Owners and Managers Association, as well as the IESO. That’s a heck of a lot more engagement than this government has ever done.

Walk the talk.

We have these regulatory bodies, which are supposed to be independent and arm’s-length, for a reason: because, unlike what some people think in this chamber, we don’t know it all. We need checks and balances. And that’s what the OEB is.

I cannot believe that this government has the audacity to meddle with the Ontario Energy Board’s decision. Who do you think you are?

Now, with the judges—you’re going to appoint your judges. Are you going to look at the FAO and all of a sudden have your buddy on there—the Auditor General, the Integrity Commissioner?

We need unbiased regulators.

How about you look at deep energy retrofits and subsidies for that—heat pumps, cooling—actual concrete action to help people and to prevent the crisis that’s upon us right now?