Plans were first made to build gas-fired electricity generating stations in Oakville and Mississauga following recommendations from the Ontario Power Authority in 2009.
But the cancellation of the Mississauga power plant came in October 2011, eight months after the government axed a similar project in Oakville.
Harsh criticism followed from political opponents after the government scrapped the plants, and the cost to do so became increasingly unclear.
Kathleen Wynne:
The government had been saying the cost of cancelling the Oakville plant was $40 million after they decided to scrap the gas plant ahead of the 2011 provincial election.
Opposition parties have been pushing Premier Kathleen Wynne to stand behind the figure. Wynne appeared before the legislature’s justice committee on April 30 and commented on the cost of the canceled plant in Oakville.
During her testimony, Wynne was hesitant to stand by the $40 million figure. “One of the reasons that I asked the auditor general to look at the Oakville situation is because I believe there has been a lot of confusion about the numbers.”
Wynne said she didn’t know what the ultimate price tag would be.
“I was told it was $40 million. I am just as frustrated as everyone at this table. I did not know what the number was.”
Dalton McGuinty:
Former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty testified under oath that it was his decision to scrap the gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga but he claims he did not know the cost.
“I knew that going into this, that when I said we’re going to relocate gas plants, that I did not have at my hand the costs associated with that,” McGuinty said when appearing before a legislative committee Monday morning.
On the defence:
McGuinty relocated the large gas-fired Oakville station in 2012 and defended his decision.
"Under the green energy act standards, where we were putting in a 900-megawatt gas plant we couldn't even locate a single, two-megawatt wind turbine."
"So our standards kind of overtook us, and we thought it was appropriate to relocate that gas plant."
The Liberal campaign team halted construction of the Mississauga plant in the days leading up to the 2011 provincial election.
McGuinty said this regarding the decision: "I made that decision at that time in my capacity as leader of our party."
Progressive Conservative MPP for Simcoe-Grey Jim Wilson reacted in November 2011 regarding the Liberals closing gas plants.
“The taxpayers are just being hosed,” he said. “I think (Premier Dalton McGuinty) didn’t have an end game and I think he misled the people of Mississauga and the people of Ontario.”
Bentley ‘not part of it’
Chris Bentley was under scrutiny for the cancelled plants when he was energy minister from October 2011 to February 2013.
When faced with the question in 2012 of who ultimately made the decision to pull the plug on the Mississauga gas plant, Bentley said this to a legislative committee:
“I wasn’t part of that decision.”
“I can’t answer that. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t part of it.”
Although Bentley has never pointed the finger at anyone for the decision, Dwight Duncan has.
The blame game:
Former finance minister Dwight Duncan said this to reporters on July 16, 2012, when he was still finance minister:
"It was in fact a government decision and ultimately the person who made that decision was the premier."
Opposition reacts:
When the auditor general’s report was released on April 15, 2013 indicating that the cost of cancelling the Mississauga gas plant was $275 million instead of the $190 million figure the government had been using, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath said this:
“Of course, we find today, that the Liberals not only spent millions and millions on their private power deals but they did everything they could over the last several months to hide the information and to downplay the real cost to the people of Ontario.”
“They put the needs of their own party in front of the needs of the public interest. Now families are stuck with the bills.”
She continued to say the $275 million could have gone toward health services and putting students that need jobs to work.
Accountability:
Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is determined to hold the Liberals accountable for their management of the cancelled gas plant projects.
“We’re going to hold this Liberal government to account,” he told reporters.
Hudak urged the NDP to support a non-confidence motion over the cancelled gas plants on April 29.
“This gas-plant scandal goes so far over the line, especially at a time when we have a jobs and debt crisis, it alone deserves a vote in the legislature.”
