Political wrangling that has derailed business at Queen’s Park could be resolved as early as next week if opposition parties can force the government to strike a committee to probe the $230 million gas plant debacle.
Such a committee would be free to investigate the allegations of government interference in the scuttled deal to construct power stations in Oakville and Mississauga.
A similar opposition-controlled panel looking into theORNGE air ambulance scandal caused the Liberals grief for months on end.
Debate on a contempt of the legislature motion has scuttled the daily question period all week and halted an effort to curb public service pay increases announced by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.
As the debate stretched into its 10th hour, the NDP signalled late Wednesday that it wants a vote as soon as possible.
“We aren’t putting any more speakers on the list,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. “It’s time to send this to . . . committee where it belongs.”
The Progressive Conservatives emphasized there’s no deadline for the debate, which centres on Energy Minister Chris Bentley’s release of 36,000 documents related to the shuttered gas plants.
“It could take hours, it could take days,” said Tory MPP Rob Leone (Cambridge). “The people of Ontario have a right to know.”
The Liberals say the Oakville cancellation cost only $40 million and had earlier announced a price tag of $190 million for the Mississauga facility. The Tories have been mining the released documents and claim the total costs could be $640 million for the two plants.
“The government has not been honest about the true cost of the gas plant cancellations,” he said, adding closures “were orchestrated by (a) desperate and politically motivated Liberal campaign team.”
Amid strong local opposition, both plants were mothballed, which helped bolster Liberal fortunes during last fall’s provincial election.
Bentley, who personally faces charges of contempt, wasn’t minister at the time but NDP and PC members say that he should be held accountable for not releasing all documents pertaining to the deal.
The Liberals insist all relevant paperwork has been handed over.
