“I want to restate one simple fact: This Liberal government has done more for the environment in the last four years than any other government in Canada’s history – even staunch right-wing conservatives can’t deny that.”
KENORA – POLITICS 2.0 – Bob Nault, the Liberal candidate for the Kenora Riding, announced that a re-elected Liberal government will help Northerners lower their energy bills, make their homes more energy-efficient, and help them prepare for climate-related disasters.
“Today, far too many Northerners and Canadians live in homes that aren’t energy efficient, which means higher gas, oil or electricity bills,” stated Nault. “The reality is that it can be very expensive to adapt to a changing climate and make home improvements to lower utility bills, in both the summer and winter seasons.
“We are all aware that more and more homes are in danger of being destroyed from the increasing number of natural disasters, like the wildfires our region has seen over the summer. We know climate change is for real, and not only it is happening now, climate change is also costing us more with increased insurance costs, floods, forest fires, and unprecedented high windstorms, and hurricanes. As Canadians, we must come together to protect the next generation and beyond.
“A re-elected Liberal government will make life more affordable for Canadians, cut our emissions, and protect the environment by helping to retrofit 1.5 million homes, making them more energy-efficient. Measures also include interest-free loans of up to $40,000 for homeowners and landlords so they can retrofit their properties. We will also invest $100 million in skills training to ensure there are enough qualified workers to keep up with energy retrofits, audits and the commitment of net-zero home construction.
“If we leave the decision on how to protect the environment up to the climate change denying Conservative governments of Andrew Sheer, Doug Ford, and Jason Kenny, the cost to our planet and to our environment will be irreversible.
“I want to restate one simple fact: This Liberal government has done more for the environment in the last four years than any other government in Canada’s history – even staunch right-wing conservatives can’t deny that,” concluded Nault. “If it were left up to Andrew Sheer, Doug Ford, and Jason Kenny, Conservatives would allow polluting to be free again and then they would celebrate.”
Key Points:
A re-elected Liberal government will make life more affordable for Canadians, cut our emissions, and protect the environment.
● We will help retrofit 1.5 million homes to help Canadians make their homes more energy-efficient, and better protect them from climate-related risks;
● We will help homeowners and landlords pay for retrofits by giving them an interest-free loan of up to $40,000;
● We will help people buy newly built homes that are certified zero-emissions by giving them a Net Zero Homes Grant of up to $5,000; and
● We will invest $100 million in skills training, to ensure there are enough qualified workers to keep up with energy audits, retrofits, and net-zero home construction.
We will also be there for Canadians when disaster strikes, by:
● protecting homeowners who are at high risk of flooding and don’t have adequate insurance protection, by creating a low-cost national flood insurance program;
● helping Canadians better understand the risks they face when they buy a home, by working with provinces and territories to complete all flood maps in Canada;
● developing a national action plan to assist homeowners with potential relocation for those at the highest risk of repeat flooding; and
● help Canadians whose jobs and livelihoods are affected when disaster strikes, by working with stakeholders and experts to design an E.I. Disaster Assistance Benefit.
Nault says these measures will build on four years of climate action by our government, including:
● introducing over 50 measures to fight climate change and protect our environment, from banning single-use plastics to putting a price on pollution;
● investing to encourage new homes to be built carbon neutral;
● helping ensure Canadians have access to the most energy-efficient appliances to help cut energy costs and support our climate action goals; and
● establishing the $2 billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to help communities prevent and prepare for growing climate risks
BACKGROUNDER: Cutting home energy bills and pollution
