QUEEN'S PARK - Erie-Lincoln MPP Tim Hudak is applauding the Progressive Conservative Party's plan for the environment, unveiled Monday by party leader John Tory, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario.

Under Dalton McGuinty, Ontario has had no target whatsoever for the reduction of greenhouse emissions. John Tory and the Ontario PCs have not only set an aggressive target but have outlined a path to reaching it if elected this October, Hudak said.

"The effect of greenhouse emissions on our environment and our health is a real problem that requires real solutions," Hudak said. "A PC government will significantly reduce those emissions by setting challenging reduction targets and leading by example to reach those goals."

A PC government will set a target of reducing emissions 10 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, matching British Columbia which has set the toughest targets in all of Canada. The PC plan also sets a long-term goal of a 60 per cent reduction in emissions below 1990 levels to 72 megatonnes by 2050. Tory also promised to create a provincial environmental scorecard to measure progress.

Hudak said the PC government will lead by example in the fight to reduce greenhouse gases by:

- Eliminating higher-emission government vehicles faster than currently planned, replacing them with new higher-standard models.

-Purchasing more green power for government use.

-Ensuring all new government buildings are at least 30 per cent more energy efficient than they are today.

-Adopting higher energy-efficient standards for all government appliances from computers to light bulbs.

-Changing government labour policies to reduce energy use during peak periods.

"The McGuinty government has done next to nothing to reduce greenhouse gasses over the past four years," Hudak said. "We need action today for the benefit of our children and our grandchildren tomorrow."

Hudak said Tory's announcement yesterday keeps in line with the PC partys legacy of environmental protection that has included the creation of: the Ministry of the Environment, the Niagara Escarpment Commission, the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Living Legacy Trust/Lands for Life, the Drive Clean program, and Waste Diversion Ontario.

For more information on John Tory's announcement and the PC's environment policy, log on to the Ontario PC Party website at www.ontariopc.com.

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Contact: Tim Hudak