After the election I let myself be convinced that the world wasn’t about to end. The Reform Conservatives can’t do that much, I thought, they’re a minority. The Liberals, Bloc, and NDP will keep them from doing anything that bad. I had no idea how much damage they could do without even bringing it to parliament. Today’s news is that they’re cancelling the successful EnerGuide for Low Income Houses program (brought in with all party support) and drastically cutting back the regular EnerGuide for Houses program.

Apparently this program, which helped people reduce their home energy costs and emissions by an average of 30%, and was designed by Canadians, was not enough of a “Made In Canada” solution, and didn’t get enough results for the Tories. Having looked extensively at such initiatives, I haven’t seen a more efficient program, and I don’t know how one would go about designing one.

Cutting the low income program in particular seems incredibly mean spirited. These are the people who need the most help with high oil prices. Often it is in low income housing that you find the worst kind of ancient furnaces and has poor insulation. Even if upgrades would pay for themselves in a year, the tenants don’t have the cash to fix things. This program was not a handout that promoted dependence, but offered a long term solution to this problem. It makes me sick that the tories would go after the most vulnerable people through scrapping this worthwhile program.

I’ve sent a letter to Harper, and I’m going to send one to Milliken, and then Rona Ambrose the Minister of the Environment.

Maybe there’s hope that this decision can be reversed.

[Edit: The Environment Critic for the Liberals is Scott Brison, for the NDP is Nathan Cullen, and for the Bloc is Bernard Bigras]

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