Ontario pitches nuclear power, new technology as alternative to carbon price [Video]

Ontario’s new energy minister is suggesting nuclear power and innovative new technology will be a more effective way to cut the province’s environmental footprint than charging a price on carbon.

Speaking to Focus Ontario, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce touted his new plan for the province’s power grid as an environmental policy and is trying to convince the federal government it is a better way to handle climate change than the carbon tax.

“The whole concept of the carbon tax is to change behaviour in people — and their idea, the federal Liberals, is if we tax people and pensioners and families that somehow those dollars will be better used by government than by individuals,” Lecce said.

The federal government has said the purpose of the carbon price is to deter people from pollution by making it expensive.

“Our approach is we can reduce emissions in this province (and) we choose technology instead of taxation as a way to …