The governing Liberals dismissed a Progressive Conservative plan for power-plant smokestack scrubbers as the coal-fired equivalent of a filtered cigarette...

Climate change, coal-fired electricity and last years whopping Christmas raise for Ontario politicians were all on the campaign-trail agenda Thursday as the provinces political hopefuls completed a fourth day of campaigning for next months election.The governing Liberals dismissed a Progressive Conservative plan for power-plant smokestack scrubbers as the coal-fired equivalent of a filtered cigarette, while the NDP promised a $10-an-hour minimum wage and a massive pay cut for politicians.

But if there was anything to get voters talking Thursday, it was the campaign platform released by the Green party, which includes six - count em, six - new statutory holidays.Workers in other countries who get extra days off are more productive, Green Leader Frank de Jong said after riding his trademark campaign bicycle to a morning news conference at the legislature.

The new holidays would include the first Monday in March for Ontarios birthday, Earth Day in April, a day off leading into the civic long weekend in August, Remembrance Day in November and polling days for municipal and provincial elections.Premier Dalton McGuinty has already proposed a new holiday in February.

Not surprisingly, the Green platform was heavy on disincentives for environmentally damaging activities, including a new tax on carbon and water use, while lowering income and business taxes.Eco-issues such as climate change are the only ones that really matter, de Jong said.

"Im sorry, theres no free lunch in Ontario," he said. "Youll be paying the same tax, only youll be paying it on resources and pollution and sprawl instead of on our incomes, which has a multiple benefit."Climate change was also on the mind of John Tory, the Conservative leader, who said Ontarios appetite for power must take priority until coal-fired power plants - the provinces worst polluters - can be closed by 2014.A Conservative government would install scrubbers on the smokestacks in the interim, Tory said.

"Dalton McGuinty has stood by over the last four years while people got sick and some, in fact, by his own admission lost their lives," Tory said."I will not do that. I will put those scrubbers on because they can be put on at a reasonable cost."Liberal Energy Minister Dwight Duncan, whose own government brazenly broke a promise to shutter the plants by the end of their first mandate, accused Tory of being in bed with the "coal industry" and having a hidden agenda.

"The fact is he has a plan to keep the coal plants open, and whats even more disconcerting is that these scrubbers dont do what he claims they do," Duncan said in an interview."Its like putting a filter on a cigarette."Duncan defended the Liberal decision to push back the closure of the plants to 2014, which he said had to be done to keep the lights on.

In Ottawa, New Democrat Leader Hampton railed against the legislatures decision late last year to approve a 25 per cent pay increase for provincial politicians - a Christmas present worth at least $22,000 a year to each member.An NDP government would immediately rescind the raise and instead boost the minimum wage to $10 an hour, up from $8, Hampton said.

"New Democrats will ensure working men and women get a fair days pay for a hard days work."The pay-packet issue seemed to touch a nerve with Tory, a former Rogers Cable executive who was uncharacteristically terse when asked whether he still supports the raise."I wouldnt agree to roll it back," said Tory.

While the incumbent Liberal premier was keeping his head down defending his governments economic record on Thursday, Tory was facing further criticism over his plan for taxpayer-funded religious schools - from one of his own party stalwarts."Its not playing well" Bob Runciman, a cabinet minister under the previous Conservative government. "Im not hearing from people (who are) supportive, by and large."

McGuinty, who styles himself as the "education premier" was visiting the home of a new Toyota plant in Woodstock, where he faced questions about the loss of 162,000 manufacturing jobs in the province over the past five years.Unions and the Canadian Manufacturers Association have called the situation a crisis. McGuinty said its a global problem, but offered up a $1.15-billion job-creation fund to help turn the tide.

"Everybody knows that this is a particularly challenging time for manufacturing jobs in the North American economy - were up against China, India and Mexico," he said."Weve lost jobs, theres no doubt about it, but for every one job weve lost, weve created three, and over 95 per cent of those new jobs pay more than $19.50 an hour, so were going in the right direction."

!!! Annonce !!! Forum Marlboro.