A taxpayer-funded group is running election ads backing the Liberal Green Energy Act — a move the Progressive Conservatives criticized as unfair.

“They’re telling us they didn’t use that money for that purpose (advertising) and I accept that,” McGuinty said. “We’ve got all kinds of organizations around the province that are committed to the democratic process and are getting involved in one way or another. I think that’s a healthy thing.”

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said the McGuinty government gave funding to this agency, and then the group found money to run expensive ads.

“This is awfully fishy,” Hudak said.

The television ads are run by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, which represents about 200 organizations and individuals promoting community-owned renewable power projects.

It has received more than $4.6 million from the government since 2007.

It had lobbied for the Green Energy Act, a cornerstone of Liberal legislation which both opposition parties say they would change if elected.

“On election day support those who support the green energy and economy act,” the ads say.

“There is no conflict,” insisted OSEA Executive Director Kristopher Stevens, adding money for the ads came from membership dues, not from taxpayers. “We‘re only talking about the policy. We’re not endorsing any party or any candidate.”

Another group participating in a “non-partisan” fashion in the provincial election is Environmental Defence which launched Penelope4Ontario.

The group is sending an eight-year-old girl across Ontario to campaign on behalf of green energy and the greenbelt and to issue a report card on the environmental platforms of the Liberals, Tories, NDP and Green Party.

The first question on the report card asks the four parties if they will keep Dalton McGuinty’s Green Energy Act and Feed-in Tariff program, something only the Liberals are prepared to fully support.

Environmental Defence Executive Director Rick Smith also recently criticized the NDP’s green platform in an e-mail.

Smith said the organization’s report card presents the party responses as given to a number of questions.

“It’s our roll to advocate for Canadians and to engage Canadians on the issue of the environment,” Smith said. “We need to be very clear that that’s done in a non-partisan... way and that’s what we’re doing.”

The group has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the

Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, “independent” bodies — led by Liberal appointees — that receive substantial public funding either directly from the government or through government gambling.