FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 29, 2016
COURTLAND – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett’s Private Member’s Bill The Ontario Commission of Inquiry into the Black Market Trade and Trafficking of People, Drugs, Money, Tobacco and Weapons Act, 2016 was voted down by the Liberal majority on Thursday, March 24.
During second reading, the bill received favourable comments from members of the NDP and Barrett’s own caucus. While NDP MPP John Vanthof said issues such as trafficking of humans are too important to look away and play partisan politics with that is exactly what government members did when voting against the bill.
MPP Jim Bradley, the Deputy Government House Leader and Chair of Cabinet, said Barrett’s bill was only about tobacco and was “provocative”.
“Given what we’re up against, I think we have to be provocative,” Barrett responded in the Legislature. “I think it’s important to maybe set aside that test of political correctness on occasion, given the seriousness of what we’ve been talking about in the past hour. I do regret some of the reluctance that I heard. I have always felt that we have government for a reason.”
With news of today’s massive contraband tobacco police raid that also included the seizure of money and illegal drugs, Barrett indicated, “This is a bigger problem than just tobacco, as my bill suggested. Today’s events in Quebec, Six Nations, Europe and South America illustrate the need for collaboration, information sharing and more government awareness, as called for in my proposed public inquiry.”
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org