Category: Newsroom Articles

For Immediate Release Aug. 2, 2012 Queen’s Park – Ontario’s Official Opposition, through Agriculture Critic and Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman, has released a survey to look at the steps government should take to support farmers across the province. “We are committed to working with farmers,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “This survey will identify the … Continue reading “Opposition launches farm survey”

Aug. 1, 2012 (Queen’s Park) – The McGuinty Liberal government has moved to shut down legislative hearings into the ongoing Ornge air ambulance scandal. Liberal committee member and MPP for Guelph, Liz Sandals, introduced a motion yesterday requesting that the Public Accounts committee cease its questioning of key witnesses and immediately proceed to the report … Continue reading “Liberals attempt to shut down Ornge hearings, silence critics Barrett calls for Health Minister’s resignation”

For immediate release: July 20, 2012 “Every circumstance is different” — Finance Minister Dwight Duncan on cancelling power plant in Mississauga while ignoring wind opposition in rural Ontario Simcoe – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett says Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s startling admission that votes in Etobicoke and Mississauga are more important to the Liberals than voices … Continue reading “City votes trump rural energy concerns”

For immediate release: July 20, 2012 Simcoe – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett wonders if McGuinty cabinet ministers have a clue of provincial energy plans after Finance Minister Dwight Duncan provided confusing and completely inaccurate information on the conversion of coal fueled electricity plants to natural gas. During testimony to the Standing Committee on Estimates Thursday, … Continue reading “McGuinty Finance Minister out to lunch on coal to gas conversion”

For Immediate Release July 19, 2012 Queen’s Park – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett says testimony from Dr. Christopher Mazza, former CEO of the scandal-plagued Ornge air ambulance service, spells the end of the line for Health Minister Deb Matthews pleas of ignorance. “Dr. Mazza told us yesterday that not only were senior Liberal cabinet ministers … Continue reading “Mazza testimony underlines Ontario’s disregard for problems at Ornge”

For immediate release: July 13, 2012 Port Dover – Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) will begin consideration of six appeals for the Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar project August 9th. The ERT has announced that “a Preliminary Hearing will be conducted by the Hearing Panel on Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 10am in the Council Chambers, Cayuga Administration … Continue reading “Preliminary hearing set for Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar appeal Make your voice heard!!”

For immediate release: July 10, 2012   Simcoe – After years of waiting for the Ontario Government to conduct promised health studies on the impact of wind turbines that Mr. McGuinty continues to force on our rural communities, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Barrett says a moratorium is in order following news of a Health Canada study. “While … Continue reading “Barrett reiterates call for wind moratorium pending Health Canada study Noise /health review places science over politics”

For immediate release: July 6, 2012 Simcoe – The Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar project is not yet a fait a compli. As the deadline for appeals passed earlier this week, six separate local applications for appeal were registered by the Environmental Review Tribunal. The McGuinty Samsung deal for 67 wind turbines, 800 acres of solar panels and … Continue reading “Haldimand-Samsung wind/solar project faces appeals Six applications for review by the Environmental Review Tribunal”

For Immediate Release June 27, 2012 “Contractors who resisted pressure from Jimmy Hazel, the powerful head of the 900-member Maintenance and Construction Skilled Trades Council… stopped getting work.” – Toronto Star editorial on untendered contracting by the TDSB, June 26, 2012   HALDIMAND-NORFOLK – Ontarians will thrive in a future of balanced budgets, lower taxes, … Continue reading “Barrett says it’s time to bring labour laws into the 21st century”

For Immediate Release June 28, 2012   SIMCOE – Until Ontario ends sole-source tendered public sector contracts we will continue to see abuses of the taxpayer purse according to Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. Barrett commented following Toronto Star revelations that the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) payed out $143 for a pencil sharpener and $3,000 … Continue reading “Would you pay $143 for a pencil sharpener? How about $3,000 for an electrical outlet?”