For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2010
Queens Park – The McGuinty greenwash is once again in full effect with the announcement of an uncosted water strategy according to Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett.
“Given the track record, I suspect Government is once again trotting out their latest green plan to divert the attention of hard-hit Ontarians while digging further into their pockets,” stated Barrett citing the Liberal Throne Speech reference to a provincial water strategy. “Just look at the costly path being ploughed through the Green Energy Act – untendered, sweetheart deals to foreign companies, and the spectre of price hikes many times that which the government announced upon introduction.”
Barrett commented following details of the new government water strategy to protect, conserve and manage the province’s vast fresh water supply, create jobs and repair aging water infrastructure.
“As we’ve seen in the past when it comes to the McGuinty ‘feel-green’ announcements, the devil is in the details,” Barrett commented. “While the goals of the ‘strategy’ sound good, I fear we are only hearing a very small part of the story.”
Former Minister David Caplan recently admitted his private members bill to revamp the province’s water system alone will cost consumers around $600 annually.
“At this time in our province’s history, when government has spent its way to the bottom of the barrel while residents struggle to maintain their livelihoods in a spiraling economy, I question the timing of adding further rate or tax burdens onto the backs of Ontarians,” Barrett concluded. “I look forward to debating the new water sustainability act that will reportedly be announced in response to this throne speech initiative in order to seek answers we all deserve.”
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629