Session: 38:2
Date: 16-May-2007

WATER QUALITY

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): I rise today to recognize the excellent work and commitment to water supply and safety by the members of the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association. I would also like to note that Dalton McGuinty and his Minister of the Environment have completely disregarded questions and statements, and refused to respond to their own Watertight report on water and waste water infrastructure or to draft regulations on the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act. Last year alone I brought this to the minister in April, June, October and November; not one response.

May 19 represents the seventh anniversary of the tragedy in Walkerton, and as stated in a press release from the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association, "In spite of an exhaustive inquiry into the tragedy and a detailed report by Justice O'Connor, the McGuinty government has not acted on the recommendations regarding the aging and neglected system of watermains and sewer pipes throughout the province." To date, there has been no plan articulated by the Minister of the Environment or the McGuinty government to address the key action items in the Walkerton report regarding piping infrastructure.

What we do know is that Dalton McGuinty and the Minister of the Environment continue to use the people of Walkerton as nothing more than a political football. What they refer to as action is a direct defiance of Justice O'Connor's report by effectively downloading the cost and liabilities of their legislation onto municipalities and rural communities and creating another level of bureaucracy in order to do it. It's time for action. It's time for leadership and not more broken promises.