Session: 38:2
Date: 3-Apr-2007

WATER PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): I'm pleased to respond to the Minister of the Environment on behalf of John Tory and the PC caucus and to say we fully support the protection of our Great Lakes and other bodies of water in this province. It's vital that we do that in order to provide our children and our grandchildren with a clean and safe environment.

I do have to hand it, though, to Dalton McGuinty and his ministers, because they know how to put on a show. As per usual, we saw the Minister of the Environment patting herself and her colleagues on the back, almost as if to say, "Hey, we fooled them again."

Interjection.
Ms. Scott: That's right. In 2003, four years ago, Dalton McGuinty stated in that famous red book, in that promise-breaking ink, "We will stop allowing companies to raid our precious water supplies.... We will end this reckless giveaway."

Let's consider this. We are now in 2007, with the first implementation of today's grandly announced legislation to take place in 2009. Only in Dalton McGuinty's world can a broken promise be excused by an extended date. This is just one more example of saying anything to get elected. We are now only a few months away from an election, so he is kicking this out the door with as much fanfare as the Minister of the Environment can muster in such a short period of time. They did nothing for four years, and now they are pushing this out the door to hide the fact that Dalton McGuinty's environmental rhetoric is just that: It's rhetoric, broken promises, saying anything to get elected. These-

Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Michael A. Brown): Order. I really do need to be able to hear the member from Haliburton-Victoria-Brock respond. We need all members to provide the courtesy that needs to be shown to the member for Haliburton-Victoria-Brock.

Ms. Scott: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These water-taking rules won't come into effect until 2009, six years after the 2003 election promises you made. And it goes further than that. Once again, the minister has a profound photo op on legislation where consultation and regulations are yet to be determined. The actual backgrounder that you handed out today says, "This is the first of several steps required...." Nearly four years into your mandate, you've finally taken the first steps. There's no commitment by Dalton McGuinty on meeting his promises. What this amounts to, in usual Liberal fashion, is feel-good electioneering.