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Ontario
Hansard - 03-October2006
BOTTLE
RECYCLING
Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock):
My question is to the Minister of the Environment. Minister, today
the Environmental Commissioner released a rather scathing report
on your government's record on the environment. It's entitled Neglecting
our Obligations. It sounds a lot like "breaking your promises"
to me.
Interestingly enough, there was no information in this report regarding
the LCBO. The Environmental Commissioner himself is on record as
saying that, "Prescribing the LCBO under the EBR would increase
transparency and accountability of their decision-making."
This would allow the public to respond with a request for review
of your policy decisions, such as the proposed LCBO recycling program
with the Beer Store.
Minister, are you willing to stand today and say you will encourage
the Premier and the rest of your cabinet colleagues to ensure that
the LCBO will be included under the Environmental Bill of Rights?
Hon. Laurel C. Broten (Minister of the Environment):
I'm pleased to have a chance to talk about what we are doing with
respect to the environment, and what we are doing to increase diversion
across the province.
We talk about the blue box program and the diversion of bottles.
I can tell you, at the Ministry of the Environment, we're working
hard to turn the corner from the sad state of affairs that existed
in this province under your former government. As the Environmental
Commissioner himself also said today, the law was not in force.
Regulations 102 and 103 have been in place since 1994. The ICI sector
has dismal rates of diversion, and that is because there was an
understanding under your government that those rules would not be
enforced.
Our government does not pick and choose what rules we enforce. We're
enforcing the rules. We've commenced an inspection blitz and we
will see increased rates of diversion in the province because that,
along with the blue box program and the bottle return, are all steps
and initiatives to make sure that we --
The Speaker (Hon. Michael A. Brown): Thank you.
Supplementary?
Ms. Scott: Minister, I was asking for results.
You refused to answer questions on the cost and implications of
the proposed LCBO recycling plan when we were in estimates last
month, saying that it was a government decision, not a decision
of your ministry, and that it falls under various ministries other
than your own.
Minister, after today's scathing review of your ministry, your failed
promise of diverting 60% of Ontario's waste, which just adds to
the three years of broken promises, and your own member's lack of
representation on the Green Lane landfill situation, don't you think
that at the very least you should tell the hardworking people of
Ontario what your LCBO-to-the-Beer-Store proposal is going to cost
them? It's only the right thing to do.
Hon. Ms. Broten: We've said to Ontarians that
we are investing in the Ministry of the Environment, unlike your
government, which decimated the ministry, which indicated that the
Ministry of the Environment was not an important ministry. Our government
has turned the page.
I guess you're against the bottle return plan. Our goal is to provide
municipalities with the tools they have asked for, such as a bottle
return program, to assist them in diverting waste from landfills.
We will always need landfills, there's no doubt about it, but let's
collectively provide municipalities and the ICI sector with the
tools they need. Ontarians are calling for increased diversion.
Your party needs to get with the program, and get with the rest
of Ontarians who want to divert waste from landfills.
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