Ontario Hansard - 19-October2006

WATER QUALITY

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): My question is for the Minister of the Environment. Recently, it became known that the agency under your government, Ontario Lottery and Gaming, spent at least $6 million in a rebranding exercise to drop the "C" in its acronym. The Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, when questioned, said he felt that this was a good, reasonable amount to be spent and a good investment.

Minister, when it comes to the issue of source water protection in Ontario, you felt a $7-million public relation exercise would cover up the fact that this is a massive download onto the backs of rural Ontario municipalities and property owners. Minister, do you think the rebranding of the OLGC is more important than helping municipalities deal with your source water protection act that passed yesterday?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten (Minister of the Environment): Let me tell the member opposite that we are a government who has delivered on safe, clean drinking water. We have delivered, to date, some $127 million -- $120 million delivered across the province to undertake the largest scientific exercise ever, for the first time to analyze how much water we have, how safe it is to drink, to speak to 12 of Justice O'Connor's recommendations.

We remember Walkerton, we remember what transpired in the year 2000, and we will not go back. We have received an "A" mark from the Sierra Legal Defence Fund. We are sitting at the top of the class in the world to ensure that we have safe, clean drinking water. The Clean Water Act is going to keep it that way. The $7 million is a down payment on implementation, and we are moving forward in this province, away from the legacy that you left of Walkerton.

Ms. Scott: Minister, it's pretty clear to Ontarians that your government feels it's more important to waste money on self-promotion than to put it to good use, such as helping rural Ontario municipalities and landowners on the implementation of source water protection. Bill 43 is all about being a download to municipalities, legal and financial.

Based on the regulations that are to come some time later, this legislation and the regulations are going to drive farmers and small business people out of rural Ontario. Justice O'Connor's recommendations, which you keep saying you're implementing, say that source water protection should be a provincial responsibility, yet you brought this legislation in to download it onto municipalities and to property owners. Minister, why don't you show some support for rural Ontario today and say that you will provide sustainable and long-term funding for the costs of Bill 43, the Clean Water Act?

Hon. Ms. Broten: My friends on the opposite side of the House should be ashamed of voting against the Clean Water Act and turning their backs on Ontarians. On that side of the House, you stand alone against the Clean Water Act. On our side of the House, we stand side by side with Conservation Ontario, the Ontario Medical Association, the Concerned Walkerton Citizens, Environmental Defence, the Ontario Municipal Water Association, the Ontario Water Works Association, the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, and the list goes on. I'm getting exhausted going through this list of who stands with us. The OFA, AMO, those groups who deliver clean, safe drinking water and who are the water experts in our province stand with us, delivering clean, safe drinking water to the people of Ontario. You have turned your backs on the people of Ontario. You should be ashamed.