For Immediate Release
March 30, 2005

LIBERALS IGNORE LOCAL RECOMMENDATION

Liberal committee members push through appointment to Kawartha Highlands Signature Site.

Today, government members of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies ignored local opinion, and used their majority to appoint a new member to fill a vacancy on the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Management Advisory Board.

The Township of North Kawartha has not had a representative on the Management Advisory Board since the 2003 municipal election. The Township of North Kawartha has asked that Arnie Brown fill this vacancy, and that choice had been endorsed by the Stakeholder Groups of the Kawartha Highlands.

The Kawartha Highlands Signature Site consists of more than 37,000 hectares, much of which is in the Township of North Kawartha. The municipality should have a representative on the Management Advisory Board.

Although the Signature Site Charter states that “the park management plan, and the ongoing management of the park will recognize the essential role played by the municipalities”, the McGuinty government chose to ignore that recommendation.

“I believe that the government should have honoured the wishes of the Township of North Kawartha and the Stakeholder Groups of the Kawartha Highlands, both of whom asked for a representative from the North Kawartha area,” said Laurie Scott.

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