Real action and real results required on environment

In the wake of October’s election and the new faces it has brought to Queens Park, the Official Opposition has undergone a shift in Critic responsibilities that has returned me to the role of Environment Critic.

I have appreciated the challenge over the past two years in holding the government to account for their neglect of Agiculture, and I look forward to ensuring science and research provide the basis for government policy with respect to our environment.

This Ontario government is bankrupt when it comes to backing up words of commitment to the environment. I think of this government’s:

Many of these shortfalls have immediate impact in our local area. We see waste disposal/landfill issues in both Counties, concern over the local economic impacts of coal closure and related environmental effects of lacklustre action on emission control, and continued land issues resulting from misguided government planning and inaction.

Meeting with people throughout our area – and across the province – I hear the following: 1. Ontario municipalities are on the verge of a garbage crisis, 2. communities and businesses want leadership on future energy production, and 3. while the Greenbelt is here to stay, there remain concerns from farmers and environmentalists alike.

PC Leader John Tory has called the environment the, “defining issue of our time” and that fighting climate change is a “new normal”. The world’s climate is changing and Ontario must change its environmental policies.

We need real action and real results to make our province cleaner and healthier. It’s no accident that under the McGuinty government, Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner titled his 2005-06 annual report ‘Neglecting Our Obligations’.

Environmental responsibility is not a choice; it is a necessity. Clearly we need a well-thought out science based plan that work with our economy, not against it, and faster incentives and innovation. Ontario must tackle all aspects of the environmental challenge - air pollution and greenhouse gases, conserving green spaces for future generations, protecting our water supply and reducing toxic contaminants.

There is a role for individuals to play, through both regulation and incentives – more efficient vehicles, technologies and appliances, and homes that use energy more efficiently.

A realistic, ambitious environmental plan must balance many different interests. It is, however, critical to get it right to achieve the cleaner environment Ontario needs today – and that our children deserve tomorrow.

I look forward to some interesting years working on this file as it should dovetail with the ongoing focus I have on agriculture and natural resources issues as well as local energy, transportation and land concerns.