Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Barrett renews call for property rights in Ontario
Rural MPP introduces third private members bill to restore rights

Simcoe – As the McGuinty government rushed to force through partisan bills before the legislative session closed, MPP Toby Barrett once again proposed to restore property/land rights for all Ontarians.

The Haldimand-Norfolk representative introduced Bill 190, the Property Rights and Responsibilities Act, the third time he has attempted to restore property and land rights in Ontario.

“It’s now fourteen years since I first introduced Bill 11 - the Property Rights Statute Law Amendment Act, 1995.- given the importance of this issue I continue to try and try again,” Barrett commented. “I continue to contend that government can’t take private land without paying for it, and can’t place new rules on private land without giving the owner a say.”

Barrett pointed out that within the Opposition property rights have become a key topic of discussion and have become a focus during the leadership race.

While the Canadian Bill of Rights was originally formed with protections for, “security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof…”, the right to own property was omitted.

“In order to ‘right’ this wrong, the constitutional void requires both levels of government to protect property rights,” confirmed Barrett. “The provincial governments of Quebec, Alberta, and the Yukon have taken steps in this direction, it’s time for Ontario to acknowledge the very basic need to address an individual’s right to own and enjoy one’s land and home.”

-30-