For Immediate Release
May 28, 2009

When will McGuinty enforce the rule of law?

Queen’s Park – When is the McGuinty government going to commence to enforce the rule of law in the province of Ontario?

That was the question Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett posed in the Ontario Legislature today, citing the on-going land dispute in Caledonia and a similar festering situation with the KI native community near Big Trout Lake.

Platinex, a mining company, previously launched a $70 million lawsuit against the McGuinty government, alleging in part that the province has failed to enforce the rule of law.

Platinex leases crown land from the province and in today’s National Post warns of another Caledonia. Despite a ruling by a Superior Court Justice, that the company took adequate steps to consult with the KI native community, protestors have consistently shutdown operations.

“Both KI and Platinex are equal victims of the Ontario government’s failure to adequately intervene in these disputes,” said Barrett. “These kinds of ongoing native land disputes—we see them in Caledonia and Haldimand and now Brantford—have cost Ontario tens of millions of dollars.

“It’s been over three years of fear and intimidation with no respect for the rule of law…now it looks as if Mr. McGuinty is willing to have it happen elsewhere in this province. I’ve seen the damage, and I don’t wish this on any other community,” Barrett concluded.

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett
at 519-428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629