For immediate release:
May 30, 2007

Hagersville seizure sparks debate at Queen’s Park
Minister admits he has no plan to deal with land seizures in Haldimand Tract

Queen’s Park—MPP Toby Barrett questioned the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, today in the Legislature, with regards to its policy on existing and future construction site seizures.

“You’ve bought the Douglas Creek Estates, the occupied land at Caledonia. You paid $15.8 million, plus $1.1 million in compensation, $5.8 million for other builders—$22.7 million all told.” Barrett told the Minister. “This does set a precedent. My question is, will you be buying other lands threatened with seizure? Will you be compensating other builders who have been intimidated with respect to their plans for development?

“It’s been 15 months, and we need to know whether Dalton McGuinty has a plan for native land seizures,” Barrett continued. “Is he making this up as he goes along? Is the historic Haldimand tract by any stretch of the imagination a safe bet for development?

Barrett’s question came in response to the recent native takeover of a construction site in Hagersville, and reports that future development is threatened.

“It’s been fifteen months – Hagersville makes it clear that Premier McGuinty has learned nothing, and is yet to formulate a coherent policy to deal with land seizures,” Barrett said outside the Legislature. “You can’t make up policy as you go along, especially when you’ve got people lining up for the opportunity to illegally seize land in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario.”

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (416) 325-8404,
(519) 428-0446, or 1-800-903-8629