For immediate release:
May 29, 2006
Minister admits multiple warnings went unheeded
Queen’s Park—The Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs shocked the Ontario Legislature today, when he admitted that he was warned multiple times of the threat to the Caledonia-area electricity system before last week’s blackouts.
“On May 9, in this Legislature I warned your Premier about the breach of security with respect to the power system at Caledonia,” Barrett told the acting Premier. “While your caucus heckled, I warned that the lights could go out.”
“Vandalism shut down the Caledonia transformer station and wiped out Caledonia, parts of Haldimand and also Norfolk,” Barrett continued. “Will the Premier of Ontario agree that on May 9 he did nothing, despite my warning, to prevent the vandalism, resulting in the massive blackout on May 22?”
In response, the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs admitted that he received multiple warnings, in addition to Barrett’s advice in the Legislature. Ramsay then told the Legislature that warnings were discussed and passed on to the appropriate officials.
“The fact is the lights did go out. There was no OPP presence, no surveillance,” Barrett said in response to the Minister’s argument that warnings were taken seriously. Barrett went on to ask, “Can the Premier of Ontario assure this House that when warned by me on May 9, this government beefed up security at that massive Middleport transformer station, or is there still no OPP presence at the Middleport station?”
Outside the Legislature, Barrett expressed his surprise that the Minister received multiple warnings of the threats to the Caledonia-area power system, especially in light of the massive blackout.
“The McGuinty government knew about this land dispute for months before the standoff, and chose not to act,” Barrett said. “The Minister knew about the threat to the power system for two weeks before the Caledonia transformer station was torched.”