For immediate release:
June 6, 2006
Legislature calls for inquiry on procrastination and failed leadership
Queen’s Park—Toby Barrett joined other MPPs in the Ontario Legislature yesterday to pass a motion calling for a public inquiry on the McGuinty government’s ongoing failure to communicate and show leadership on the Caledonia/Six Nations land dispute.
“This motion really is tailor-made to the McGuinty government's track record with respect to Caledonia and Six Nations,” Barrett told the Legislature. “I hear concerns on two fronts: lack of leadership, leaving people on the ground to take the reins; and secondly, a bad job at communicating.”
“What is the McGuinty government offering in these negotiations?” Barrett continued. “We get the odd snowball answer along with some heckling from the Liberals, but no real response.”
The motion, brought forward by Opposition Leader John Tory, called for a public inquiry on how absence of communication and lack of leadership by Premier McGuinty and his Liberal government allowed the Caledonia situation to escalate to a full-blown standoff and subsequently a public security crisis. The Liberal majority in the Legislature allowed the motion to pass, despite earlier indications they would block it.
The full text of the motion agreed upon yesterday follows.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (416) 325-8404, (519) 428-0446, or 1-800-903-8629
Opposition Day Number 4
Mr. Tory - That the Legislative Assembly calls upon the government,
To recognize that the McGuinty government was made aware of the Six Nations' land claim issues at Caledonia in August 2005, yet allowed the situation to escalate to a full-blown standoff starting on February 28, 2006;
To recognize that the McGuinty government refused even to acknowledge the Caledonia land occupation as a provincial issue until Day 42 of the standoff;
To recognize that the McGuinty government's Places to Grow Act was a catalyst in igniting the standoff, since it provides a legal framework for the McGuinty Liberals to designate any area of land as a growth plan area;
To recognize that the McGuinty government further provoked the situation with a regulation identifying the Greater Golden Horseshoe area as the first area for which a growth plan will be prepared;
To recognize that the Premier's procrastination and failure to show leadership when it was most needed, allowed this situation to escalate into a public safety crisis;
To recognize that the McGuinty Liberals have refused to compensate the OPP for the unforeseen costs incurred while policing Caledonia and to reimburse municipalities policed by the OPP that sent officers to Caledonia;
To recommend to the Lieutenant Governor in Council that a Commission be appointed to inquire into and report on how absence of communication and lack of leadership by Premier McGuinty and his Liberal government allowed the Caledonia situation to escalate to a full-blown standoff and subsequently a public security crisis;
To accept recommendations from the Commission directed to preventing similar chaotic confrontations when dealing with future land claim issues in the province, including recommendations with respect to ways in which we can improve dispute resolution in this area and enhance respect for the rule of law; and
To grant the Commission powers under the Public Inquiries Act. Addressed to the Premier of Ontario.