ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Mr. Jonah Schein: Speaker, this question is to the Minister of the Environment. Ontarians want the government to protect—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Order. The member from Pembroke will come to order––the second time, please.

Member?

Mr. Jonah Schein: Thank you.

Ontarians want the government to protect our lakes, our rivers and air, but today the Environmental Commissioner reports that the Ministries of the Environment and Natural Resources face a crisis of capacity. While they’ve been given more responsibility to deal with increasing threats to the environment, their budgets have been cut by 45% and 22% respectively since the 1990s.

Will the McGuinty government heed the commissioner’s call to rebuild these ministries or will a clean environment be another casualty of upcoming cuts?

Hon. James J. Bradley: Well, I know that the member probably forgot to mention this, and I forgive him for it, but he will be aware that since our government took office we have in fact increased the Ministry of the Environment budget by some 42%.

I welcome the report of the Environmental Commissioner. It’s excellent. As the new minister, I have an opportunity to look at all of his recommendations. I have a great deal of respect for the commissioner.

I know that you forgot, as well, to mention some of the good things that he said about the government of Ontario. I forgive you. He said that he commends MOE for developing a source protection strategy. He says that the ministry has built early, multi-stage notice and consultation into the source protection planning process. He lauds the ministry on its new publicly accessible approvals database. He says that we’re developing new, more stringent limits—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Jonah Schein: Mr. Speaker, to the environment minister: The Environmental Commissioner said there is a “culture of inaction and procrastination” on issues like climate change and waste diversion. The Ministries of the Environment and Natural Resources simply are not able to properly monitor and enforce landfilling, incineration, waste hauling and other polluting activities.

Will the minister assure Ontarians that the capacity of these ministries will not be further undermined by upcoming cuts, or is the environment one of the areas slated for a 30% slash in funding?

Hon. James J. Bradley: I should mention, as well—I forgot to mention this—that the Ministry of the Environment, since our government took office, has hired some 39 new water inspectors.

I want to tell the member that if you’re looking at initiatives that are extremely important for the environment, you know that despite the fact that some of your members were unfortunately opposed to this, we are eliminating the use of coal for the production of electrical power in the province of Ontario. The former member for Kenora–Rainy River will be listening to this, I know, at this particular point in time.

We have also developed the green energy plan, which is accentuating the need for and the implementation of more benign ways of producing electrical power in this province of Ontario. We have the source protection act, which we’re being lauded for internationally, and I want to commend our people in our homes who are using that blue box program in a very exemplary manner.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question?

via Legislative Assembly of Ontario | Debates & Proceedings | Debates (Hansard) | Official Records for 29 November 2011.