The following is a statement made my MPP Garfield Dunlop on Monday, October 30th, in response to the McGuinty Liberals condemning the Progressive Conservatives and New Democratic Parties for not supporting Bill 43, The Clean Water Act.

Mr. Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North): Last week, the McGuinty Liberals spent most of their time in statements condemning the opposition parties for not supporting Bill 43. Let me make it very clear: I do not support Bill 43, because it does not protect precious groundwater around new landfills while at the same time handcuffing the agricultural community to abide by new strict rules without compensation.

How much did the McGuinty Liberals listen to the citizens of North Simcoe site 41 following the Walkerton tragedy? Not at all. Did they listen to the opposition they received in the form of thousands of letters and e-mails? No. Did they listen to the thousands of signatures they received on petitions? No. Did they listen to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario in his 2004 annual report? No. Did they listen to the private member's bill Waste Disposal Site 41 in the Township of Tiny Act, that parallels the Adams Mine Lake Act, which I introduced? No, they did not. Did they listen to the expertise provided by experts in the field from around the world? No, they did not. Did they listen to Tiny's Residents Working Together and the five busloads of citizens who held a rally here on August 21, the opening day of the Clean Water Act? No, they did not.

What did they do? On Friday 21 October, the day after the Clean Water Act was proclaimed, they gave the final approval of site 41. Site 41 will contaminate the groundwater. Shame on Dalton McGuinty for allowing this to happen to the people in the township of Tiny.

Once again, the McGuinty Liberals have proven their hatred for rural Ontario residents by approving an archaic landfill design that uses upward gradient water pressure to presumably keep the leachates from being forced into the groundwater aquifers.

Now, only the Members of the County of Simcoe Council can put an end to Site 41, once and for all. Hopefully, Walkerton will have taught our elected officials a lesson.