Thornhill MPP Gila Martow Votes Against Protecting Lake Ontario
PCs vote against Bill 66, The Great Lakes Protection Act
Thornhill PC MPP Gila Martow is standing in the way of a cleaner and healthier Lake Ontario, by voting against Bill 66, the Great Lakes Protection Act.
Yesterday at Queen’s Park, MPP Gila Martow voted in the Ontario Legislature against legislation that will help preserve and sustain Lake Ontario and all of the Great Lakes.
“Martow and the PCs are standing in the way of our health, our environment, and cleaner and stronger Lake Ontario,” said Liberal MPP Glen Murray. “The Great Lakes are vitally important to the people of Ontario for our drinking water, quality of life, and prosperity. We need to restore them now to continue to enjoy their benefits for this and future generations.”
Despite PC opposition, the bill passed second reading and will be studied by a legislative committee next fall.
“The Great Lakes Protection Act will give the province new tools to restore and protect our Great Lakes, so they are drinkable, swimmable, and fishable,” said Murray. “This legislation is a no-brainer. Gila Martow must explain why she turned her back on local Ontario families by standing in the way of this important bill.”
Murray added that the Great Lakes provide more than 80 per cent of our drinking water and are important to the people of Ontario for our economic prosperity. Over 95 per cent of Ontario’s agricultural land is in the Great Lakes basin.
The proposed legislation would:
· Establish a Great Lakes Guardians’ Council including aboriginal, business, agricultural, environmental, and municipal representatives
· Require the Environment Minister to maintain Ontario’s Great Lakes Strategy, laying out priorities for Great Lakes protection Enable the Minister to set Great Lakes science-based targets
· Enable the establishment of Geographically-Focused Initiatives to take focused action in priority coastal, watershed and other ecologically significant areas.
