Hansard transcripts

[aniceguy]

Please take a moment to review Norm's question to the Minister of Natural Resources

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Norm

 

MILLER M.P.P. Parry Sound - Muskoka

 

 

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

 

 

March 22, 2007

 

For immediate release

 

 

“Ramsay not in the loop” ~ MNR Critic Miller

 

 

 

Queen's Park: Today, MNR Critic Norm Miller questioned Minister David Ramsay again on funding shortages for Conservation Officers in this province.

 

 

 

“Minister Ramsay’s answer to my question implied that the Ministry was going to see additional funding,” said MPP Miller. “It seems that Dalton McGuinty doesn’t understand the challenges that the Ministry is facing because the MNR budget has been cut again by a whopping $36 Million.”

 

 

 

“For some time now, the Minister has been suggesting that his Ministry would get good news in the budget. Apparently, he’s not aware of where his party’s priorities lie,” continued Miller.

 

 

 

A copy of the Hansard transcript follows:

 

 

 

Excerpt of the Official Hansard Transcript

Thursday, March 22, 2007

 

Oral Questions

 

Ministry of Natural Resources

 

Mr. Norm Miller (Parry Sound–Muskoka): I have a question for the Minister of Natural Resources. Minister, since taking the reigns of the ministry, the MNR now shares a unique similarity with high school bands, scouting and Girl Guide troops and a host of other groups. You’re all relying on bottle drives and bake sales to raise money. Minister, aren’t you the least little bit embarrassed that staff have to resort to these kinds of measures to do their jobs?

 

Hon. David Ramsay (Minister of Natural Resources, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs): It’s ironic you ask that on this day because, as you know, the McGuinty government launches its new budget for fiscal 2007-08 this afternoon. As I had mentioned to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters when I got a similar question from the floor, I have been working with the government and the finance minister about the various challenges that MNR has. As I said to them there, I’ll say to you now: I’m confident that this government understands the challenges that the Ministry of Natural Resources has and I’m confident that we’re going to have the capacity to do the job as we have had the capacity to do the job. I want to assure the member that we are fulfilling all of our responsibilities.

 

Mr. Miller: Well, Minister, Dalton McGuinty made a promise to properly fund the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2003. It’s now 2007, so it’s about darn time he kept that promise, in your last year of government.

 

Now Mr. Minister, I’d like to refer you to an article in the Ottawa Citizen, January 31, 2007 entitled, “What on earth is going on at the ministry of natural resources?” Kelly Egan writes about conservation officers stuck in their offices for weeks because there isn’t any money to gas up the trucks. Officers are restricted as to how much and what kind of patrolling they can do. In one region, COs had sufficient funds to patrol about 1,200 kilometres a month. In November, you brought the hammer down and notified officers they were limited to joint patrols, court commitments and follow-up investigations.

 

Let’s be clear: It’s not because these people don’t want to do their jobs. They love their work, they take it seriously, but they’re afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals. Robert Pye, the communications coordinator of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters states, “This is not just a hunting and fishing issue. It’s an issue for anyone who cares about our natural resources.”

 

Minister, I’m here to ask you, on behalf of conservation officers, when are you going to take your mandate seriously and fund conservation officers fully and properly?

 

Hon. Mr. Ramsay: As I’ve said to the member of the House, this past year we have spent about the same amount of money as we did before in enforcement. In fact, not only have we spent the same amount of money, we do it in a smarter way now. We use much more reliance on intelligence work, because we have a beefed-up intelligence unit and so we’re more strategic in our enforcement approach, so we get better compliance.

 

Hon. James J. Bradley (Minister of Tourism, minister responsible for seniors, Government House Leader): The Conservatives cut it by 46%, I remember.

 

Hon. Mr. Ramsay: I very much appreciate the member for St. Catharines coaching me on these responses because he’s supportive of the Ministry of Natural Resources and our enforcement and compliance unit. I would assure the member that we’re doing the job out there to make sure that our natural resources are protected.

[hawkeye]

Absolute Bull. The Minister of NR should resign, or maybe come next election we can throw them all out. Wait that would only replace moron A with moron B. We're doomed

[tonyb]

Oh man, that just makes me laugh. Is Mr. Ramsay being asked different questions than what is in print? He is not addressing the questions at all! talk about 'beating around the bush'.

 

Who do you vote for though? I still say they need to have a 'None of the Above' option at the voting polls. Maybe when the majority vote is 'None of the Above' they will start to change their lying, deceitful ways.

 

The GTA is a very wealthy area so the Conservatives will likely get voted in again -- Woohoo another 1% drop in G.S.T...or were we supposed to forget about that?

 

Tony

[tonyb]

Hon. James J. Bradley (Minister of Tourism, minister responsible for seniors, Government House Leader): The Conservatives cut it by 46%, I remember.

 

Shouldn't our licensing fees also be reduced by 46% then too?

 

Tony

[easton13th]

A politician beating around the bush NEVER They will not lower our license fee's. They will tack on more costs for Administration work due to lack of manpower.

[bigbuck]

What a freakin' joke!!! Poachers can go to town this year. $36 million less in funding, the CO's won't even have trucks to put gas in!!! I think a petition has to be put together and forwarded to Mr. McGuinty's office. This is going too far!!!