Liberal Government avoiding day-to-day accountability

STATEMENT FROM QUEEN’S PARK
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2012

THE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE WAS PROROGUED ON OCTOBER 15, 2012.
THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT FROM WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS
MPP TED ARNOTT

Liberal Government avoiding day-to-day accountability
By proroguing the Ontario Legislature, the Liberal Government has shut down the Provincial
Parliament until further notice.

In doing so, they avoid normal and reasonable day-to-day scrutiny of their decisions by MPPs.

Case in point: the Government’s recent decision to approve a wind farm proposal in the
Township of Centre Wellington.

Despite the overwhelming opposition of thousands of our residents, concerns expressed by
municipal representatives, and repeated calls from me and other PC MPPs for a moratorium on
wind farm approvals pending the completion of a Health Canada study, the Liberal Government
went ahead anyway and approved an 8.2 megawatt wind farm project near Belwood.

But they waited until the normal House proceedings had been suspended to put the approval on
the Environmental Bill of Rights registry website. They even exceeded their own approval
process “service guarantee” of 6 months to proponents. The approval was posted on October
18, just three days after they’d prorogued the House.

They didn’t even bother to properly inform the area’s duly elected Member of Provincial
Parliament. I was informed of the approval by a constituent, who’d seen it on the Government’s
website.

Is this a pattern to avoid accountability? It would seem so.

Just before Christmas last year, again after the House had been shut down, the Liberals
approved a large wind farm proposal in the Township of Mapleton, in our neighbouring Riding of
Perth-Wellington.

Because the House is prorogued, there can be no debate in the Legislature on this approval.

As MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills, I can give no speeches in the House.

I can ask no questions of Ministers in Question Period.

…2 Page 2

I can present no petitions in the Chamber.

I can table no resolutions, bills, or Order Paper questions.

My access to the Premier and Ministers of the Crown is constrained and restricted.

These are some of the reasons why Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and our PC Caucus are
urging the Premier to immediately recall the Ontario Legislature back into session for the normal
Fall Sitting.

When the lights are dimmed in the Ontario Legislature, the light of democracy in our province is
dimmed as well.

– 30 –

Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org

Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott in his seat in the Ontario Legislature, October 22, 2012.