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Where do they stand?
Bald eagle © Terry Alex
Ontario Nature asked Ontario’s four major political parties five important questions about their plans for nature to find out where they stand on critical environmental issues that will impact the future health of the province.
- Read the full Liberal response
- Read the full Progressive Conservative response
- Read the full NDP response
- Read the full Green Party response
1. Pollinators: If elected, will you support a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides?
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2. Endangered Species: If elected, will you stand up for Ontario’s most vulnerable species and the law that is intended to protect them – Ontario’s Endangered Species Act?
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3. Greenbelt, Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation plans: If elected, will you stand up for these land-use plans and the maintenance or enhancement of their environmental protection measures when they are reviewed in 2015?
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4. Ring of Fire: If elected, will you support an environmental assessment that recognizes First Nations rights and interests, ensures long-term community benefits from development, and protects healthy ecosystems?
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5. Nature’s benefits: If elected, what specific measures will you take to sustain the benefits provided by our forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers (e.g., flood control, soil formation, water filtration and pollination) for present and future generations?
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Kirtland's warbler © Robert McCaw
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I am shocked with the responses, especially those of the PC party. It is too bad that this information was not available to me until today; I am sure there are many of my friends and acquaintances whose vote would be influenced by this. I will alter my vote as a result.
Roy
Agree with the first few latter comments, a shameful and irresponsible document! I would rather a ‘no response’ from the PC side as opposed to lies and garbage from the other parties. The liberals have made it clear, in every capacity, that the nature and preservation of Ontario is not their concern. And the Green party and NDP responses are just fluff and unrealistic, with their main focus being to control farmers and confiscate their their, in a politically correct way no doubt! This publication is just plain silly, proves nothing at all.
Do people really THINK, or do they assume that Tim Hudak is not human, is not a family man, or one who doesn’t care? This seems an entirely biased “survey”. Just a trap, do you think??? Sure, everyone is going to spout jargon they think we need to hear.
One has to hope that, whoever gets elected, with a strong economy a lot of environmental issues will get addressed and that there will be more employment in that direction!
Why can’t governments which include federal, municipal or county take a better stand to protect ecosystems. Our flora and fauna are depleting and not many seem to passionately care. I attended every council meeting in my town of Amherstburg over the course of a year. I wanted to see for myself the interest that municipalities had for protection of our ecosystems of flora and fauna. Their only only interests directly from our councillors were for cat colonies or the talk about coyotes. Too narrow minded !
At this point I am not sure about anyone’s position except the Green party.
We just keep living with lies and a history of no accountability yet trying to develop better voting position. Why do ‘they ‘ get away with it. Trust – not here.
I am confused why the PC party has no comment!!!.
Not sure this survey is a valid one or gives any more confidence than before.
The Ontario P.C. party response (or lack thereof) to the basic and simple questions to important environmental issues, is really no surprise. The Conservative philosophy has always been to maximize bottom line financial profits, not ensuring environmental sustainability. The “Liberal” philosophy has been only a small bit better.
Environmental concern and Corporate profitability have never had to be separate entities. We just need politicians who are smart enough to figure it out.
Thinking realistically, you’ve got to be in power to make a difference.
I predict a Liberal minority and let’s hope the NDP and Green can influence the Liberals environmental policy by propping up their minority.
PC’s are not our friends.
A liberal appointed member of the OMB approved a 100 house subdivision, right beside a significant wetland, in the middle of a prime agricultural area & 10 KM from municipal sewers & water. I have repeatedly requested the various Ministers of Municipal affairs & housing to advise if this development complies with Provincial policy & the definition of ” natural resource” under the GGH plan. They refuse to answer. This is the real liberal policy.
Thanks for publishing this very revealing document. It clearly shows the blatant disregard of the Conservatives for environmental issues and thereby exposes their business-first, people-last agenda. Even though the Green Party has no chance of forming a government, everyone who truly cares about the environment should support the party on principle.
Thank you for asking these questions and giving the responses.
Very revealing and shocking.
There’s a similar garbage response from the PCParty to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters survey as well — though in that response letter they have an additional sentence about a “commitment to focus the mandate of conservation authorities to balance the needs of our economy and our environment.” There’s no more information about what this means in their platform document.
Was on the fence for this, but with this survey I have firmly decided to vote Green. Thanks for publishing this.
What a slap in the face from the PC Party. Clearly this speaks volumes the fact that they did not even have the time to formulate answers to Ontario natures questions. Disgusting.
I would vote for the green paty but we have to be strategic . lets face it we cannot afford to have a PC government in power. So be calculated in your voting strategy.If a liberal canadate is running close in a riding give them the vote .
I realize that one has to be selective in issues, but it seems important here in eastern Ontario that people OPPOSE further wind farms, especially those proposed in Prince Edward County and on Amherst Island in heavy bird migration routes. The fact that most of the power is bought at huge prices and then sold to Americans for peanuts makes the issue an economic one as well as an environmental one. Ridiculous policy.
I believe what Mr. Hudak, in his letter, is trying to say is “I don’t know anything about all that environmental, tree-hugging stuff. Have you not heard I’m gonna make a million jobs”?
Non response from the PC’s speaks volumes about their ranking of the environment in their priorities. Or do they oppose anything to do with the environment, especially if it would hinder business as usual by large corporations?
Don’t be fooled by promises. Look at past governments and the policies they legislated. We would not be in the mess we’re in if it weren’t for past Conservative and Liberal policies that aim to protect the economic interests of corporations at the expense of people’s health, people’s income security, ecosystems and the creatures that depend upon them, including humans.
Look at platforms. Do the platforms of the parties reflect a concern for food, water, eco-systems, health, jobs, poverty, and sustainable prosperity? I think you know which one covers all those bases and it isn’t any of the three main parties.
This has been a tough election looking at our local candidates and party policies.
The fact the PC Party responded in such a nonsensical, nonchalant and condescending manner without even answering the actual questions has turned me off Mr Hudak.
These were important issues that effect all of us here in Ontario and I truly hope the parties that did respond will take the initiatives promised in their answers.
Promised in their actions? C’mon get with it! With the PC’s it’s always been about PROFIT. People could getting fooled by the BS rhetoric and the glossy mail delivery ads; which we pay for.
Keep getting fooled. Pardon
Faced with voting for the Mike Harris clone or the Liberals who have gone against every protection for the environment and species at risk, I was prepared to vote Green. Now having read the Green’s answers to ON’s questions I will try to get everyone I know to vote for them.
I am shocked that you have enabled the provincial Liberal Party to put itself forward as the protector of our environment, especially as you have taken issue with their gutting of protection for endangered species. These are the people who relabelled permits to “harm, harass and kill” as “overall benefits” permits. This is the government which is determined to push through industrial wind projects in our most sensitive important bird areas. Yet they come across in this survey as being more environmentally responsible than the Green Party. The Ontario Liberals are as alike as two pins to the federal Conservatives in their willingness to destroy our countryside in order to advance their favoured industries.
This is an irresponsible document. Shame.
This is not an irresponsible document. I find it very useful because it lists what each party intends to do. Whether they actually will do them is another matter. What I find most irresponsible is that the Conservative Party didn’t answer any of the questions which leads me to question their ability to govern the province.
I’m rather dumfounded by the absence of any response from the Ontario PC party on these very important issues. Are you sure you have the correct address for them? Hudak has made it very clear in the past that he opposes anything “green” and the PC’s have actively opposed the proposed endangered species legislation, environmental protection and the green belt (without which parts of southern Ontario will not be fit to live in in the not-so-distant future). They have no viable alternatives it appears; they just want to counteract anything they perceive as “green” or “liberal”.
Does this mean that no one from a conservative background would not advise liberals or more radical liberals about the social eco-system changes in the philosophy of Light in a geographical materially identical setting? Nope, those bastards just want to sit in their church pews and pay the piper as the world goes to hell in a basket. Personally, I think that the state of understanding the ecological environment in action may change in suiting “gutted” acts (from politicains) better as they are.
It’ll make the less interested more worried by the “contradictions” of spatial regional difficulties in at last unknowable micro-climates. Really that’s the stupid theory which will be the happy decline of civilization.