LIBERALS CANCEL PUBLIC HEARINGS: 55 APPLICANTS SILENCED

QUEEN’S PARK- Today Liberal members used their majority on committee to cancel two days of scheduled public hearings on Bill 139, which reforms the OMB and Conservation Authorities Act, effectively silencing the 55 people and organizations who had applied to speak at the hearings.

“Today the Liberal government hit a new low- cancelling hearings that were scheduled and publicly advertised for a week and half. People applied in good faith to speak at the hearings and now the government has simply shut them down,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford and PC Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing.

All of the Liberal members on the committee voted to cancel the public hearings despite the fact that there were 55 additional people and organizations who had requested to speak about their concerns with the bill. The applicants included a number of neighbourhood organizations, environmental groups, municipal land use planning experts and conservation authorities.

The public hearings were scheduled to take place on October 23 and October 24, instead the Liberal cancelled the hearings and shortened all the deadlines.

“We all agree with the need to reform the OMB, the question is how? We want to ensure that community groups still get a voice in the future of their municipalities, but the government won’t even give community groups a voice to raise their concerns about this bill. What are they afraid of hearing? ” said Hardeman.

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For more information, contact:

Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford

(416) 325-1239