Comparing the Parties’ Great Lakes Platforms

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Under the banner of “Green Prosperity”, 21 of Ontario’s leading environmental organizations endorsed an action agenda for the province to “usher in an era of green prosperity.” A Great Lakes Act is one of seven priorities.

The group has recommended an Act to:
·        Clean up beaches and toxic hot spots once and for all in the next five years.
·        Support the efforts of municipalities to establish and maintain green infrastructure, like urban forests, wetlands, stormwater ponds, and green roofs, to reduce the cost of water treatment and floodwater control and to keep our waterways and lakes healthy.
·        Make Ontarians proud to live beside four of the five Great Lakes by helping communities celebrate their waterfronts.

The Liberals' platform says, “We’ll defend Ontario’s precious water resources for future generations with a Great Lakes Protection Act and launch a fund that will reduce water pollution and make our beaches cleaner.” The September 17^th announcement of the Act included promises to clean up 17 “hot spots”, reduce water pollution, clean up provincial beaches and promote activities on the Great Lakes.

Further, the Liberals’ platform commits to moving “ahead with our internationally-recognized Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act by developing innovative, clean water technologies and practices that create clean jobs at home and clean water for the world.”

The Conservatives' Changebook  says nothing of the Great Lakes, but it does make some water and environmental commitments:  
“We will protect our land, lakes, and rivers. We will support conservation of wildlife and fish populations in Ontario. We will do our share in the climate change battle…. We will support local conservation efforts in protecting Ontario’s many signature rivers such as the Thames, Don, French, and Ottawa. This will include activities like protecting riverbanks, cleaning debris, and stocking fish.”

The NDP Plan for Affordable Change mentions neither water nor the Great Lakes. But in conversation with Environmental Defence, the party promised to have a minister responsible for the Great Lakes.

The Green Party’s It’s Time: A 5 point Plan for Ontario’s Future  doesn’t mention the Great Lakes either, but says, "Your Green MPPs will:
- Make health promotion and illness prevention a top priority
- Support the development of healthy, liveable, recreation-friendly communities
- Ensure clean air, water and food by reducing pollution, improving water quality and sewage treatment, and by paying landowners for producing healthy environmental goods and services.”

To learn more about what candidates are saying, see SimcoeElection.ca and http://www.penelope4ontario.ca/report-card