FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2006
Day of Action protests
cuts to “Ministry of No Resources”
TORONTO – Union members
working at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources are
taking part in activities across the province today to
protest the ongoing demolition of key programs of the
ministry.
“In the last two budget
years, the McGuinty government has swung the axe at MNR
programs with a zeal we haven’t seen since the Mike Harris
days,” said Leah Casselman, president of the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union. “The Ministry of Natural Resources
has become the Ministry of No Resources. It can no longer
effectively manage and protect the natural resources that
belong to all Ontarians.”
Among the cuts being
protested, Casselman pointed to:
- the slashing of
operating budgets for Conservation Officers, resulting
in a 19 per cent reduction in the number of convictions
for fish and wildlife offenses from 2004-05 to 2005-06
(an even larger drop is expected for 2006-07);
- the elimination of 226
full-time summer jobs for regular students and seasonal
employees in the province’s provincial parks, including
park wardens, natural heritage educators, and
maintenance staff;
- the closure of MNR
offices to the public; and
- a reduction in
compliance inspections of commercial resource users.
“The aesthetic, cultural,
economic, educational, environmental, recreational, and
social value of our natural resources far exceeds the cost
of protecting and managing them,” said Casselman. “We intend
to continue this campaign over the winter in the run-up to
the provincial budget.”
Campaign activities for this
first Day of Action will see employees wear black to work,
fasten orange flag tape to car and truck aerials, and sign
petitions for presentation in the Legislature. Rallies and
barbecues are also planned, and the union has launched an
educational web site, featuring an online petition, at
http://www.savethemnr.ca
.
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For more information,
contact:
Elaine Bagnall,
Peterborough (705) 755-2589
Ed Evens, Sioux Lookout (807) 737-3759
Dave Fluri, North Bay (705) 494-6791
Mark Roddick, Thunder Bay (807) 627-4352
Peter Wall, Hearst (705) 372-3310
