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January 17, 2002
Premier should apologize to people of Walkerton for leak, says OPSEU
Premier Mike Harris should visit Walkerton and apologize directly to citizens there for the leak of the Walkerton Inquiry report, says Leah Casselman, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).
Casselman called the leak “yet another example of the Conservative government’s inability to live up to its responsibility as a guardian of the public trust.
“This selective release of information is disrespectful to the people of Walkerton and to everyone affected by the tragedy or involved in the Inquiry,” she said.
OPSEU had official standing at the Inquiry and submitted 10 extensive reports to Commissioner Dennis O’Connor. OPSEU lawyers were among those who grilled Premier Mike Harris on the witness stand of the Inquiry in June.
OPSEU to respond to report when fully released
OPSEU will respond to the report when it’s released.
“We’ll respond to the contents of the report at the proper time, when the citizens of Walkerton and Ontario have had a chance to read it in full,” said president Casselman .
OPSEU lawyers will review the report when it’s released. The union will consult with OPSEU members of the Environment Ministry’s Employee Relations Committee (MERC) and the MOE Project Team. The latter is a team of MOE staff who contributed to and guided OPSEU’s participation in the Walkerton Inquiry.
We’ll post the union’s analysis of the Walkerton Inquiry report on the OPSEU website at www.opseu.org as soon as possible.
Inquiry evidence points to need to rebuild the public service
Evidence presented to the Inquiry points to the need to renew the public service, Casselman said.
OPSEU is currently bargaining with the provincial government for a new contract for its 45,000 employees in the Ontario Public Service. The previous contract expired Dec. 31, 2001.
“Our members are Ontario’s front line of defence,” said Casselman. “We will put this government to the test at the bargaining table to see if they’ve learned the terrible lesson of Walkerton.
“It’s time to rebuild the public service and restore its capacity to protect public health and safety.”
Inquiry report recommending measures to protect drinking water due in March
The Walkerton Inquiry is expected to release its second report in March. This report will make recommendations to the government on how to ensure the future safety of drinking water in Ontario.
The report is the result of a series of public hearings held by the Inquiry on a variety of topics related to safe drinking water. The Inquiry also solicited research papers from academics, parties with standing and members of the public.
OPSEU members and staff participated in the public hearings. The union worked with the project team of MOE staff to produce 10 submissions to the Inquiry on such topics as: the valuable role of the public service, the dangers resulting from lab privatization, improvements to source water protection and the need for whistleblowing
protection. OPSEU’s submissions to the Inquiry are available at http://www.opseu.org/walkerton/index.htm
How to get in touch with us
To get on our e-mail list or talk to us about the Inquiry, contact Megan Park at 1-800-268-7376 ext. 207 or mpark@opseu.org.
Check regularly http://www.opseu.org/walkerton/index.htm and the Walkerton Inquiry website at http://www.walkertoninquiry.com/
Original authorized by Leah Casselman, president
Return to Walkerton
Inquiry Index Page
