May 11, 2012 Scott Prevails with Private Member’s Bill | Laurie Scott MPP.

Yet again, the Tories show their true stripes. The Bill to amend the endangered species act draws on the same old arguments, although this time its the “bobolink in a farmer’s hay-field”, not a spotted owl in a stand of forest, but the premise is still the same: economy trumps environment.

“We are moving forward with important legislation that will bring a more balanced approach to species protection, without penalizing farmers, forestry companies, recreational outdoor enthusiasts and countless other individuals and organizations who have been negatively impacted by the disastrous implementation of the current legislation by MNR,” said Scott, who is the PC Critic for Natural Resource.

Buried in there, with the farmers and the outdoor enthusiasts is the term “forestry companies” ie: large corporations which want to exploit the land without due consideration for its ecology.

Every day, it seems, we are told that a piece of legislation, whether to ease the rules around land use, or decrease the environmental studies needed, or decrease the protection of endangered species  is needed to counteract  job losses, losses created by the decline of manufacturing and failure to expand the knowledge economy outside of the major cities, and the egregious actions of banking around the world, not the poor bobolink.

I note that Ms. Scott represents my riding, her power base is in the more agricultural areas of the riding, and her background is nursing, not one of the environmental sciences. I wonder whose science she is depending on to assist her  in her role as opposition critic for Natural Resources.

The Harper government is gutting the social fabric of this country. A Tory government in Ontario would be disastrous, if this bill is evidence of its intent.