HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2015-08-05, Page 5Wednesday, August 5, 2015 • News Record 5
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Editorial
Grits want lapdogs, not watchdogs
premier Kathleen Wynne
talks a good game about
running an open government
but her actions suggest
otherwise.
The occasion of what could
be Ontario Ombudsman Andre
Marin's final report in that
capacity Tuesday is an appro-
priate time to point this out.
It was only two months ago
that in an extraordinary letter
to the premier, all eight inde-
pendent officers of the Ontario
Legislature, including Marin
and Auditor General Bonnie
Lysyk, blasted her plan to sell
60% of Hydro One to the pri-
vate sector.
That will remove the utility
from public scrutiny by inde-
pendent watchdogs — identi-
fied by Marin as one of the gov-
ernment's least responsive
agencies to thousands of public
complaints about its notori-
ously incompetent billing
practices.
Meanwhile, Lysyk warned
Wynne that legislative changes
contained in her budget would
gut the auditor general's ability
to review Liberal government
advertising to make sure it is
non-partisan.
As a result, Lysyk said, her
office would become a mere
rubber stamp for whatever
publicly -funded partisan ads
the Liberals chose to run.
Ironically, the law Wynne's
amendments undermined was
passed by her Liberal predeces-
sor, Dalton McGuinty, so the
premier can hardly claim the
legislation was a partisan attack
on her government by a previ-
ous regime of a different politi-
cal ideology.
Wynne still hasn't made clear
whether Marin will be renewed
for a third term as Ombudsman
this fall, just as that office is
about to assume huge new
investigatory powers related to
school boards (in September)
and municipalities and univer-
sities (in January).
If a new ombudsman is about
to be named, he or she will be
facing a massive learning curve
to get up to speed on what
these new powers — passed,
ironically, by the Wynne gov-
ernment — involve.
Then again, maybe that's the
Liberal plan, to put a rookie
into the job just as the job gets
a lot more complicated,
thereby undermining the
ombudsman's effectiveness.
We'll see.
The bottom line is independ-
ent officers of the Legislature
are the public's last line of
defence against arrogant,
spendthrift governments.
Were it not for former infor-
mation and privacy commis-
sioner Ann Cavoukian, for
example, the extent of the Lib-
eral gas plant scandal would
never have been known.
Small wonder Wynne and the
Liberals appear interested in
turning their watchdogs into
lapdogs.
- Postmedia Network
15 years ago...
• The 125/Homecoming was a suc-
cess. Throughout the weekend, resi-
dents and visitors had the opportu-
nity to take part in a number of
activities, including lawn bowling
and golf. The event took place in the
new Millennium Park and the Clinton
Community Park.
• Clinton's host families said
goodbye to the Children of Cherno-
byl that had been living with them
for the past seven weeks. Children
from Ukraine and Belarus stayed
with families before leaving to go
back to Russia.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
25 years ago...
• Despite the rain, the cool tempera-
tures and the unsettled weather condi-
tions during the time crops were fairing
well in Huron County. Crop specialist,
Brian Hall, reported at the time that
things were going well for farmers
throughout the region and into the
United States. But some people in the
farming industry weren't so happy.
Market prices for corn and beans had
dropped over the previous because of
the anticipated good crop.
• A major discovery of zebra mussels
were discovered in the Goderich harbour
had experts concerned as the tiny pests
spread into Lake Huron after wreaking
havoc elsewhere in the Great Lakes sys-
tem. The clam -like creatures cling to solid
surfaces, causing extensive damage by
congesting water intake systems and cov-
ering
overing docks, boats and breakwalls.
35 years ago...
• Only six years after the ribbon was
cut on Clinton's new sewage treatment
plant - a plant that was supposed to
serve the town for decades and allow it
to grow to 6,000 people, a new report
was released that said the system was
inadequate and required upgrading.
Clinton's mayor at the time, Harold
Lobb, said he didn't think there was a
big problem and didn't see any neces-
sity for upgrades.
• "The future growth and development of
Clinton will require sewer separation and/
or the expansion of the sewage works. In
any event, unilateral or multilateral action
will be required to expand the sewage sys-
tem and steps should begin as soon as pos-
sible" the report said.
• Tuckersmith Township tax payers
sent in 83 letters opposing and 17 let-
ters supporting the bylaw the township
council was hoping to get approved by
the Ontario municipal board. The
bylaw would have amended or cor-
rected a bylaw that was passed in 1974
calling for the $130,000 debenture debt
against the Vanastra recreation centre
to be paid by all the tax payers across
the township.
get it
Arnonne
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