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HAMILTON - Official Opposition NDP members are in Hamilton for pre-budget consultations to hear from local environmental leaders on conservation priorities for 2024, after a successful fight to save the Greenbelt last year.
“With last year’s Greenbelt fight, we saw that local advocacy really works,” said MPP Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas), Official Opposition critic for Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Although Ford’s Conservatives don’t care about conservation efforts, it’s crystal clear that Ontarians do. From what we’ve heard today, the environmental movement in Ontario is just getting started.”
Musician and activist Sarah Harmer spoke before the Committee today about the importance of increasing oversight for the aggregate mining industry – a poorly regulated industry that is impacting local conservation areas like Mount Nemo.
"Conservation areas like Mount Nemo are of huge importance to our community and the local environment,” said Shaw. “From the recent auditor general’s report, we learned just how much the aggregate industry can act with impunity. This budget is a chance for us to fund inspectors and finally regulate bad actors in the industry and protect our precious aquifers and green space.”
The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs stopped in Hamilton today as part of a tour across the province that will help inform the 2024 Budget, which will be released around March.
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