(Queen’s Park) – Randy Hillier, PC Party Critic for Northern Affairs, Mining and Forestry, has been battling the forced passing of the Liberal regime’s bleak northern agenda in the General Government committee.
“After meeting with stakeholders and hearing them out, the committee heard about how destructive Bills 173 and 191 were. Every stakeholder who appeared before us told us that they weren’t consulted, with the exception of the World Wildlife Fund,” stated Hillier. “This is legislation based upon an environmentalist fantasy. Mr. McGuinty and Mr. Gravelle don’t care that it will utterly destroy the northern economy and obstruct prosperity.”
In response, Hillier has vowed to slow the progress of the legislation as much as possible. His filibuster has been calling a 20 minute recess prior to every vote in the committee, holding out for as long as possible.
“The liberal government won’t do what’s right. I’ll do everything I can for the citizens of the north, even if I can just buy them a few precious days,” said Hillier. “I came to Queen’s Park to stop Toronto-centric legislation which is passed at the cost of northern citizens.”
First Nations, northern municipalities, prospectors, developers, forestry and mining companies have all expressed their disagreement with the two bills, which have arbitrarily been pushed forward. Bill 191, the Far North Planning Act, would essentially halt all economic development in the north of the province.
“I’d rather force a filibuster than allow such terrible legislation to move forward unopposed,” said Mr. Hillier. “I’d be happy to grant an interview during one of our recesses – there’ll be many.”
“Obstructive legislation demands obstructive responses and opposition,” he concluded.
Randy Hillier, MPP Lanark Frontenac Lennox, is a co-founder of the Lanark Landowners Association, which was brought to life to address government imposition on the rights of private property owners, and to address the regressive regulatory impositions that government was bringing down upon farmers and business owners in rural Ontario.
In 2006, Randy resigned as President of the OLA in order to run as a candidate for the Progressive Conservatives. Randy was elected in the 2007 provincial election.
Randy a long-time resident of Lanark County, an electrician by trade and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), continues to co-publish and edit rural Ontario’s successful magazine “The Landowner.”
