Over 100 politicians walked out today on Premier Dalton McGuinty at the annual Ontario Good Roads Association and Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference.
The walkout was led by Arran Elderslie — and included several local politicians from Bruce, Grey and Huron Counties — to protest the Green Energy Act.
Conservative MPP’s Lisa Thompson of Huron Bruce and Bill Walker of Bruce Grey Owen Sound also took part in the protest.
Central Huron Councillor Brian Barnim was one of them.
Barnim says the main focus behind the action was a protest against wind development and how municipalities have no control in the Green Energy Act.
But he feels there are more reasons to be unhappy with the province these days.
Barnim says the general feeling from the Drummond report — which suggested over 300 cost saving measures — is to take away from rural Ontario.
He says a possible proposal to discontinue the Slots at Racetrack Program and rural school closures are all major issues that municipalities are dealing with and have little-to-no control.
Barnim says it’s time to make a stand, and he would have liked to see more politicians participate in the walk-out.
What the politicians didn’t hear as they walked out is Dalton McGuinty say he’s willing to give local governments more of a say over wind and solar energy projects.
The Premier said afterwards that the province will do a better job of listening to rural concerns.
But McGuinty stopped short of saying municipalities would be given veto power to block any new wind farms.
