'We need every single penny' while we pass the buck

Why isn't Dalton McGuinty's pathetic bungling of the Caledonia occupation/reclamation more front and center in the election campaign?

Why aren't Haldimand residents, developers and the media grilling him and his candidates on this?

Today the Hamilton Spectator tells us that "Ontario won't help developers stop natives". It seems that Caledonia was such a politically-charged issue that the province has now told developers to "find their own solutions if Six Nations residents occupy or stop projects along the Grand River in a land claim dispute."

Remember how McGuinty forked over $16 million to purchase the land in question from the Henning brothers in Caledonia? Well, they plan to see this one out, but are going to leave any future developers high and dry:

Lars Eddy, of the Ontario Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, says the province stands behind its land title system that allows development in the Haldimand Tract along the Grand River, which Six Nations claims. He says Ontario is committed to resolving those disputes at the negotiation table set up with Ottawa and Six Nations representatives to resolve the Caledonia dispute.

Eddy said developers facing heat from natives for building on disputed land "should proceed" with their projects. Asked what happens when there's a confrontation, he said, "That's between the developers, it's their property ..."

Between the developers and who?

"The Six Nations."

...Patricia Valladao, a spokesperson for the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, says negotiating land claims is the responsibility of Ottawa, but says the situation faced by developers is a provincial issue.

Dan Valentini, a Stoney Creek developer who had his Hagersville townhouse project stopped by natives in May, calls the province's position "ridiculous," and said it creates two separate laws in the province. He said he has spoken to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Greg Sorbara about his problem, but his project remains in limbo.

So McGuinty is effectively abdicating responsibility in any future disputes.

Now that's leadership.

Meanwhile, the Six Nations traditional government has created what could be described as its own municipal planning department and a Green Plan to deal with development on the land it claims along the Grand River. It was given the land in 1784 by the British Crown after the American War of Independence, but Ottawa says more than 90 per cent was surrendered or sold before 1850.

The Green Plan outlines development potential and environmentally sensitive areas of lands in Brantford, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and communities all along the Grand River.

Wonderful. So this is a great issue to throw at any candidates appearing at your door.


Caledonia Wakeup Call has many links to new and ongoing disputes and between developers, cities and various native groups.


So what is John Tory's plan? I'm glad you asked. It's a very novel concept called 'One law for all':

Speaking to reporters from Osprey Media newspapers by telephone, the provincial Progressive Conservative leader suggested he would establish a zero-tolerance policy on aboriginal land occupations if he is elected premier of Ontario on Oct. 10.

"We can't have even legitimate complaints settled by people taking the law into their own hands," Tory said in response to a Whig-Standard question about the six-week-old uranium mine blockade by local Algonquins in North Frontenac...

...Tory says he would have "firm but friendly" conversations with aboriginal leaders to tell them his government would not stand for such tactics. He didn't elaborate on what that meant.

[Cue to Liberal readers - Here is your 'Mike Harris' opening for comments]


So why did I mention "We need every single penny" in the title of this post? Again, I'm glad you asked. We find the answer in today's Globe:

...The Conservative Leader also needs to remind voters that what the Liberals call "a health premium" is really a surtax that goes into general revenues, with only a notional allocation to health care.

Pollster Greg Lyle of Innovative Research Group said voters would be more concerned about the broken tax promise if they believed it went to wasteful spending, rather than to health care.

The Conservatives "should tie it to the millions of dollars that went out the door to special interest groups, or the $40,000 raise the Premier received," Mr. Lyle said...

- Or the $16 million buyout in Caledonia?

* * * *

Update: MPP Elizabeth Witmer just confirmed on Newstalk 570's Jeff Allan show, that the Health Tax goes into general revenues; not a special health care fund! (9:40 A.M.)

Liberal MPP John Milloy had said moments before that all the Health Tax money goes into health care. Mmmm....

Would that include health care commercials, John?