Abuse of Power Letter From Catherine Mitchell To Ministry of the Attorney

8/12/2019 Abuse of Power Letter From Catherine Mitchell To Ministry of the Attorney

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Ministry of the Attorney GeneralMcMurtry-Scott Building720 Bay Street, 11th FloorToronto, OM7A 2S!

"ear Attorney General #ohn Gerretsen,

$ ha%e &een trying to co'(ose a letter to you as Attorney General ofOntario a&out the general a&use of (o)er that see's to ha%e occurred&y the elected 'e'&ers of the (olitical syste' )ith res(ect to the

rene)a&le energy initiati%e and 'ore s(ecifically the Green *nergy Act+Me'&ers of the est incoln co''unity ha%e sent endless letters and

e'ails to the Ministry of the *n%iron'ent )ith concerns a&out the$ndustrial ind Tur&ine (ro.ect (ro(osed for our area+ /oncernsregarding inco'(lete studies incorrect sound (o)er ratings for the M *nercon 101 industrial )ind tur&ines lac of due (rocess and .ust aco'(lete lac of 'eaningful co''unication )ith 'e'&ers of the(olitical syste' that ha%e &een elected to 3ser%e and (rotect4 hasresulted in e5tre'e frustration+

Meaningful co''unication )ith the Ministry of the *n%iron'ent,Ministry of *nergy, Ministry of 6ealth, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of

atural esources, the Ontario O'&uds'en, and other 'inistries)hose 'andate is to (rotect the health, safety, 8uality of life and )ell&eing of citi9ens and their (ro(erties has &een reduced to carefullyscri(ted re(lies that fail to address the issues, re(lies that a&sol%e thats(ecific de(art'ent of any res(onsi&ility or 'ore fre8uently long delays

or silence+

$n researching )hat senior (oliticians )ere in )hat (ositions of (o)erand control )hen the Green *nergy Act )as &eing crafted and )hat hasha((ened to their (olitical careers since that ti'e, a rather tangled )e&


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see's to e'erge+ Many of the sa'e senior i&eral (oliticians ee((o((ing u( in 'any of the ey 'inistries that facilitated the rene)a&leenergy initiati%e+

According to so'e re(orts the 3fi%e founding 'e'&ers4 of the Green*nergy Act )ere George S'ither'an, #ohn Gerretsen, eona"o'&ro)sy, "onna /ansfield and #ohn ilinson

Minister of *nergy and $nfrastructure - George S'ither'an - 200:;200!,

Gerry


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Green *nergy Act, Bill 1?0 %oted on May 1, 200! ; ot one 'e'&er ofthe


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So 'y 8uestion &eco'es ; hat )as the role of the Attorney GeneralsOffice in the drafting of the Green *nergy ActE

"id the (oliticians that crafted the Green *nergy Act choose to ignorethe de'ocratic (rinci(les u(on )hich this country )as &uilt or did theydeli&erately %iolate those (rinci(les as they 'ani(ulated the la)s to&ring the rene)a&le energy initiati%e into &eingE hat )as the'oti%ating factor - ignorance , conte'(t, greed, or %engeanceE

The 'andate of e%ery (olitically elected official is to (rotect thefunda'ental (rinci(les u(on )hich our de'ocracy )as &uilt+Go%ern'ent 'inisters, 'inistries, agencies and 'unici(alities ha%e anethical duty and legal o&ligation to (rotect the health, safety, 8uality oflife and )ell &eing of citi9ens and their (ro(erties These funda'entallegal entitle'ents cannot &e ignored, co'(ro'ised or denied &y electedofficials, staff andHor re(resentati%es of (ro%incial and local 'unici(algo%ern'ent &odies, agencies, and or &oards+ All de'ocratic decisions'ust (ass through this filter or (olitical decisions )ill allo) for so'e todisenfranchise others+ The s'allest, the )eaest, the youngest arefre8uently the %icti's of &ad decisions+

The Ministry of the Attorney General is res(onsi&le for (ro%iding a fairand accessi&le .ustice syste' )hich reflects the needs of the di%erseco''unities it ser%es across go%ern'ent and the (ro%ince+ $t stri%es to'anage the .ustice syste' in an e8uita&le, afforda&le and accessi&le

)ay throughout the (ro%ince+ The Attorney General of Ontario, the chieflegal ad%iser to the Iueen, is a senior 'e'&er of the *5ecuti%e /ouncilof Ontario Dor ca&inet and go%erns the Ministry of the Attorney General

of Ontario - the de(art'ent res(onsi&le for the o%ersight of the .usticesyste' )ithin the (ro%ince+ The Attorney General is an elected Me'&erof


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2+ conducting cri'inal (roceedings throughout Ontario

+ (ro%iding legal ad%ice to, and conducting litigation on &ehalfof, all go%ern'ent 'inistries and 'any agencies, &oards and tri&unals

+ (ro%iding ad%ice on, and drafting, all legislation andregulations and

?+ coordinating and ad'inistering court ser%ices throughoutOntario+

The rene)a&le energy initiati%e of the i&eral go%ern'ent has theGreen *nergy Act as the foundation u(on )hich it )as &uilt+ $nstead ofe5ercising caution and due diligence the (ro%incial go%ern'ent ofOntario refuses to listen to any criticis' of the rene)a&le energyinitiati%e+ ith the creation of the Green *nergy Act, the Ontariogo%ern'ent changed la)s that (rotected the health of the citi9ens ofOntario changed la)s that re8uired an *n%iron'ental Assess'ent todeter'ine the i'(act of ne) de%elo('ent on the en%iron'ent andchanged la)s so that the authority of 'unici(al councils has &een

under'ined+ The rural citi9ens ha%e had their 'unici(al councilsstri((ed of their (lanning rights to control the siting of $ndustrial indTur&ines in their co''unities+ /iti9ens of rural co''unities ha%e &eendenied their de'ocratic right to (artici(ate in the (lanning of theirco''unity+

The loss of social .ustice re(orted &y indi%iduals li%ing in the en%irons ofindustrial )ind tur&ines D$Ts is due to the lac of a fair (rocess, the

loss of de'ocratic rights, and the associated dise'(o)er'ent of'e'&ers of co''unities forced to host industrial )ind tur&ines+ TheGreen *nergy Act is a regressi%e (iece of legislature that deli&eratelydisenfranchises the rural citi9ens of this (ro%ince &y (ro%iding rights tothe (ri%ate for (rofit - fre8uently foreign - 'ultinational industrial )indtur&ine cor(orations that are denied to the rural citi9ens+


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Since the Ministry of the Attorney General deli%ers and ad'inisters a)ide range of .ustice ser%ices including (ro%iding ad%ice on, anddrafting, all legislation and regulations, )ere 'e'&ers of the office ofthe Attorney General (art of the (lanning (rocess to deter'ine )hichla)s )ould ha%e to &e 3neutered4 to draft the Green *nergy Act andfacilitate the rene)a&le energy initiati%eE

According to so'e re(orts the 3fi%e founding 'e'&ers4 of the Green*nergy Act )ere George S'ither'an, #ohn Gerretsen, eona"o'&ro)sy, "onna /ansfield and #ohn ilinson+ $f you loo u( the

acade'ic 8ualifications of these (eo(le you find a solicitor, a financial(lanner, so'eone )ith a BA, and t)o (eo(le )ith no (ost-secondary8ualifications+ The for'er Attorney General of Ontario during this ti'e

)as /hristo(her Bentley, i&eral, 2007;2011+ Since the Ministry of theAttorney General deli%ers and ad'inisters a )ide range of .usticeser%ices including (ro%iding legal ad%ice to, and conducting litigation on&ehalf of, all go%ern'ent 'inistries and 'any agencies, &oards andtri&unals and (ro%iding ad%ice on, and drafting, all legislation andregulations - )as the Office of the Attorney General inti'ately in%ol%edin the drafting of the Green *nergy ActE

The for'er Attorney General of Ontario )as /hristo(her Bentley,i&eral, 2007;2011+ $f you loo at the (olitical career of /hristo(herBentley, he )as re-elected in the 2007 election and )as na'edAttorney General of Ontario shortly thereafter+ $n #anuary 2010 he )asassigned the additional (ortfolio of Minister of A&original Affairs+

6e retained his seat in the Octo&er 2011 (ro%incial election and )asna'ed Minister of *nergy+ Bentley )as soon 'ired in a contro%ersyo%er the go%ern'entJs decision 'ade during the election ca'(aign toscra( un(o(ular gas (lants &eing constructed in Mississauga andOa%ille - the 'o%e )as seen as a (olitically e5(edient one 'ade toi'(ro%e the i&eral


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the area+ The election returned a 'inority go%ern'ent and thee'&oldened o((osition de'anded that BentleyJs 'inistry release alldocu'ents related to the decision+ Bentley delayed (rior to releasingK,000 (ages in Se(te'&er and insisted that all docu'ents had &eenreleased+ After it &eca'e no)n that there )ere an additional 20,000docu'ents Bentley )as cited &y a rare conte'(t 'otion &y a legislati%eco''ittee and )as facing a conte'(t 'otion of the legislature )henMcGuinty une5(ectedly ended the legislati%e session &y (roroguing thelegislature on Octo&er 1?+


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Under the Provincial Government of Dalton McGuintyGeorgeS'ither'an held /a&inet


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2011;

Sophia*ggelonitis

Minister of Consumer Services2010;2011

Margarett est

'aurel rotenMinister of the Environment2007;2010

+ohn #il,inson

David -oungMinister of Municipal *ffairs and&ousing200;2007

+im #atson

Lou are the Attorney General of Ontario.gerretsen+'((+coli&eral+ola+org and assu'ed that office on Octo&er20, 2011+

eona "o'&ro)sy recei%ed a Bachelor of Arts degree fro' theni%ersity of Toronto in 1!7!+

Provincial Government of Dalton McGuintyeona "o'&ro)sy held /a&inet


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200-200?

On Octo&er 2, 200, aura "o'&ro)sy )as a((ointed Minister of the*n%iron'ent+ $n this ca(acity, she )as res(onsi&le for o%erseeingchanges to the (ro%inceJs )ater su((ly syste' Dthe safety of )hich )ascalled into 8uestion after a tragic out&rea of e-coli in alerton,Ontario+ Palso called for the (hasing out of coal-fired electricalgenerating (lants+ "o'&ro)syJs a((oint'ent )as regarded as asur(rise, as it had &een )idely e5(ected that #i' Bradley )ould &egi%en the *n%iron'ent (ortfolio+ "o'&ro)sy had fe) if any QgreenQcredentials at the ti'e of her a((oint'ent+

On #une 2!, 200? "o'&ro)sy &eca'e Minister of Agriculture, Foodand ural Affairs+ On #anuary 1:, 2010, "o'&ro)sy )as na'edMinister of *ducation+

On Octo&er K, 2011, "o'&ro)sy lost her (ro%incial seat to


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D$ight DuncanMinister of Energy200?;200K

D$ight Duncan

"onna /ansfield )as a((ointed


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200!-2010

Dalton McGuintyMinister of 1esearch andnnovation

2007-200!

+ohn Milloy

oss of our de'ocratic rights and freedo's should &e of concern toe%ery (olitician and e%ery (erson of this country+ The 3e) Order4 )illha%e the (ri%ate for (rofit ; fre8uently 'ultinational cor(orations incontrol of the resources of this once inde(endent nation+ hy )ouldsenior career (oliticians in the i&eral


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Mitigation strategies and (ro'ises of future data, docu'ents and details(lus o(ti'istic rather than 3)orst case scenarios4 are &eing acce(ted asan alternati%e to strict co'(liance+ This should not &e allo)ed+ ulesare rules+ *nforce the'+ Shift the e'(hasis &ac to (rotectingOntarios rural residents, far' land and en%iron'ent instead offacilitating )ind energy (ro.ects+

R+


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R7+ "enial of the scientific realities of the negati%e effects of industrial)ind tur&ines )ill not (rotect any of us+


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"


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She has &een an outs(oen critic of co'(etiti%e &idding in the(ro%inceJs ho'e care ser%ices, and of layoffs affecting nurses in the(ro%inceJs hos(itals

osario Marchese Follo)ing the 2011 General *lection, 6e no) is the/aucus /hair, /ritic for r&an Trans(ortation, and /ritic forGo%ern'ent Ser%ices+


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Da destroys or da'ages (ro(erty

D& renders (ro(erty dangerous, useless, ino(erati%e or ineffecti%e

Dc o&structs, interru(ts or interferes )ith the la)ful use, en.oy'ent oro(eration of (ro(erty or

Dd o&structs, interru(ts or interferes )ith any (erson in the la)ful use,en.oy'ent or o(eration of (ro(erty+

Marginal note

Documents

Abuse of Power Letter From Catherine Mitchell To Ministry of the Attorney