GOVERNMENTS ARE ADDICTED TO SECRECY & NON SUBSTANTIVE PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Cherry picking both when, what and whom you are going to share information with is a hallmark of paranoid, insecure and dishonest governments. Whether it be seat saver programs by our provincial governing Liberals, inadequate Annual Drinking Water Reports under the Safe Drinking Water Act (2002), Ministry of Natural Resources non-consultation while adding concrete and asphalt recycling to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) or our provincial Ministry of the Environment making sweetheart deals with polluters like Uniroyal in October 1991; the non sharing of important information directly impacting the public is at an all time high.

Governments routinely reward some groups in our society usually at the expense of others. These acts are one of the reasons why they routinely hide what they are doing from public scrutiny. All public consultation is essentially pretend public consultation. Lobby groups and vested interests themselves would be appalled if their machinations and manoevering became public knowledge.

One recent example would be a letter sent by Jaimie Connolly, a M.O.E. hydrogeologist, to Jeff Merriman of Chemtura dated May 2, 2008. That's right, six years ago. WTF ! I received it last week from the Woolwich Township secretary assigned to the Chemtura Public Advisory Committee (CPAC). It was cc'd to Conestoga Rovers, consultants to Chemtura (Uniroyal) as well as to the Chair of CPAC six years ago, who would have been Pat McLean, former Woolwich Councillor and failed Mayoralty candidate. Pat has been well taken care of via her association with Chemtura and CPAC. Numerous expense paid trips around the continent while she allegedly was either on CPAC business (bullshit) or because of her being appointed as a member of the National Advisory Panel of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC). Such a pile of pus. Pat is a complete ignoramus in regards to chemistry, hydrogeology, contaminants etc.. She makes no attempt to read reports and technically inform herself. What she is good at is political manipulation whether as a Councillor or as CPAC Chair. I believe that witholding this letter from myself six years ago is par for the course. This letter would have been and hopefully will be devastating to CRA, Chemtura and the M.O.E.; the three of whom I affectionately refer to as the partners in pollution. I also expect that just like the M.O.E.'s "sweetheart" deal in 1991 the partners in pollution were hopeful and confident that this damaging letter while sent to Pat would not see the light of day generally. Afterall why do you think she was put in that position in the first place and then stayed there after she lost her councillor's job in 2006 and then lost the mayoralty election in 2010?