Today NDP MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) submitted a new Private Members Bill – Bottled Water Spending Act, 2009 – to restrict government spending on bottled water. If passed, the Bill would make Ontario the first province in Canada to restrict bottled water.

In his annual report released earlier today, Ontario’s Environment Commissioner Gord Miller called for government legislation to stop big developers from threatening citizens with so-called SLAPPs - lawsuits requiring that citizen groups pay developer legal expenses or other damages for hearings.

NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns welcomes the McGuinty government’s announcement of a new Feed-in-Tariff for renewable energy, but says that the success of the program depends on significantly raising targets for wind energy in Ontario - and that means canceling plans to build new nuclear plants once and for all.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath expressed serious concern over mischief charges laid by the OPP against well-respected Simcoe County citizens for their involvement in Dump Site 41 protests.

“Arresting seniors won't help the situation. People in this community don't want a dump,” said Horwath. “The government should be listening to these people and their concerns.”

– Parkdale—High Park NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo joined with hundreds of west end Toronto parents and toddlers on the front lawn of the Legislative Assembly this morning to protest against the McGuinty government’s plan to allow up to 400 diesel trains to pollute their neighbourhoods each and every day.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called on the McGuinty Liberals to stop the County of Simcoe from building a landfill on top of the Alliston aquifer.

““This beautiful spot is the wrong place to start dumping 40,000 tons of garbage a year,” said Horwath. “We should be protecting what scientists call one of the cleanest sources of freshwater in the world.”