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Percy Barrett, MHA for the District of Bellevue and
Opposition Critic for the Department of Environment and Conservation, wants
to know if the provincial government still plans to bring forward the
Outdoor Bill of Rights that they promised while in opposition.
"The concerns of a lot of people were obvious during the
debate in the House of Assembly on the snowmobile trail legislation," said
Barrett. "The heavy-handed way the government limited debate on this issue
demonstrates their lack of respect for people’s views and concerns about
outdoor rights.
"People have a lot of concerns about access
restrictions and the commercialization of outdoor resources. The proper way
to address these concerns is to bring in comprehensive legislation to
protect these important rights."
While the PC party were in opposition, they called on
government to introduce an "Outdoor Bill of Rights" which would enshrine in
legislation the public right to access outdoor areas and resources where
they can enjoy traditional activities. Since forming government over a year
ago, there has been no indication that government intends to bring forward
such legislation. In fact, concerns have been raised that the government is
heading in the opposite direction.
"Government should take action on this issue
immediately by outlining some of their plans. Public consultations should be
held province-wide to solicit the views of those who use our outdoor
resources. Hopefully, government will be in a position to move forward with
this initiative in the near future." |