MP deserves credit for work on environmental issues

Federal government's action on funding for Lake Simcoe With political parties of all stripes claiming to be the champions of environmental strategies, combined with the bickering back and forth in Ottawa, one might easily become cynical whether anything is actually being accomplished. We, in the Simcoe North Riding, are equally concerned about local environmental issues and the need for action to begin as soon as possible. With some personal investigation on this front, I have discovered that our local MP Bruce Stanton and York Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan have successfully advocated for this area.
As a result, the federal government's National Water Strategy has allocated $12 million over the next two years to support cleaning up Lake Simcoe, which has been affected by excessive amounts of phosphorus from both urban and rural sources. Citizens and environmental advocacy groups, among others, are hailing the Conservative government's affirmative action. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority has congratulated Stanton and Van Loan for "vision and leadership and for bringing federal attention to an ecosystem so in need of financial support." The regional environmental action group Ladies of the Lake has expressed gratitude for the federal government's response and action. Stanton is being criticized by the local bearer of the Liberal banner, as being a "just in my backyard" politician, but factually that is not a fair analysis. Stanton deserves the acknowledgement for his advocacy, on our behalf, of this very important environmental issue. The government's action should be applauded for its contribution to local environmental issues as well as those on a national scale. Observing the political wrangling in Ottawa causes one to not see the forest for the trees. There are some very conscientious politicians who are seriously working on our behalf in Ottawa. Their positive accomplishments are being overshadowed by partisan "mud-slinging," the latter making bigger headlines in the media. No matter which political party we hail from, it is only right we acknowledge the facts and appreciate the work that Stanton is doing on our behalf. Our local MP is getting things done in Simcoe North. Credit should be given where it is due.