A recent statement by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) regarding conservation officials is being called a fear mongering tactic by a local MPP.
OPSEU took aim at the Ford government in a recent news release, stating that officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) would be moving from their post in Wheatley approximately 50 kilometres inland to Chatham. OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said the move would be "foolish" as it would open the potential for overfishing and poaching in the area.
“If they’re not stationed by the lake, who’s going to enforce the law and stop the kind of overfishing that could lead to a complete collapse?" said Thomas. "We’ve seen a lot of foolish decisions from this government, but this one could win the derby."
As Wheatley is a popular fishing destination, Thomas said the only people who would benefit from such a move are poachers.
“Does the premier have a bunch of cronies who want to poach walleye? I can’t think of any other reason the government would do something so boneheaded,” said Thomas.
Information sourced in the OPSEU statement referred to "internal MNRF documents".
However, Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls is denying the claim made by OPSEU. Nicholls' office released a statement which said the Ontario government has not approved plans for conservation officials to be moved from their post in Wheatley.
“Conservation officers play a critical role in preserving and protecting Ontario’s natural resources, including our fisheries. At this time there are no approved plans to relocate officers that are stationed in Wheatley to another location," said Nicholls in a statement. "It’s unfortunate that the NDP and their big union pals at OPSEU have decided to use our government’s first budget as an opportunity to fear monger. Again, there are no approved plans to relocate officers stationed in Wheatley to another location.”
Minister of Finance Vic Fedeli is scheduled to release details of the 2019 budget on April 11 at approximately 4 p.m. in the Ontario Legislature.