Candidates agree Ontario's drinking water is safe
By Bill Rea

The candidates seeking to represent York - Simcoe at Queen's Park after the Oct. 10 provincial election were contacted again last week for spontaneous reactions to specific questions.

The replies are presented here in alphabetical order.

Are MPPs appropriately

paid?

"Yes," commented Family Coalition Party candidate Victor Carvalho, "if they're doing the job of the people, they should be appropriately paid."

"I don't have a clue what they are paid," he added.

"Yes," replied Liberal John Gilbank. "I think it's appropriate enough."

"There's no perfect salary," he added. "There are more important things for us to worry about."

"No, they're paid too much," was the reaction of New Democrat Nancy Morrison.

She added the NDP caucus voted against the raise that was awarded not too long ago, with individual members opting to put the money toward charity.

"Yes," was the reply from Progressive Conservative Julia Munro. She offered no elaboration.

"I would think they are appropriately paid," commented Green party candidate Jim Reeves, although he admitted he didn't know what the salary was. But he considered the lack of a pension plan and expenses for running an office, combined with other benefits. "I would say it's adequate.

How safe is Ontario's

drinking water?

"Pretty safe," commented Carvalho. "Thank God for good water."

"A lot safer than it was five years ago," Gilbank said. "The clean Water Act has been a big help."

He added water is cleaner at its source, and there's more inspection.

"I drink tap water all the time," he said.

"I think after Walkerton, we have pulled up our socks," Morrison said, "but we need to make sure we never see another Walkerton."

She added no one should ever feel at risk when going for a drink of water. "We can never be complacent," she declared.

"It's really quite safe," Munro commented, adding there's room for improvement. She pointed out there were concerns earlier this year about lead in pipes. She stated the Liberals have said they have followed through on all the recommendations made at the Walkerton inquiry, but added there was one bill that has never been proclaimed and that would have helped municipalities deal with the lead in pipes.

"There is certainly more to do on the infrastructure side," she said.

"It is safe because the Walkerton incident was mismanagement," Reeves commented.

He added the area has the Oak Ridges Moraine to filter water to underground aquifer and into wells. "That water has gone through a fairly long filtering process," he said, adding lake water is subject to considerable treatment too.

That doesn't mean due diligence and more diligence is not required," he added.

Would you support legislation banning the use

of cell phones by people

while they are driving?

"I'd say yes," Carvalho said, adding he would go along with requiring drivers to use hands-free. He said that should be similar to a driver talking to a passenger. Otherwise, he said it's a big problem. "People using cell phones can cause trouble."

Gilbank said he would support "reasonable legislation" that would require drivers to concentrate while driving.

"Cell phones are part of the problem," he said, "but there are lots of other things that deserve as much attention."

"Yes I would," Morrison said. "It's one of the causes of accidents. "Let's keep our roads safe."

She added she wants drivers to be confident that those around them on the road are alert.

Munro pointed out Durham MPP John O'Toole has put forth private members bills calling for this, and she thought he would be willing to go along with banning hand-held phones, not hands-free devices. "I think hands-free is probably better," she said.

Reeves observed there's a general move in that direction in the western world, with greater stress toward using hands-free phones. "I would move with that technology," he said, agreeing there have been many cases of accidents being caused by distracted drivers dialing their phones, etc.