QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after journalists revealed 2,400 Ontario schools and daycares exceeded federal guidelines for lead in drinking water:
“Government has a sacred responsibility to manage water in the public trust to ensure that everyone has access to clean drinking water.
This report clearly shows that we are not doing enough to protect drinking water. And even worse, we’re exposing children to the greatest risk of irreversible harm.
This government’s hands-off approach to water protection will only make things worse.
The Minister can’t dismiss or belittle the troubling concerns this report raises.
The Premier has a track record of pinching pennies today, only to create bigger costs down the road. That was the mentality behind his cuts to public health and much needed school repairs.
Healthy drinking water is too precious to allow the Premier’s short-sightedness to put people’s health at risk.
At every level – federal, provincial and municipal – we must work to fix this emergent issue and ensure the safety of our drinking water is not compromised.