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George Bernard Shaw once asked a duchess if she would sleep with a man for £10,000. The duchess, smiling at the thought of all that money, replied, “Yes, of course.” He then asked if she would sleep with a man for £10. With indignation and a withering look, the duchess snarled, “What kind of a woman do you think I am?” Whereupon Shaw responded, “We have already determined the kind; we only wish to establish the degree.” We can come to our own conclusions as to the “kind” of politician out there; but the nuclear waste issue certainly identifies the “degree.” Apart from a small minority, Guy Anderson and Gord Campbell being two of them, politicians are falling all over themselves for a bit of the action. County Council is the latest to have a change of heart when “OPG guarantees tax revenues of $250,000.” I am reminded of children at the Santa Claus parade chasing the float throwing out the most goodies. But these are not children, are they? My friend on the other side of Queen Street has it right. The issue is safety, not money. Who is thinking of our children and grandchildren? We do know those making the decisions today will not be around to bear the consequences tomorrow. It’s money, folks, and those chasing the candy float come a lot cheaper than the duchess. I have no quarrel with OPG. Theirs is a straightforward business proposal. Their science and engineering findings may be valid. I am in no position to judge that. Nor is any member of council. Because council has eagerly climbed into bed with OPG, any suggestion of impartiality is obliterated. Council, then, is in no position to lead a community consultation process. Without an equivalent weight of environmental experts to present the opposing view any consultation is a farce; without a proper referendum in which all on the municipal voting list can vote on the issue, we will never know the public’s opinion, telephone poll not withstanding. A closing thought! Is this OPG with its dazzling charts and glossy brochures the same OPG that has cost us millions and millions of dollars with budget over-runs and years of inexplicable delays while trying to sort out Pickering? How can they be sure of anything?
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