Re: Bill 14 ?????

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: Unfortunetly I have to advocate killing the Bill. I know it is difficult for a lot of people who have worked for new heritage legislation for many years to now have to ban together to srike down the first piece of legisalation that deals with the issue and finaly makes it to the floor of the house but I believe this is what has to be done. : Good legislation expresses the will of the people, Bill 13 does not. It was "represented" as such by a very small number of people most of whom do not even dive. If the different stakeholder groups had been consulted we might have had workable piece of legislation that could have gone far to preserve Ontario's shipwrecks. Now, to say the least it is a fine mess we are all in. : I will be meeting with Mr. Barrett early in January to discuss the Bill, and many of the reasons that have already been given that sugest this is a bad piece of legislation. However, as soon as you enter into any negociation it becomes a matter of give and take. In this case there is so much wrong with this legislation and unless radical and extream modifications are made I doubt it will recieve the support of the Divers of Ontario. : Unfortunetly, this means that in the best interest of the diving public every effort should be made, every MPP in the Province lobied to strike this Bill down. In terms of heritage legislation we will be back at the drawing board but at least next time around the different stakeholder groups will hopefully be consulted before sweeping legislation that decides the futre of Ontario wreck diving is made. : The tragidy here, in my view, is that this MPP has brought the rath of the diving population upon himself and if the Bill is, as I hope it will be, struck down it is very unlikely he will want much to do divers and or shipwrecks for a long time. In all fairness he is the author of his own political folly and divers rights to access Ontario shipwrecks without fear of arrest, fines and siezure of property for disturbing the silt now blows in the uncomfortable breeze of political whim. : Scott McWilliam : : When the commitee sits in April, will it be better to completly kill any bill : : or to get the language reworded to get something that would work. : : It seems like this is an opportunity to protect divers rights and come up with a bill : : that would not be subject to so much interpertation. : : Ive got maybe 130 dives on great lakes shiprecks and I am fortunate to dive with some : : real class acts, its a very limited perspective. I've never found a new wreck, never really blazed any : : trails but my personal feeling is that we need to get something down to protect divers rights : : for the future. What do the leaders in this field think ?? : : Thanks : : MJJ

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