Future of bear management committee unclear: MPP

The Ontario legislature recently passed a motion to strike a committee to explore the issue of bear management, butits a long road before the motion actually becomes a reality.

The motion put forward byTimiskaming-CochraneMPPJohnVanthof passed on Oct. 31, with support from the NDP and many Liberals. It nowfaces the longand sometimes arduous committee process.

Theproposal is also being considered alongside every other private members bill, said Bill Mauro,the LiberalMPPfor ThunderBay-Atikokan.

The tradition and the convention of the legislature is that [these bills] become the subject of some horse-trading, if you will, among the three house leaders, Bill Mauro said.

He said hes personally in no rush to see the committee up and running, as hes more concerned with a private members bill he put forward that would restart the spring bear hunt in Ontario.

Nothing ceases to amaze me

The New Democrat MPP for Timmins-James Bay said he thinks the bear committee is a good idea, but added theres no guarantee it will become a reality because the parties are so divided.

You know, Ive been in the legislature 24 years now [and] nothing ceases to amaze me, Gilles Bisson said.

Sometimes, the most difficult things are easy, and the easiest things are most difficult.

Bisson said he remains optimistic about the motion, but added its future is uncertain.

It was supported by all New Democrats and by a fair number of Liberals, including cabinet ministers, he said.

So that tells me this is something we might be able to do.

Bisson said it doesnt help that one party is vehemently against the proposal, as the Progressive Conservatives voted unanimously against the committee, calling the idea redundant.