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I - EDITORIAL - CD CM } Gas-plant scandal CO 8 O P IN IO N = The slow-moving wheels o f justice ground out an exceedingly fine decision April 11 when they rolled Da­ vid Livingston toward a ja il cell for his role in the cover- up o f Ontario's gas-plant scandal. The chief-of-staff for former premier Dalton McGuin- ty, Livingston was found guilty in January for ordering the destruction of records related to the provincial Lib­ eral government's cancellation o f two gas-powered gen­ erating stations, one to be built in Oakville and another in Mississauga. While Livingston's four-month sentence may strike some as a modest rebuke, it is a welcome and unusual example of a major player in a Canadian political scan­ dal being held accountable by being put behind bars. The ja il time and one-year's probation that accompa­ nies it are fully deserved, even though first-time-offend­ er Livingston is out on bail and has launched an appeal o f his sentence. Far from being minor offences, his crimes o f attempt­ ed mischief and the unauthorized use of a computer struck at the heart of democracy in Ontario. Such ac­ tions should be severely denounced. When Livingston ordered the hard-drives scrubbed in early 2013, nagging questions remained unanswered about the government's decision to cancel construction of two gas-plants - one in 2010, the other just days before the 2011 provincial election. The cancellations - which the opposition Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats both supported - were largely perceived as a blatant bid by the Liberals to hold onto seats in the 2011 election. The cancellations were derided even more when their outrageous cost to taxpayers was revealed to be $1.1 billion. People wanted more facts about the controversial decisions and their wasteful legacy. Thanks to the disappearing act engineered by Living­ ston in the premier's office, people have no way of know­ ing what actually went on and whether the political players in this game acted in a good, bad or indifferent fashion. That's a shame. But if Livingston cannot be held accountable for the information he ordered scrubbed, thank goodness he's being held accountable for ordering the scrubbing. In delivering his sentence, Justice Timothy Lipson said Livingston "abused his position of power to pro­ mote the interests of the governing party at the expense of the democratic process." Indeed, Livingston's "conduct was an affront to and an attack upon democratic institutions and values," according to Justice Lipson. As Ontario approaches another election, these are words for voters to savour and candidates to take to heart. Ontarians have gone through two provincial elec­ tions since the gas-plant scandal erupted in 2011. Livingston's fate should remind politicians and bu­ reaucrats alike that the coverup of a political error can be worse than the error itself. ABOUT US ILLE •* metroland medie Beaver* The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. o °o°o metrolandmedia • * Connected to your community* The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca lnfcideHalton.com editor@oakvillebeaver.com E facebook.com/OakvilleBeav Q @OakvilleBeaver Funding supports public service officers P ilot will provide greater access to care in rural communities: Dam off Every day, public safety officers put their own safety at risk to protect their com­ munities and they deserve effective mental health sup­ ports so that they can con­ tinue to do their important work. Federal budget 2018 dem­ onstrates Canada's commit­ ment to supporting them by dedicating substantial new funding to address the inci­ dence of post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) and marks a significant step for- PA M D A M O FF Column ward in supporting research and treatment. Public safety officers, first responders and those who work alongside them are susceptible to a host of mental health issues as a re­ sult of their jobs. Estimates indicate that between 10 and 35 per cent of first responders, from para­ medics to prison guards, will develop PTSI, impacting their work, co-workers, fam­ ilies and the community. Public safety officers are more likely to suffer from depression and substance abuse and are more far more likely to die by suicide. In October 2016, I tabled the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security's first unanimous report in 10 years. It called for a national strategy on PTSI. Budget 2018 will provide $20 million over five years to support a new national re­ search consortium between the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Ca­ nadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treat­ ment. This new consortium will work to address the in­ cidence of PTSI among pub­ lic safety officers. The government also rec­ ognizes that access to men­ tal health supports can be particularly difficult to at­ tain in rural and remote ar­ eas, which is why there is an additional investment of $10 million to develop a web- based Cognitive Behaviou­ ral Therapy pilot as a means of providing greater access to care and treatment across Canada. It also commits $12.4 million over five years to the RCMP to support the mental-health needs of its officers. This is an issue that I am deeply committed and am very pleased to see our work on this file reflected in Bud­ get 2018. Our government recognizes the mental- health challenges facing public safety officers and is taking critical steps to sup­ port them. - Pam Damoff is the Mem­ ber o f Parliament fo r Oak­ ville-North Burlington. 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