NDP unhappy that Green Manitoba agency being shut down by Tory government

Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox is defending the decision, citing efficiencies and savings of roughly $1 million (Photo: Manitoba Government)

WINNIPEG –The opposition NDP is lambasting the Manitoba government for shutting down an environmental agency that worked with organizations to protect the environment and keep waste out of landfills.

The province says Green Manitoba Eco Solutions, which was formed in 2006 by the NDP government of Gary Doer, will be folded into the Sustainable Development Department.

Environment critic Rob Altemeyer tells radio station CJOB the actions by the Conservative government could have a serious impact on environmental policy.

He says it will result in the loss of a lot of institutional knowledge from the people who have worked there, sometimes for decades.

But the government insists no jobs will be lost.

Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox is defending the decision, citing efficiencies and savings of roughly $1 million.

“We’ve talked to the producers, and they’ve told us that they want to eliminate that additional layer. That’s exactly what we plan to do. We plan to integrate and empower those producers to find better and more efficient ways of recycling.”