Mississauga-Streetsville MPP Bob Delaney waded into the local water fluoridation debate last week when he introduced a Queen’s Park motion that revealed wide political support for making the longtime drinking water treatment mandatory in all Ontario communities.

Delaney moved a private member’s notice of motion requesting support for the position that all Ontario communities have access to fluoridated drinking water.

Furthermore, he sought support for repealing the Fluoridation Act.

The  “outdated” act would be replaced with Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act provisions and Ontario Municipal Act amendments that compel municipalities to fluoridate municipal drinking water.

His motion received unanimous support from MPPs in the legislature Oct. 6.

Delaney explained acceptance of the motion doesn’t put into force any new legislation.

However, he noted, it does signal to the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care that the legislative changes it is currently working on will have the full support of the legislature when brought forward.

“What it carries is an expression of the will of the legislature and says to the Ministry of Health if you choose to introduce such measures, don’t expect any problem getting them passed,” Delaney said.

He hopes political support for the motion also sends a clear message to Peel Region.

The municipality is currently conducting a review of water fluoridation to develop a recommendation on whether the longstanding practice should continue.

“My residents do not want to lose fluoridation,” Delaney insisted.

After much debate, in 2011 Peel Region council unanimously voted to continue fluoridating local drinking water.

A number of health officials, including Ontario’s former chief medical officer of health, said research and evidence provide scientific proof water fluoridation has great public health value.

A persistent anti-fluoride lobby got the political debate reopened in Peel earlier this year.

“Nine per cent of Ontario, which is Peel Region, is at risk of being put in harms way if Peel council listens to junk science instead of real science,” Delaney remarked.

Last week, Peel Region’s Community Water Fluoridation Committee heard from New Delhi researcher and professor Dr. A.K. Susheela

The internationally recognized anti-fluoridation expert called fluoride “a deadly poison” that does more harm than good in municipal drinking water.

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