<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:tahoma, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; font-size: 18px; "><strong>Source: Environmental Defence</strong></span></div><div style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 18px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; font-size: 18px; "><strong><br></strong></span></div><div style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 18px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; font-size: 18px;
"><strong>Anti-SLAPP bill introduced hours before legislature dissolved</strong></span><br style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; "> </span><br style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; ">On Monday October 7</span><sup style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; ">th</sup><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; ">, MPP (Ottawa Centre) Yasir
Naqvi introduced a private members bill calling for an end to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Ontario. SLAPPs are lawsuits that are intended to silence people who are speaking out on an issue of public interest. Unfortunately, just hours after it was introduced, Premier Dalton McGuinty came out with his big news of resigning and proroguing the legislature, which means an anti-SLAPP law is off the table for a second time. Talk about rotten timing. We hope that the third time will be the charm when the legislature reconvenes.</span></div><div style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 18px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; "><br></span></div><div style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva,
sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; ">We continue to highlight Lake Simcoe’s Big Bay Point (now Friday Harbour) more than <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://environmentaldefence.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2117f6f873721e20b14d2f4ff&id=47b541b026&e=a798b09382" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153); outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">$150 million SLAPP legacy</a> as the most egregious use of SLAPPs in Ontario history. People who protect their environment should not live in fear of large lawsuits against them.<br></span></div><div style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 18px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-family: verdana,
geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; "><br></span></div><div style="text-align: left;color: rgb(80, 80, 80); font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br></span></div></div></body></html>