The Resolution before RNAO
Nurses concerned about the negative health effects that can be–and are being–caused by the environmental noise produced by industrial wind turbines prepared and presented a Resolution to go before the membership of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) at the Annual General Meeting, in April 2012. The Resolution specifically asks for support for further research into the environmental noise and infrasound produced by large-scale wind turbines and further, that the RNAO support a moratorum on approvals of wind power projects, until the results of such health research studies are available.
And yes, since that time, both the Government of Ontario and Health Canada have announced research studies, and yes, many MPPs and MPs and others have recommended a moratorium until the results are released.)
The Resolution is below.
The RNAO pulled out all the stops and broke its own rules and bylaws including many accepted rules of Parliamentary procedures so block this Resolution. Included in the actions taken:
-the chair of the delegates’ information session improperly advised the delegates that the RNAO had a position paper on the issue of wind power
-a staff member improperly interjected himself into the delegates’ question time with the Resolution proponents and tried to take over the discussion period (members were heard to object)
-the proponents were told they were not allowed to distribute information on the Resolution to the delegates at the AGM, but others were allowed to do so
-the time period for presentation of the Resolution was limited, and the proponents were cut off at the microphone.
-the Chair of the meeting improperly made remarks about the Resolution
-the title of the Resolution as put to members in the documentation and the slide presentation was incorrect, and was labelled “the moratorium” which was not the focus
-the Chair improperly allowed a non-RNAO member to address the delegates and speak against the resolution
-discussion time was improperly limited
-the motion was defeated with several dozen abstaining
-the Chair improperly informed the proponents and the delegates that this Resolution could not properly be presented to the membership again for a period of two years; this is not correct according to the RNAO bylaws
The proponents were invited (at their expense) to travel to Toronto to discuss these allegations; when the proponents disclosed that they would be bringing legal counsel, the meeting was cancelled.