McGuinty ignored PC proposals: Bailey

Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey said on Apr. 13 that Dalton McGuinty continues to deepen Ontario’s economic crisis by ignoring PC Party proposals to create new jobs and rein in government spending.

“We have been out front every day to promote positive ideas to reduce the size and cost of government and kick-start our economy to create jobs – and we’ll stay at it,” Bailey said.

Bailey noted specific Ontario PC Caucus’ efforts over this period, which included:

• A November face-to-face meeting between Tim Hudak and the Premier, laying out several Ontario PC proposals for jobs and our economy
• A week spent detailing the Ontario PC plan for a mandatory public sector wage freeze
• The roll-out of Hudak’s proposal to enable private sector and not-for-profit competition with public sector unions for the delivery of government services
• A week of briefings on fixing Ontario’s broken public sector salary arbitration system, which awards settlements without regard to taxpayers’ or municipalities’ ability to pay
• A week of speeches and media events on the need to treat energy policy as a cornerstone of economic growth
• Province-wide meetings with business people to make the case for lower business taxes
• A series of major daily newspaper op-eds on the Ontario PC Plan for reducing the size and cost of government and growing our economy, and
• A series of daily pre-budget statements by Tim Hudak and Ontario PC Caucus members on measures the budget should contain
• Local pre-budget consultations in Sarnia and Strathroy to hear the specific needs and ideas of residents in Sarnia and Lambton County

“Tim Hudak and the PC Caucus have made a series of strong, principled proposals that would create jobs for the 600,000 unemployed Ontarians and put our province on the path to recovery,” Bailey added. “For Dalton McGuinty to suggest otherwise is absurd.”

“Instead, he continues to ignore our proposals as he’s been doing for the past six months. His budget has put Ontario on the road to a $30 billion deficit while he engages in horse-trading in which only more taxes or higher spending – or both – are on the table.”

“It’s the wrong path for Ontario. No amount of tinkering will fix this budget.”

Tags: bob bailey, City of, dalton mcguinty, lambton county, Sarnia, Tim Hudak