Make Your Voice Heard

One of the most important things an MPP does is deliver the ideas and concerns of his or her constituents at Queen’s Park. As the provincial representative for Lanark-Carleton, I continue to raise my voice to protect your interests.

Each year the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee travels the province for pre-budget consultations. This year, the committee will be in Ottawa on February 3 and I plan to participate. I also want to hear from as many of you as possible so that I can share your comments with the province’s Finance Minister and Premier.

I have heard from many constituents in recent months who share a grave concern about the direction in which the McGuinty government is headed. To date, Mr. McGuinty has broken a series of promises he made during the fall election campaign, including a commitment to provide municipalities with two cents of the provincial gas tax; maintain the hydro rate cap; and lower auto insurance rates. Thankfully he also broke a promise to cancel a public-private project for the redevelopment of the Royal Ottawa Hospital.

Constituents are especially concerned with a series of ugly new proposals being floated by the government in recent months. These measures include taking away drug benefits from some seniors, bringing back OHIP premiums, and restoring the NDP’s revenue generating photo radar.

The Finance Minister himself has gone so far as to suggest that repealing a tax credit is not the same thing as a tax increase, even though the result is that more taxes are paid. Clearly, the government is seriously considering clawing back those tax credits that have helped create more than one million jobs in Ontario since 1995.

The idea of a new government changing the direction of the province is not a new one. In 1995, I was part of the Mike Harris government that promised the people of Ontario we would eliminate waste and revitalize our economy. We did just that.

Shortly after the 1995 election, welfare rates were reduced and ‘work-for-welfare’ was brought forward. Tax cuts for individuals were announced and corporate tax cuts gave a boost to small business, opening the door for one million new jobs and a competitive economy.

The McGuinty government must get down to work and lead. It cannot continue to treat deficits as just the cost of doing the taxpayers’ business. It cannot be allowed to abandon critical reforms which have been made to our health care and education systems. It cannot be allowed to dismantle the economic infrastructure of Ontario.

I urge you to send me your ideas for the budget so that I can share them with the Finance Minister and Premier. You can fax them to me at (613) 253-1175. You can e-mail your comments to me at norm_sterling@ontla.ola.org. You can mail your input to me at Norm Sterling, MPP, 130 Lansdowne Ave., Carleton Place, Ontario, K7C 2T7.

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