For Immediate Release
October 13, 2005

 

Two years too long to wait for next provincial election

Broken promises, no new vision and incompetence in government mark the opening of the second session of the 38th Ontario Parliament

(Queen’s Park) – Yesterday’s Speech from the Throne once again demonstrated that the McGuinty Government continues to operate without a plan.  That, combined with Greg Sorbara’s late-night resignation should demonstrate to Ontarians just how little they can rely on the current government.

“A Throne Speech is supposed to lay out a legislative plan for the upcoming session,” said Sterling.  “I didn’t hear a plan.  I just heard recycled promises coming from a government that Ontarians can no longer trust.”

Sterling listed several promises in the McGuinty government’s first Throne Speech that have not been heard of since or were subsequently broken, including promises to: maintain personal income tax levels, control public sector wage settlements, implement “character education” in schools, cap class sizes in Grades JK-3, end public-private hospitals, and bring new electricity supply on line.

“Not surprisingly, today’s Throne Speech regurgitates many old promises on which nothing has been done for two years,” said Sterling. These promises include:

·         Outlaw dropping out of high school before age 18 (from their election platform)

·         Reduce wait times for procedures such as cancer surgery, cardiac procedures and hip/knee replacements (from their election platform)

·         Introduce water source protection legislation (from their election platform)

·         Ensure timely access to professions and trades for foreign-trained professionals and trades people (from their election platform – promise was to achieve this after one year in government)

·         Legislation to encourage energy conservation (promised in their November 2003 Throne Speech)

·         Hire 1,000 new police officers (from their election platform)

“Work with municipal leaders to establish” the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (downgraded from their election platform commitment to create the GTTA outright)

 “These warmed-over promises offer nothing to families struggling to make ends meet and get ahead,” said Sterling. “The average family is paying over $2,000 more in taxes, fees, electricity and other energy bills than they were two years ago. Their jobs are threatened by an uncertain economy in which employers are facing the same increases. Yet all Dalton McGuinty offers Ontarians is rehashed promises that have sat largely untouched on his desk for two years.”

“Once again we have heard that the McGuinty Government is going to hire 1,000 new police officers.  Unfortunately we’ve heard that many times but this government is half way through its mandate and we haven’t seen any yet,” said Sterling.  “Ottawa has said it needs 182 more police officers.  When will Ottawa get the money to put those officers on our streets?”

Sterling added “Dalton McGuinty likes to talk about restoring people’s faith in democracy. But nothing has done as much damage to democracy in Ontario as Dalton McGuinty’s cynical promise breaking and lowering of ethical standards for cabinet ministers. The only thing people can rely on is that Dalton McGuinty can’t be relied on.”

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For more information:

Norm Sterling, MPP

416-314-7900