The Column of NDP
In one of
his most offensive acts since voting himself a $40,000 pay hike Dalton
McGuinty shut down the
legislature three weeks early, so that they could avoid accountability,
and get out on the campaign trail to begin repairing the damage that has
been done by their complete and abject failure to keep their promises. The
two decisions paint an unfortunate picture of the Premier. When he wanted
a $40,000 pay raise he was willing to work overtime but when it was time
to stand up for working familes – he took an early vacation.
It’s no
surprise that the McGuinty Liberals are keen to avoid the daily barrage of
questions that the NDP has been firing at them in Question Period.
It’s no surprise that they are in a hurry to get out on the
barbecue circuit so they can begin announcing millions of dollars worth of
empty pre-election promises without any kind of accountability and
oversight. And it is no
surprise that they want to try to spend the summer repairing the damage
that has been done to them by successive by-election losses, by
Ontarians’ unwillingness to forget their broken promises and by the
scandals that have beset their government since before Christmas.
And they are
keen to get out into communities to try to convince Ontarians that they
are standing up for them. But
Ontarians aren’t so easily fooled.
They know that when it comes to standing up for the interests of
working families there is only one party that cares.
This is the
reason why the McGuinty Liberals were so desperate to close Queen’s Park
early. They know that when it
comes to comparing records in the last session, it’s been the NDP that
has been pushing the initiatives that really matter.
For example,
since the last election Dalton McGuinty has watched 175,000 good paying
manufacturing and resource sector jobs vanish, broke his promise to freeze
hydro rates causing massive job loss, and has refused to implement a job
protection strategy.
Howard
Hampton and Ontario’s NDP proposed legislation that would create a Job
Protection Plan including a Jobs Commissioner, that died on the order
paper thanks to the early closure of the legislature, an industrial hydro
rate to help struggling business and stood with workers demanding action.
On the
environment Dalton McGuinty pushed ahead with a $40 billion nuclear
scheme, exempted garbage incinerators from Ontario’s environmental laws
and refused to commit to Kyoto targets.
Howard
Hampton and Ontario’s NDP fought for a green energy future through
efficiency and conservation, protecting our communities from toxins with a
community right-to-know law and a real commitment to Kyoto.
On education
Dalton McGuinty takes over school boards that refuse to make cuts, turns a
blind eye to growing classroom fees and fundraising, and increases tuition
fees by 36 per cent.
Howard
Hampton and Ontario’s NDP fought for a new funding formula that will
ensure every school is an excellent school, a ban on fundraising for
essentials and a tuition freeze.
Finally,
Dalton McGuinty gave himself a $40,000 pay raise, shut down the
Legislature a month early, and launched a smear campaign when he was
caught giving slush-fund grants to his Liberal friends.
Howard
Hampton and Ontario’s NDP have stood up to raise the minimum wage,
create a clean energy future, and protect good union jobs.
That’s the
difference between Howard Hampton’s NDP and the McGuinty Liberals.
Howard Hampton and Ontario’s NDP put hard-working families first.
