| DALTON MCGUINTY SPENDS BUT EASTERN ONTARIO TAXPAYERS SEE FEW RESULTS |
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| Thursday, 22 March 2007 19:00 |
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Dalton McGuinty's budget missed an opportunity to help Eastern Ontario OTTAWA, March 23, 2007 – Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory today said that despite increasing spending by over $4,500 per household, Dalton McGuinty’s 2007 Budget contained virtually nothing for an average taxpayer in Ottawa and throughout Eastern Ontario. “Average Ottawa taxpayers have been forgotten altogether,” said Tory during post-budget comments in Ottawa today. “This budget does not contain any relief from the McGuinty Liberals punishing ‘health’ tax. Dalton McGuinty refers to eliminating his broken promise tax as 'trinkets and baubles'. I'm sure most average Ottawa taxpayers would completely disagree.” Tory said in his comments today that despite a $22 billion increase in annual spending, which amounts to a staggering $750,000 for every hour Dalton McGuinty has been in office, the McGuinty Liberal government hasn’t been producing the results Ontarians deserve. “Ontario is limping along when we could be running,” said Tory. “Parents are really worried that their children and grandchildren will grow up in a province where they just don’t have it as good as what we have today. Yet for all of his spending, Dalton McGuinty has no answer. As the waste, and poor management add up, things risk getting even worse for the residents of Ottawa as well as the rest of Ontario.” In his comments Tory pointed to some of the things he would have done differently with the 2007 Budget. “My first priority would be to begin to eliminate the health tax that is causing so much hardship for Ontarians,” said Tory. “It’s a broken promise tax and the money does not even go to health care. After balancing the budget, Dalton McGuinty has no more excuses.” Tory also said he would have brought in a real plan to protect homeowners from skyrocketing property assessment increases, instead of just spreading sticker shock over four years as Dalton McGuinty has done. He pointed to the lack of an infrastructure plan, and the complete absence of any help for the over 120,000 people who have lost well-paid manufacturing jobs over the past two years. He continued by saying that Eastern Ontario has its own special economic challenges and this budget does nothing to address that despite a number of proposals by PC MPPs. Tory was joined at the event by MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton) who said that Ontario has been slipping on Dalton McGuinty’s watch and that only strong leadership will return the province to a leading role. “It takes strong leadership to make the big important decisions that will deliver results to the people of Ontario,” said Lisa MacLeod MPP for Nepean Carleton. Tory added: “Dalton McGuinty has failed to deliver - again. The government has a huge revenue windfall, plus the money in the Federal Budget. Dalton McGuinty should have no problem starting to eliminate the health tax, while achieving much better results in public services. This government is awash in cash but it’s the Ottawa taxpayers who are continuing to take a bath.” -30- For more information: Brendan Howe (416) 325-0412 |