The Tories say they will vote against the minority Liberal government’s throne speech which opened the fall session of the Ontario legislature.
Opposition Leader Tim Hudak says the Liberals didn’t offer any new ideas to address Ontario’s weakening economic position.
Premier Dalton McGuinty and N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath both rejected Hudak’s call for a public sector wage freeze.
The Liberal government throne speech does promise a home renovation tax credit for seniors, and a 30 per cent tuition fee cut starting January 1st.
Bruce Grey Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker isn’t impressed by the document.
Although he likes the cut to tuition for college and university students, Walker says if the government had handled the portfolio properly — tuition levels would already be lower.
He plans to support the NDP private members bill to eliminate the HST from home heating bills, and will press the government to halt the closure of the Walkerton and Owen Sound jails.
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For Immediate Release
November 22, 2011
Throne speech short on jobs agenda: Walker
QUEENS PARK The Ontario governments speech from the throne was a rehashing of the Liberals election promises that will do little to help residents in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound deal with the looming jobs crisis.
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker said the government missed an opportunity today to speak to jobs crisis in rural Ontario, and to deliver immediate relief to family budgets by cutting the HST off home heating and hydro bills.
Today was an opportunity for them to show they understand the economic predicament were in, to support keeping the Owen Sound and Walkerton jails open, and to keep some 200 well-paying jobs with a combined payroll of $6 million in Grey and Bruce, Walker said. Instead, they chose to talk about paying more money for urban transit in Toronto, and forging ahead with the controversial Green Energy Act.
Walker said neither he nor his party will be supporting the speech.
The terms of our support we’re clear address the jobs crisis by reforming the apprenticeship system to create 200,000 skilled trades jobs and address our debt crisis by calling for a legislated, mandatory wage freeze for the public sector, Walker said. If they refuse to accept our amendments, we will vote against this throne speech.
