News from the Office of Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown
(A Brief Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – Patrick Brown has only been leader of Ontario’s PC Party for a matter of months and it remains to be seen whether he will chart a different path than his predecessors Mike Harris and Tim Hudak when it comes to the province’s municipalities.
Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown
While Ontario premier from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, Harris did more cutting and gutting of public services than any other premier in the last 50 years, leaving a number of them downloaded on municipalities that had little choice but to raise property taxes and user fees to cover the cost.
Hudak, who had served in Harris’s cabinet, gave little reason to believe he would not continue with Harris’s slash and burn approach. In turn, Hudak lost his bid not once but twice to win the premier’s job, even though polls showed his party went in to the last two elections ahead.
So it does remain to be seen what message Patrick Brown has taken away from his predecessor’s failure to retread Harris’s worn out tires.)
Niagara Falls, August 17th, 2015 – Today, Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown delivered a speech to the 2015 Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) Annual Conference, outlining his plans to work with municipalities across Ontario to strengthen the province’s communities.
Brown’s speech focused on the need to provide municipalities with the tools they require to attract investment and build a better economic climate in Ontario. Brown laid out what he believes are the most pressing priorities that will better enable municipalities to succeed: affordable energy, reduced red tape, and good roads.
“Ontario’s cities continue to be shortchanged,” said PC Leader Patrick Brown. “Ontario was once the economic engine of Canada and it is now a have-not province.”
Brown also stressed the need to work in partnership to develop solutions to the challenges municipalities face. These include high energy prices, insufficient funding for mental health services, and cuts to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.
“The loss of jobs, skyrocketing hydro prices, and a lack of funding for infrastructure are province-wide,” said PC Leader Patrick Brown. “That’s why politicians and the government need to work together, to get things done. The only way to know what tools our municipalities need, is to listen to your concerns and ask the right questions so that collectively, we can make our cities and province thrive.”
Brown added, “Ontario must reduce red tape and have a transportation network that gets people to and from work, and products to the marketplace. We need to oppose job-killing pension schemes, and have affordable hydro rates. A strong partnership with our municipalities is crucial for the future of our communities.”
“Municipalities are the drivers of our economy and I want to give you the tools to succeed. I look forward to continuing the conversations that have been started here so that we can find sensible, pragmatic solutions to the issues facing our cities and Ontario,” Brown concluded.
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Niagara At Large 
Where were you Sir when Mike Harris’s Conservatives were screwing the Province and the people????
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Mike Harris sold off Ontario’s shares in the Sun Oil Company, so we no longer have a window on the oil business, the Harrisite’s sold Sun oil for a bargain price. sold off the newly built # 407 Highway for a giveaway price to a Spanish Consortium. The taxpayers got screwed on that deal as well. Davis Peterson of London, was literally in bed with the Conservative Party, his wife a member of the Matthews group. so the people will lose every time, the voters are far to lazy to find out the facts before they vote.
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I didn’t get past the “reduced red tape” bit before I stopped reading. I well recall under Mike Harris’ regime that our local MPP the late Frank Sheehan was the head of the Red Tape Commission, under Harris. This commission cut out the reporting from the labs in Walkerton back to the Ministry overseeing water safety. Yes, two local guys took the fall for the deaths and illnesses there, but it was the cutting out of the reporting (read: reduce red tape) what caused the debacle. I know, as a relative was the lead physician at this disgraceful time in Ontario’s history.
So, Mr. Brown, (for whom I understand on good authority, Rick Dykstra’s son Zach works) exactly where/what is it that you want to cut?
Hospital staff, mental health officials, libraries home care services? Can you be more precise, young sir.
Welcome back, Doug
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… and who is Patrick Brown again?
Strengthening municipalities is code for downloading more costs onto cities and towns, without compensation and giving them more discretion on many different costs, which will always leave those least able to fight back further disadvantaged.
To me, Brown just wants to further the agenda that Mike Harris started when he was Premier. I think Ontario had enough of that party and his ilk (other than rich people who always seem to be getting all the breaks and handouts these days).
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