(Niagara At Large is posting the following March 9 media release, prepared by the province’s New Democratic Party, for our readers’ information.)
Horwath lays out NDP’s budget priorities
Ontario needs a balanced approach to balancing the books
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath
Queen’s Park – NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the goal of the upcoming provincial budget must ensure the financial well-being of families who make our province work and laid out her priorities for the upcoming budget in an open letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty.
“The people of Ontario expect politicians to work together to make their lives better,” said Horwath. “We’re putting forward some concrete ideas that we hope to see reflected in the next budget and telling the Premier we expect him to put people first.”
“Ontario needs a balanced approach to balancing the books,” said Horwath. “Our province won’t succeed unless the people who make it work are financially secure. We need to make life affordable, improve our health services and adopt a smarter strategy that creates and protects good jobs.”
Horwath and Finance Critic Michael Prue have held province-wide consultation to hear ideas from leading economists in the private sector, organized labour, small business owners and families worried about making ends meet. Today, Horwath released the NDP’s priorities for the upcoming budget:
- An effective jobs strategy: replacing no-strings-attached corporate tax cuts with tax measures that reward companies when they hire and make job-creating investments in machinery, equipment and training; legislation to ensure natural resources aren’t shipped away if they can be processed in Ontario and create value-added jobs; ongoing investment in infrastructure.
- Ensuring government services are there when they need them: Enhance home care hours to eliminate waits, put a hard cap on executive compensation and put a moratorium on health restructuring until a full LHIN review has been conducted with a mandate to review the effectiveness of privatized health services such as the competitive bidding process in home care.
- Make life affordable: Take the HST off home heating and conduct a full-scale review of electricity sector, with a view to merging Ontario’s five hydro agencies and restoring public ownership and accountability.
Finally, Horwath called for, “a balanced approach to balancing the books”, one that looks at revenue generation as well as spending and one that balanced the priorities of families with the need to eliminate the deficit.
“I’m too optimistic to believe that Ontario’s on a path of permanent decline,” said Horwath. “We can balance Ontario’s budget but to do that we need to plan responsibly and well, and not make reckless cuts that leave families falling behind.”
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Niagara At Large 
It all looks great, but there is a large hole where there should be an NDP platform to support the poor and the working poor, all of whom are struggling to find and keep decent jobs, eat wholesome food, find affordable housing and, for those on the bottom end of the ladder, pay the rent and feed the kids on a lower social assistance rate than in 1992 ( in the midst of really tough times). And what about the single employables who must survive on less than $600 a month, with not enough food and rent money? They fall behind by at least $119 per month and have no money for dental care, transportation, phone and on and on!?
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