One Of Canada’s Most Iconic Mayors – Hazel McCallion – Endorses Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

News from the Campaign Office of Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne

A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – Hardcore Tim Hudak/Mike Harris Tories across Ontario may not welcome this, but Ontario’s longest-serving mayor and a respected municipal leader across Canada – 93-year-old Hazel McCallion, who is serving her last term as Mississauga’s mayor after 35 years in that office – today, this May 14^th, welcomed Ontario Liberal Premier to her city and endorsed her campaign to win a majority Liberal government in this spring’s provincial election.

Legendary Mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion, endorses Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“I supported her (Kathleen Wynne) as leader of the Liberal Party and I still support her as leader of the province, McCallion was quoted by major Ontario media orgaizations saying this May 14^th as Wynne stood near her side.

“The last thing the province needs is a minority government. … A minority government leaves municipalities hanging out there, not knowing what legislation will get through the House,” said McCallino as she went on to slam Ontario Tory Leader Tim Hudak’s promise to gut public service jobs and services.”

“Yes we can look at the staffing and decide reductions, but you better look at the services as well,” said McCallion. “The people of Ontario have become accustomed to a quality of life that I think is sacred to them.”

Now Here is the News Release from Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s office on her visit with Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion this May 14^th.

SUPPORTING ONTARIO COMMUNITIES – Hudak PCs Would Slash Municipal Jobs 

Premier Kathleen Wynne met with Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion today to talk about how the future success of Mississauga, and all of Ontario’s municipalities, will be shaped by the outcome of Ontario’s June 12 election.

Liberals recognize that strong municipalities make Ontario a great place to live, work and raise a family.  From our schools to our roads and firefighting services, they are the partners that deliver and oversee many of the services that impact the daily lives of Ontario families. 

To continue progress on our fragile economic recovery and ensure communities continue to get the support they need, Premier Kathleen Wynne has pledged to re-introduce the Liberal Budget  if re-elected on June 12.  The 2014 Budget supports municipalities by

• Creating the ten-year Moving Ontario Forward fund that dedicates $29 billion towards Premier Wynne’s achievable plan to build roads, bridges and transit infrastructure.
• Continuing to upload social assistance programs, including the Ontario Works program and court services so that by 2018, these programs would be fully funded by the province.
• Creating a new, $100 million per year permanent municipal roads and bridges fund that would continue support for the most critical projects in communities with challenging fiscal circumstances.
• Supporting  municipal infrastructure through Infrastructure Ontario’s Loan Program, which has provided over 650 loans to support approximately 1,700 municipal projects worth a total of $8.6 billion.

The Hudak PC approach would destabilize communities by slashing funding to municipalities which would lead to job cuts for social workers, public health employees, firefighters and police, eroding public safety.

This is not the first time Tim Hudak has taken a destructive approach to Ontario’s municipalities. Under the Hudak-Harris PCs, responsibility and costs for many public services, including social assistance, were downloaded to towns, cities and regions. This $3 billion download created significant financial challenges for municipalities, leading to higher property taxes for businesses and families and cutbacks on municipal services such as road and bridge repairs. 

The decision by Andrea Horwath’s NDP not to support the Budget has put this continued funding for communities – and our economic recovery – at risk.

QUOTE

“I’ve been Premier for just over a year and in that time have demonstrated an unshakeable commitment to supporting and working in partnership with municipalities. Now, Tim Hudak has signalled that he wants to roll back the clock to a time when government believed its top priority was to pick fights and avoid its responsibility to help people and communities succeed. We can’t go back to those days. Not now, not ever.” 

– Premier Kathleen Wynne 

QUICK FACTS

• The Liberal government has restored funding to Ontario’s 444 municipalities for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program and the Ontario Disability Support Program, previously cut by the Hudak-Harris PCs
• The Province also supports municipal infrastructure through Infrastructure Ontario’s Loan Program, which has provided over 650 loans to support approximately 1,700 municipal projects with a total value of $8.6 billion.

 Niagara At Large invites you to check out a related CBC report on this by clicking on http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-votes-2014/mississauga-mayor-hazel-mccallion-endorses-kathleen-wynne-1.2642660 .

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