FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2006

BUDGET 2006: ONTARIANS STILL PAYING MORE, GETTING LESS
Ontario’s economy falling behind while Liberals make even more promises destined to be broken

QUEEN’S PARK—The McGuinty Liberals are indulging in another year-end spending spree that will not improve the lives of Ontarians, while their reckless economic policy endangers Ontarians’ jobs and futures, says Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant.

“Dalton McGuinty has not kept his promises in his platform, he has not kept his promises in his previous two budgets,” said Barrett. “Yet he expects people to believe that he is going to keep the 40-plus new promises in this Budget. After two-and-a-half years of promise-breaking, does anyone believe that Dalton McGuinty is going to be the first Liberal premier to actually complete a subway extension?”

Despite implementing the largest personal income tax increase in Ontario history, and despite $3 billion in unexpected extra revenue this year, the Liberal government has not delivered promised results for Ontarians – nor has it balanced its budget. Health care wait times are increasing; 150,000 college students are out of class while their instructors are out on the street picketing; gridlock is worsening, and an electricity crisis is looming, thanks to the Liberals’ ill-advised scheme to shut down one-quarter of Ontario’s power supply.

“In two-and-a-half years, the McGuinty Liberals have failed to lead on education,” said Barrett. “They’ve failed to lead on health. They’ve failed to lead on electricity. No one believes that they are going to lead – much less deliver – on transit or infrastructure in 18 months.”

Barrett notes that, while the Liberals are rushing to shove more than a billion dollars into a fund to spend on transit and roads at some unspecified future date, important sectors such as agriculture have been cut. There is no provision in the budget for continuing support to grain and oilseed farmers. The tourism ministry’s budget has been cut by nearly 40%. And the so-called “research and innovation” ministry – of which Dalton McGuinty is the minister – has been cut by 27%.

“But the underlying story to all of this, which people are already starting to feel in many communities, is that Ontario’s economic fundamentals are weakening,” said Barrett.  In the last year, Ontario has lost 80,000 jobs. Ontario’s GDP growth forecast has been revised downward by 18%. The expected growth in salaries and wages has been revised downward by 6%. The government’s forecast for job creation in 2006 has been revised downward – twice. It is now 85,000 jobs, as opposed to 118,000 as originally forecast in last year’s budget. And the government is anticipating adding 7,000 people to its welfare rolls.

“The Liberals try to paint a rosy picture of Ontario, but these weakening economic fundamentals show that – on the McGuinty Liberals’ watch – Ontario has quietly become a less attractive place for businesses to locate and invest, and a less secure place for families to plan their futures” said Barrett.

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For more information, please contact
MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446, (416) 325-8404, or 1-800-903-8629