For Immediate Release
February 10, 2005

Barrett asks: “Where’s the promised money to keep rural schools open?”

Simcoe – Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals are mistreating the people of rural Ontario in many ways, according to MPP Toby Barrett.

The Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP says that the Liberals have broken yet another campaign promise to rural Ontario by reneging on funding to small and rural schools.

“We are seeing in other parts of Ontario where doors are being closed because the promised funding just isn’t there,” Barrett said. “And we all know that school closures are on the table right here in Haldimand-Norfolk- Brant.”

During the 2003 election campaign McGuinty said that he would be the ‘Education Premier’, and that he promised $177 million to keep rural schools open.

“We all know that Gerard Kennedy was at Delhi District Secondary School before the election promising to keep its doors open,” Barrett said. “He may have fooled many people that day, but now parents, teachers and students are aware that they might have been victims of show-and-sham politics.”

On September 17, 2003, McGuinty also promised to introduce a new funding formula to “recognize the unique characteristics of small schools in a rural community”. The Liberals have failed to deliver on this promise as well.

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629