For immediate release:

June 10, 2004

Barrett cites work-week legislation as another broken promise

Queens Park – “We detect a continued trend here, a trend of not only broken election promises, we’re seeing a trend now, believe it or not, of broken post-election promises. I sincerely hope this legislation isn’t contributing to that trend.”

This is how Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett responded in the Legislature last night to government legislation that has been touted by the Liberals as ending the 60-hour work-week.

“I guess the fact remains, and has been pointed out, that people can still be working 60 hours a week - it’s still legal, in contrast to some of the conventional wisdom that is being attempted to be communicated or massaged by this government in support of this particular piece of legislation,” Barrett said. “No change in hours, and this in spite of a Liberal election promise to get rid of the 60-hour workweek.”

Barrett pointed out that the legislation creates more questions, and more red-tape than answers, for employers.

“As I understand it, this bill, Bill 63 doesn’t actually reduce the workweek - it certainly doesn’t reduce the paper burden on an employer,” said Barrett. “The question remains, what is or what will be the increased bureaucratic cost of implementing this particular scheme?”

-30-