Freeze, Fix, Reduce, Says Shurman
Queen’s Park: Ontario will emerge from its fiscal crisis stronger than before – but only if we turn off a Liberal-NDP path strewn with the rubble of even more spending and taxes, and constantly caving to union bosses, PC Finance Critic Peter Shurman said.
Shurman said it’s time for Ontarians to send a strong message to a government that’s out of ideas: Stop the overspending and focus on job creation.
“And now we’ve run out of money, which puts everything we value at risk,” Shurman said. “Dalton McGuinty created this mess – and now says he needs a majority to balance the budget. That would be like putting rabbits in charge of delivering lettuce. He doesn’t deserve a majority – he’ll go right back to his spendthrift ways, cheered on by the NDP.”
Ontario PCs are calling for a different path, with a comprehensive plan to reduce the size and cost of government and grow the economy for job creation, Shurman noted. “We call it Freeze, Fix, Reduce. It starts with mandatory wage freeze legislation for the entire public sector that we have on the shelf and ready to go. It goes beyond this government’s single, partial wage freeze for one group of employees – teachers – leaving 3,999 still to go. We are out of time.”
PC Education Critic Lisa MacLeod said there’s something phony about the Premier’s recent statements on public sector agreements: “He wants us to forget the huge raises he gave them over nine years, and believe what he is saying now. And he wants public sector workers to forget what he is saying now, and remember the raises he gave them over nine years. He’s signalling, ‘Hang tight – more to come!’”
For example, Shurman added, it’s simply not good enough to muse about “taking a look” at ending unsustainable public sector benefits that the private sector got rid of years ago – like being able to store up sick days and cash them in like poker chips on retirement. “Sick days are for being sick.”
This is why the Ontario PC Caucus will continue to fight hard for its Freeze, Fix, Reduce package, Shurman pledged. “We need to freeze public sector salaries across the board, as well as halt any scheduled spending increases.”
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