CHRISTINE ELLIOTT, M.P.P. Whitby-Ajax
For Immediate Release
March 23, 2007
Elliott: Dalton McGuinty spends and spends – everywhere but in Durham Region
Record spending in pre-election budget is no surprise to Whitby-Ajax MPP
(Queen’s Park) – Whitby-Ajax MPP Christine Elliott said that Durham Region residents won’t have to look closely at Dalton McGuinty’s “pay anything, say anything” budget to realize that once again, communities east of Toronto have been ignored.
“Only Dalton McGuinty can spend record levels of taxpayer money and still not address the fundamental challenges we face in Durham Region,” remarked Elliott outside the Legislature following the presentation of the budget. “We are suffering grave economic losses as a result of debilitating gridlock on the 401, Lakeridge Health is being directed to cut mental health programs for children, and incidents of crime are on the rise as a result of McGuinty’s narrow effort to curb guns and gangs in the city of Toronto only.”
“The fact of the matter is, the numbers just don’t add up,” Elliott continued. Dalton McGuinty has increased annual spending by over $22 billion since he came to office, which works out to a whopping $750,000 for every hour he has been Premier. The people of Durham Region work hard, play by the rules, and put just as much tax money in his pocket as everyone else in the province. Yet, he continues to ignore our concerns, and has even created a $339 million funding gap in health care. We deserve better than that.”
Elliott, also the PC Justice Critic, pointed to other aspects of the budget she found disappointing. She remarked that money to allay pressure on our starving legal aid system came only after the number of people turned away climbed to 42 per cent over two years. With respect to victims of crime, it took a scathing report from the Ombudsman who caught the government deliberately stalling case proceedings to see any action. She also expressed her dissatisfaction at the paltry attempt the government made to address the severe problems in Ontario’s traffic courts which cost municipalities millions of dollars each week from uncollected Provincial Offences Revenues.
“This government has done nothing but drag its feet with respect to appointing new Justices of the Peace to alleviate the congestion in our courts,” remarked Elliott. “Confidence in the justice system in Ontario is something that a government has to earn, and over three years into their mandate, Dalton McGuinty has done nothing but erode that trust.”
Elliott added: “Overall, this budget has been a disappointment. Given the billions of additional dollars this government has taken from the pockets of hard-working Ontarians, we should be seeing real results instead of pre-election politicking.”
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For more information contact:
Christine Elliott, M.P.P
Whitby-Ajax
(905) 430-1141
