QUEEN’S PARK – In a cliffhanger 36-35 vote, the Legislative Assembly today passed the Ontario PC wage freeze bill in Second Reading.

MPP Jim McDonell commented: “This is a powerful sign. Our Province requires urgent and decisive action to stop the slide into a deeper debt hole. A united Ontario PC Caucus stood up today to uphold our values of fiscal responsibility and bold leadership. It is time the other parties came to the realization that the time for tinkering at the edges of failed policies, including unsustainable public sector growth, is over.”

The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly, where it will be examined in due course. This is the first in a series of Ontario PC Bills designed to implement important reforms outlined in the White Papers.

MPP McDonell stated: “This was a Bill the Liberals were determined to defeat, and they couldn’t muster enough votes to mount an opposition. If this Government can’t count their caucus members, how can we trust them with the Province’s finances? We will continue to bring forward important legislation to put Ontario back on the path to prosperity. Our Province has immense potential, and we are determined to return it to its rightful status as the economic engine of Canada.”