CORNWALL – The Wynne Government outlined their intended policy direction for the upcoming session during the Speech from the Throne on Thursday.
“The Liberals are planning to continue to spend way beyond their means” – MPP Jim McDonell commented. “Increasing our debt puts frontline service funding at risk and will hurt families in every part of the province, including those having the hardest times – the young, the disabled, the poor and the seniors.”
Moody’s credit rating agency changed Ontario’s economic outlook from “stable” to “negative” on Wednesday and are threatening a credit downgrade, if the budget is passed as originally presented.
“With interest rates at a 20-year low, this can only lead to higher borrowing costs and further cuts to vital services” – MPP McDonell continued. “The Liberals will have to cut their spending, and their record on this matter is dismal. We have already seen silent cuts to healthcare services such as eye surgeries and blood sugar test strips, and new taxes and fees imposed on businesses and residents. This Throne Speech takes Ontario in the wrong direction”
“If guaranteeing frontline services is your priority, you have to focus on making sure they will be there 20 years from now” – MPP McDonell concluded. “The downgrade is a warning that cannot be ignored. The Ontario PC Caucus remains committed to getting Ontario’s finances in order and making the Province competitive and attractive to job-creators. These are essential steps to ensuring Ontarians can benefit from a dynamic job market and the high quality of public services they expect”.