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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 28, 2007 - 9 Conservative leader tells chamber budget bad for Ontario By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The McGuinty government's 2007 budget received a thumbs down last Monday from Ontario Conservative Party leader John Tory. Tory attacked the Liberal budget during a speech to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, accusing the government of reckless spending that ignores the needs of many Ontarians. Tory says the Liberals have been on a $22.4 billion spending binge since taking power in 2003 which has yielded few results for the province's people and shows no signs of stopping. "They're spending so much money and we're not seeing the value for that money. We're not seeing the real solid results that, I think, people have the right to expect," said Tory. "With all the money that Mr. McGuinty's budget has there's been no relief provided for average hardworking taxpayers. Nothing really for them at all and I think a lot of average taxpayers across the province would look at this budget and say, `There's really nothing here that's going to help my life.'" Tory says this neglect is made worse by the fact that the McGuinty government is wallowing in billions of unanticipated revenues. "With respect Mr. McGuinty, if you have provided for public services in your budget and you still have money left over, as you currently do, you should give at least some of it back to the taxpayer." To an audience of approximately 200 members of Oakville's business community Tory went on to list numerous examples of how improper spending of the past has led to the overall decline of Ontario. "In a forecast report released this past January, RBC reported that our economic growth in Ontario was dead last in Canada -- trailing the second last province-Prince Edward Island -- by over half a percentage point," he said. Tory pointed to the 30,000 people leaving Ontario for Alberta last year as evidence of Ontario's failing job market, also noting how 120,000 people have lost manufacturing jobs since 2005. "Including a good number here in Oakville, directly or indirectly impacted by the Ford layoffs," he said. Tory sees no relief from this trend in the new budget. "There's nothing there that's going to reverse Ontario's downward slide. We've been sliding backwards, we've been sort of drifting and we used to be on top," said Tory. "I think that because of Mr. McGuinty's inability or unwillingness to show strong leadership we just aren't seeing that turned around." Even parts of the budget that sound good, Tory says, can't be trusted as the McGuinty government has shown that it says one thing during elections and does another once in power. "They broke their promises on class sizes. They broke their promise on cleaner air," he said. "And now, they want us to believe that in an 11th hour conversion we can trust them. That despite the mounting evidence beds at great expense to the government but, even more importantly, at a poorer level of care for them compared to what they could get in long-term care or even home care. This causes the emergency rooms to get jammed up because you've got people lying on stretchers in the emergency room because they can't get a bed upstairs." After hearing so many bad things about the provincial budget the stage is set for an interesting Friday when the Oakville Chamber of Commerce hosts the budget's author, Finance Minister Greg Sorbara. This Spring Get Out of the Ordinary & Into... Ontario Conservative Party leader John Tory that Dalton McGuinty will say anything and pay anything to get elected that this budget is reliable public policy and we can take Mr. McGuinty at his word." Not all of Tory's speech was devoted to attacking the Liberals as he also spoke about what he believes the Conservative Party of Ontario could do if in power. This includes the elimination of the health tax during the first term of such a government, as well as investing into a long-term funded partnership on better transit, highways and roads. Clearing Ontario's crowded hospital emergency rooms is another priority Tory champions. "One of the first things one might do in order to relieve the emergency rooms would be to create more long-term care spaces," he said. "There is a drastic shortage of longterm care spaces across the province. That has led to people in acute care hospital 166 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST OAKVILLE CRÉTON 2007 Canada's up to or choose up to Choice $ in a Bonus Cash Rebate Get A Great New Vehicle At A Great Price... Then Choose One Of Three Bonus Offers: $ in Mopar Accessories* 1500 1000 $ in Free Gas** See Lockwood Chrysler for details. 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