Ontarians will go to the polls June 12 to elect a new government after NDP leader Andrea Horwath said Friday she will not support the governing Liberals’ new goodies-filled budget.
“The Liberal budget is a mad dash to escape scandal by promising the moon and the stars,” said Horwath, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. “It is time for a government that stands up for middle class families. It is time for a government that respect’s people’s tax dollars. It is time for a government that makes sense.”
Premier Kathleen Wynne on Friday visited Lieut.-Gov. David Onley to ask him to dissolve the legislature in order to prepare for an election.
Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath poses for a photo at her legislature office in Toronto on Friday May 2, 2014. The stage has been set for a June election in Ontario after Horwath announced she has lost confidence in Premier Kathleen Wynne and the province’s minority Liberal government. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Horwath, who holds the balance of power with the minority government, said she no longer trusts the governing Liberals and that it’s time for a change.
“This government has no plan to get the basics right, like creating jobs, lowering hydro rates, and making life more affordable,” Horwath said.
Taras Natyshak, NDP MPP for Essex, said the Liberal government ‘s Thursday budget contains 70 new promises, 50 new spending commitments, and $3.4 billion in added costs over last year. He also notes the Liberals have endured scandals, like cancelling gas plants at the cost of about $1 billion and then keeping details of the plan secret from the public.
Natyshak therefore considers an election is necessary.
“For our area it means we will get to discuss the failure of the Liberal government to pay attention to the needs and issues of Ontarians across the province,” said Natyshak, who wants a greater emphasis on the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. “In our area, that means focusing on creating and sustaining jobs.
“We have had a massive exodus of good-paying jobs, mostly from the manufacturing sector.”
Teresa Piruzza, Liberal MPP for Windsor West, doesn’t understand what the NDP dislikes about a budget she says offers a lot investment and a balanced approached.
“I’m surprised,” Piruzza said about Horwath forcing the election. “We’ve heard a lot of support for this budget. But there are lot of elements of the budget that will now be put into question.”
Piruzza said she announced a $440,000 grant on Friday to help Omega Tool Corp. in Windsor to undertake a $4.4 million expansion that will create 10 news jobs. She said rejecting the Liberal budget put those types of investment at risk.
“Jobs and the economy were really the focus of the budget,” said Piruzza, noting that her government had a 10-year plan. “We’re quite clear in terms of what our priorities are. But quite frankly, I’m not sure what Andrea’s or the NDP’s priorities are.
“What are they not supporting in this budget.”
In a rare move, the usually union-friendly NDP panned a budget that organized labour, including Unifor, publicly supported.
“I thought the NDP was imprinted on part of this budget,” said Dino Chiodo, president of Unifor Local 444, who was surprised Horwath turned it down. “I thought that there were components that the NDP had input on.
“This budget is a step in the right direction.”
In particular, Chiodo liked the government’s transportation plan that would include high-speed rail, increased contributions to the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, and the Jobs and Prosperity Fund that could help encourage new investment in the auto sector.
Though labour leaders have supported the NDP in the past, Chiodo said he will not endorse an individual party in the provincial election. He believes the local incumbents – Natyshak in Essex and Percy Hatfield in Windsor-Tecumseh for the NDP, and Piruzza for in Windsor West for the Liberals — have represented the region well.
“I’m going to support individuals who support working-class people,” said Chiodo, who does not think Ontario needs an election at the moment. “It’s not about party colour.”
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