(QUEEN’S PARK) Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, expressed significant concern today that the Drummond Commission’s findings failed to identify a path to future prosperity in Ontario. While Drummond’s report made 362 recommendations to find efficiencies and savings within the Ontario bureaucracy, not one will restore Ontario back as Canada’s economic engine nor shed our ‘have not’ status.

“There are almost 600,000 unemployed people in this province and yet not one recommendation Don Drummond made will put people back to work in this province,” said Hillier. “Drummond refused to acknowledge the giant elephant in this province, the size and cost of government; instead he made recommendations based on the twisted fantasy that for the first time in history, government bureaucracy will and can become efficient.”

Hillier agrees there is significant cause for concern given Ontario’s current financial debacle. Based on the projections in the Drummond Commission report, if Ontario maintains the status quo the debt will rise to over $400 billion by 2017/18. Hillier noted though that even if every one of the recommendations is adopted the provincial debt will still hit $300 billion within that same timeframe.

“We needn’t be patting Don Drummond on the back for his recommendations to achieve a balanced budget over the next six years. Even with his advice our debt will grow by another 40 percent and taxpayers are all but guaranteed to see endless new user fees” said Hillier. “He was given a mandate to propose recommendations that would ensure that once the budget was balanced, Ontario’s fiscal environment would be sustainable, and I don’t see that in his report.”

“Long term economic stability can not be realized by simply finding efficiencies in an inherently inefficient bureaucracy,” said Hillier. “We must identify and eliminate altogether the parts of government that impede economic growth, that prevent businesses from investing in Ontario and prevent individuals from getting a well-paying private sector job.”

“Dalton and Don are telling us that Ontario will remain an economic basket case,” concluded Hillier.

Contact: Chris Chapin | Office of Randy Hillier | 416-325-2244 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it