FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 29th 2018

(PERTH) MPP Randy Hillier (Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington) came out strong against Premier Kathleen Wynne’s budget, announced in the Legislature Wednesday.

“This is contemptible,” said Hillier. “We are mortgaging our children and grandchildren’s futures to pay for her re-election. This Premier is putting us further in debt, paying to fix problems she and her predecessor created.”

“Only this government could come up with a plan to have today’s children pay for their own daycare when they become adults- and with interest,” Hillier continued. “Servicing the debt is the third largest expenditure under this government, after health care and education. To compound that, with interest, and ask future generations of workers to foot the bill, is unconscionable.”

“There are admirable proposals,  but tax deductions for families bearing those costs would provide a greater benefit today than amortizing those same children’s futures...plus there’s no guarantee we will ever see them happen; they’ve been promising this daycare program since 2003, and we’ve yet to see it happen.

Most of the budget promises won’t be implemented before 2020, if ever at all, but the deficit and accumulated debt would begin immediately. “Kathleen Wynne has made all of these promises in the past, and then called them ‘stretch goals’ when she failed to deliver,” Hillier recalled.

Ontario’s accumulated debt from 1867 to 2003 (136 years) was $132 billion. Since 2003, in just 15 short years, the Liberals have more than doubled that debt to $312 billion. Wednesday’s budget will drive it past $325 billion.

“We cannot continue on this path,” adds Hillier. “We need to do a better job, and it is clear that is not going to happen under the current administration; it is time for a new plan that respects those paying the bills, and helps those who need help the most.”

“This government has had 15 years to get it right; what we saw yesterday was an admission of guilt, like a promise they wouldn’t hurt us anymore. I am not buying it, and nor should the people of Ontario,” Hillier concluded.

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Contact:

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