Now this is where Hudak can actually use these job cuts to turn the tables on the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals. Hudak has stated, and most Ontario voters realize, there has to be cuts. There has to be spending cuts. Just a half a percent increase and we can add roughly another billion a year just to interest costs. Hudak knows why he has to eliminate jobs. Kathleen Wynne therefore needs to explain why these jobs were created. Thousands of jobs were added to the Ontario public sector since 2008 under McGuinty/Wynne. Remember 2008? That's when the effects of the global economic downturn hit. The Ontario coffers were hit with a massive decrease in revenues, while at the same time spending billions in stimulus.
And that's where the next line of attack is. McGuinty/Wynne's reaction to the economic downturn was to implement the policies of Ontario's second worst ever premier Bob Rae (McGuinty being #1). Increased spending, increased government hiring, lucrative contracts for public sector unions, most notably teachers. At the same time McGuinty/Wynne spent billions more on failed green energy. McGuinty/Wynne blew billions on scandals that were a direct result of Liberal incompetence. ORNGE, E-Health and the Gas Plant scandals add up to $3 billion by themselves in lost taxpayer money. At the same time the people of Ontario, suffering the financial effects of the recession, were rewarded with sky-rocketing electricity bills, HST added to home heating, electricity and gas.
McGuinty/Wynne have learned nothing. They have repeated the failed policies of Bob Rae in the early 90's with even worse results They continue to drive business away with energy and taxation that makes other jurisdictions far more appealing for new investments and jobs. And she does it all to the Ontario voters, with a smirk on her face.
9 comments:
When a politician says $3 billion wasted that really means nothing to most people as they have no idea how big $1B is. Make it personal.
There are about 13 million people in Ontario which means there are about 6 million tax payers. $3B divided by 6 million is $500 per taxpayer.
Develop advertisements which get people thinking $500 per taxpayer. If voters do a little counting as they go through their daily lives they will be begin to realize that's a pile of money: 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, ..... it adds up in a hurry. It's a number voters can relate to.
That's real taxpayer money that has been thrown away courtesy Wynne/McGuinty.
Great comment Lorne. Each electricity user paid $220 each last year for the U.S., Quebec and Manitoba to take our excess capacity. When someone can think to themselves that $220 came out of their own wallet it makes more of an impact.
I am heartened by the latest Ipsos-Reid poll analyzed at 308.com by Eric Grenier. According to this result Ontarians over 55 the group most likely to bother voting, have a huge preference for PCs 51% to 24% for Libs and 23% NDP. This is only 1 survey, but it does suggest Tim Hudak moving towards majority territory. What this implies is that now is not the time for sitting on your hands if you support conservative, or even sensible government.
Look for Wynne to become ever more hysterical in her attacks if this trend continues. Already we see Liberals forced to respond to actual proposals put forward by Hudak rather than lame attacks on Stephen Harper and Rob Ford. Liberals and their media friends are also desperately seeking a "foreign worker" moment, something to demonize Hudak with. If he continues to campaign as well as this, they will be left with nothing to hang on him.
Oops. Made a mistake in last comment. I mentioned that the two week advertising blackout has greatly benefitted Hudak and the PCs as they were able to get their message out.
Turns out the reason was because the Lt.Gov placed a two week blackout so that the governing party did not benefit unduly.
I thought it was because Ontario elections are now only supposed to be four weeks in length.
Whatever the reason, it has been good.
That's right Sandy. It prevents the govererning party from having an unfair advantage by already having campaign ads, candidates, transportation among other things ready to go.
It's been reported that the Liberals already had their campaign buses ready to go before Horwath announced she wouldn't support the budget. It's also worth noting the Liberals had that room booked in advance of the day Wynne went to the GG and asked for an election.
The look on Horwath's face everyday makes me believe Wynne stabbed her in the back.
I don't doubt that Horwath was caught off guard, she probably intended to do her coy consultations with the people act one more time.
One reason Wynne did pull the plug may have been to end the gas plant hearings; they had a long list of witnesses ready.
As for the campaign, I think 6 weeks is much too long, most of the issues have been talked about for months now.
Agreed Martin. The IT tech who deleted the emails and his girlfriend were to testify next week to commitee. I read somewhere that she refused to talk to police unless she was granted amnesty against any criminal carges being laid against her.
I think that in itself tells you something pretty serious happened here.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Bring the wasted $$$ down to a level people can understand.
$500 per taxpayer.
Then offer an alternative.
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