TORY AIMS TO STOP MCGUINTY LIBERAL WASTE
PC Party launches campaign to end McGuinty’s reckless spending of Ontario tax dollars
(Toronto, ON) – Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory and the PC Caucus today launched a public campaign to stop Dalton McGuinty’s reckless, wasteful spending of Ontario’s tax dollars.
“The McGuinty Liberals are wasting the hard-earned tax dollars of Ontarians,” said Tory. “Taxpayers in Ontario work hard, play by the rules and pay their taxes. They expect their tax dollars to be put to work for them and their families, not wasted on irresponsible spending.”
“Dalton McGuinty promised Ontarians that he would guarantee value for money and end wasteful spending of taxpayers’ dollars. This is yet another example of his ever growing list of broken promises,” said Tory. “Dalton McGuinty might as well be flushing money down the toilet.”
Tory and the PC Caucus launched a billboard in Toronto as part of their Waste Busters campaign to combat wasteful McGuinty Liberal spending to urge Ontarians to send in information and examples of government waste. As part of the campaign the Party has also launched www.wastebusters.ca, a confidential website where Ontarians can share those stories.
Some examples of reckless McGuinty Liberal spending identified so far include:
- $6 million to remove the "C" from OLGC: Dalton McGuinty spent $6 million to remove the "C" from Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) logo. The money went toward design, changing signage and a massive cross-province advertising campaign. The OLCG has no competition in the province of Ontario.
- $219,000 to redesign the Ontario Trillium logo: Dalton McGuinty spent $219,000 to redesign the Ontario Trillium logo. The quietly hired a Liberal friendly ad agency to change the symbol that had been part of Ontario for almost fifty years.
- $20 million to quietly give raises to appointees to government agencies and boards: Dalton McGuinty spent $20 million to quietly give raises to appointees to government agencies and boards. The McGuinty Liberals extended term limits for appointees from six years to ten. In addition to that, the Conservation Review Board Char received a 353 percent pay increase, the vice-chair received a 304 percent raise and members a 274 percent increase. Those are just a few of the recent pay increases among full and part-time appointees.
- $2 million for an inaccurate, partisan advertisement about health care: Dalton McGuinty spent $2 million for an inaccurate, partisan advertisement about health care. The ads claim wait times have decreased and “to find out how to reduce your wait time, call or visit our website.” PC Caucus staff investigated this claim by calling the number listed and had a much different experience.
- $91 million to fire nurses: Dalton McGuinty spent $91 million to fire nurses. Despite taking in $2.5 billion in new money from the McGuinty health tax his government has fired hundreds of nursing professionals.
- $90 million to close or consolidate community care access centres: Dalton McGuinty spent $90 million to close or consolidate community care access centers only to create another level of bureaucracy with the introduction of the McGuinty Liberal Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).
- $16 million for Dalton McGuinty's "I won't raise your taxes" Liberal ad agency: Dalton McGuinty gave $16 million to his "I won't raise your taxes" Liberal ad agency. Since the McGuinty Liberals took office the firm has had a massive increase in government contracts. They were also the creative genius behind the trillium rebranding.
- $2 million for LHIN office furniture and design: Dalton McGuinty spent $2 million for LHIN office furniture and design. After introducing another level of bureaucracy after getting rid of the Community Care Access Centers, the McGuinty Liberals spent millions to redesign those offices.
- $40 million (at least) on Caledonia: Dalton McGuinty has spent $40 million (at least) on the ongoing occupation in Caledonia. After ignoring the situation for months, Dalton McGuinty then started spending millions of taxpayer’s dollars to buy the occupied land, pay for policing and compensate residents for the occupation that has been going on for 261 days.
“As we gain this feedback from the Waste Busters campaign, we will share this information and do our part to ensure that the days of wasteful, misleading, McGuinty Liberal spending will soon come to an end,” said Tory.
“Ontarians work hard for their money,” said PC Party Government Waste critic Bob Runciman. “They have already been betrayed by broken promises and higher taxes. Now they get to sit and watch while Dalton McGuinty flushes millions upon millions of their hard-earned tax dollars down the toilet. It is time to put an end to this wasteful Liberal spending.”
