The Bill will amend the Pesticides Act by allowing individuals to hire a licenced operator to apply pesticides to their lawns and gardens to kill noxious weeds and pests.

“There are serious flaws with the Liberal ban on pesticide use,” said Chudleigh. “Instead of ensuring pesticides are properly applied, the ban risks creating an unmonitored black market which is a greater threat to our environment and health because of the unprofessional and improper application of pesticides.”

“The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada undertakes rigorous testing before approving a pesticide for use in Canada,” explained Chudleigh. “The system I am proposing accepts the science behind these tests and uses the existing licencing framework under the Pesticides Act to ensure that pesticides are applied properly and are not a threat to our health or environment.”

While banning the use of pesticides for non-essential purposes, the Pesticides Act exempts golf courses, the agriculture industry and the forestry industry from the ban. The existing exemptions will not be affected by Chudleigh’s Bill.

“The Liberals started with a sound bite and tried to build a policy around it,” said Chudleigh. “A pesticide ban may sound nice and deliver a good photo-op but dictating can have the opposite and more harmful effect than one intends. I’m afraid that this is the case with the Liberal pesticide ban. My Bill takes the more responsible and safer approach to pesticides approved by Health Canada.”

“Those who choose not to use pesticides are free to make that choice. However, those who wish to use pesticides, perhaps for hay fever or other allergies, will now be able to do so in a safe and responsible manner that does not negatively affect our environment or health,” added Chudleigh.

“The Ontario Liberal candidate of record in Halton has been spreading the tale that hospital funding already promised by the Liberal government and described as a done deal by Health Minister Deb Matthews last August, will only go ahead if the current provincial budget is passed next week,” said Chudleigh. “The proposed budget does not make any mention of funding to the Milton hospital project as those funds are already allocated through Treasury Board as infrastructure project funds.”

“I would like my constituents to be aware that the tactics being employed appear to be part of a larger Liberal scheme to mislead residents in ridings where the MPP is not a Liberal,” said Chudleigh, who explained that much the same tactics were being used in Burlington regarding promised funding for the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital expansion project.

“On one hand the Ontario Liberals are saying they don’t want an election, but their candidates of record are engaged in robocalls and electioneering in ridings close to Halton, with messages that lead people to believe that funding promised prior to the 2011 Ontario election is dependent on the passing of the 2012 Ontario Budget,” explained Chudleigh. “I am aware that these tactics are being employed by local Liberals for what I can only assume is their own benefit whenever the next provincial election occurs.”

“The money to expand Milton District Hospital has been allocated; this was made clear in August by the Minister of Health, and is not up for debate. I will not be bullied by an aggressive and dirty campaign of misleading information and lies and I will not tolerate my constituents being misled by a former Liberal candidate, or anyone else,” said Chudleigh. “Milton District Hospital was not included in the Ontario budget documents. If any delay or cancellation of these projects occurs it is the decision of the Liberals to renege the funding they allocated last year.”

“I would like to be very clear, the Minister of Health said the funding for Milton District Hospital was allocated in 2011. If this is not the case I would ask her to return to Halton and explain why she mislead everyone,” said Chudleigh.

“Ms. Matthews is visiting Milton Hospital and JBMH in Burlington today. She has sent messages through social media that mirror and support this campaign of misinformation,” said Chudleigh. “I believe the press should ask Ms. Matthews if she was lying in August when she promised the funding to local hospitals or if she is lying now in her social media messages that suggest the pending Ontario budget must be passed in order for local hospital projects to be sure of their promised funding?”

Local Liberals have also claimed in their petition that by voting against the budget Chudleigh is voting in favour of an election.

“How I vote on the budget has nothing to do with an election. This budget contains no jobs plan or growth strategy for the economy. In fact it threatens thousands of jobs in North Halton. Nor does it address the structural inefficiencies of a bloated government,” explained Chudleigh. “We’re spending $10 billion annually just to service interest on the provincial debt. Every hour this government is spending $1.8 million more that it takes in. I again encourage local Liberals to rise above their current level of behaviour. If you wish to address concerns with residents of Milton use facts not scare tactics.”

Hitting the debt wall is no accident

We are way past the time where we require a measured approach to public services and financial responsibility.
The recent Ontario budget should have provided the framework for that discussion but Liberal wishes have trumped Conservative responsibility again. Huge annual deficits and a giant public debt mean that eventually Ontario will have to pay the piper. The longer we wait the harder we will hit the debt wall.

Essentially the Liberal government has chosen to stop accelerating towards a financial collapse rather than slow our speed towards the inevitable, or change our financial course to avoid it altogether.

I could trot out the numbers and express my shock at their size and fear that the government has all but ignored our future welfare in favour of continuing to happily drive us to the edge of the abyss.

I could point out that PC leader Tim Hudak said that he would support a provincial budget that fully implemented recommendations in the Drummond Report or replaced anything that was ruled out with cutbacks of equal value. The Drummond Report was commissioned by the government to provide a course of action to get our public finances back into balance.

When the government backed away from many of Mr. Drummond’s recommendations, Mr. Hudak had little choice but to come out immediately against the proposed budget. He and I do not seek an election – we want a responsible government.

Quite frankly, given their abysmal history of annual borrowing from future taxpayers and spending money they do not have the governing Liberals are incapable of the fiscal discipline necessary to get us back into a responsible balanced fiscal position. All that borrowing has a cost. Right now we are spending billions each year on interest on our debt, billions that could be going into deficit reduction, job creation, infrastructure or health and education programs that Ontarians value highly.

Liberal actions have slowed the increase in speed at which we will hit the wall, but they haven’t slowed our progress toward it. And of course you don’t hit the wall gradually; you hit it all at once. It gets closer and closer for years until all of a sudden smashing into it is inevitable and the fallout unavoidable.

No matter how tough austerity is today, hitting the wall is far worse. And we are soon going to be out of opportunities to avoid the wall.

Our current government ignores the link between debt and slow economic growth. Businesses know that governments with high debt loads cannot afford to lower taxes or to fund infrastructure – two basic attractions for investment and job creation. Having the government disregard these problems is a warning flare to job creators and credit agencies that Ontario is not an attractive place to do business or inve st.

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“I am always amazed but never shocked when the Liberals try to re-write history. It is therefore with little surprise but with a great deal of disappointment that I am forced to set the record straight on issues surrounding the funding of the Milton Hospital expansion project,” said Chudleigh. “The recent behaviour of both Ms. Naidoo-Harris and Oakville MPP Flynn, require a response.”

 “The facts of history speak for themselves. The need to expand Milton hospital was recognized over a decade ago when, in 2001, the Progressive Conservative government approved the expansion of Milton hospital to ensure that the health care needs of Milton residents would be met. To the dismay of many, shortly after forming the Ontario Government in 2003 the Liberals canceled the hospital’s expansion,” Chudleigh explained.

 “For eight years, as Milton’s population exploded, I worked with the residents of Milton to try to explain to the government why the expansion should be re-approved but continually our pleas were ignored,” Chudleigh said. “Today, with a population close of to 90,000 people, we live in a community with an undersized hospital capable of serving a population one third of the town’s current size.”

 In August 2011 Mr. Chudleigh stood alongside hundreds of Milton residents delighted as the Minister of Health and Long Term Care finally announced that the hospital expansion would move forward. Minister Matthews promised, “I want to be very clear this money has been allocated. It is in our fiscal plan. It has gone through our treasury board. All of the ‘I’s are dotted and ‘T’s are crossed.”

 “Of course I was skeptical about the timing of this announcement,” said Chudleigh. “We had been ignored for eight years and this sudden change of heart came on the eve of an election.  Nevertheless, with a watchful but delighted heart I shook the Minister’s hand and thanked her for finally hearing Milton’s voice.”

 “Unfortunately, mid-way through the election yellow signs were placed on top of Ms. Naidoo-Harris’ election signs insinuating that it was because of her that the hospital’s expansion plan had been approved,” said Chudleigh. “This political gamesmanship was an insult to many who had worked so hard and had the clear political intent to win votes for Ms. Naidoo-Harris.”

 “More recently, I have been made aware of a new message being circulated by both Ms. Naidoo-Harris and MPP Kevin Flynn which again politicizes the expansion of Milton District Hospital,” said Chudleigh. “Both Ms. Naidoo-Harris and Mr. Flynn argue that the hospital expansion now rests on the 2012 Ontario Budget being passed in the Ontario Legislature, despite the fact that the Minister promised that the money for the hospital’s expansion had been allocated in 2011 and the hospital project was a ‘done deal’. With the risk of another provincial election looming the intent of Ms. Naidoo-Harris and Mr. Flynn is clear but the mixed message is not.”

“It is as a result of these ongoing circumstances that I finally feel forced to address the politicization of the hospital expansion and to say, with the strongest condemnation, that I disagree with this ongoing behavior,” said Chudleigh. “Politicizing the expansion of Milton hospital is below my standards and should be below the standards of both Ms. Naidoo-Harris and MPP Flynn.”

 “I would also like to clarify for the people of Milton that I have, and will continue to, support the expansion of Milton District Hospital,” said Chudleigh. “The money for the hospital was promised to you by the Minister of Health and Long Term care last year and I will ensure with all the power I have as your MPP that that promise is kept.”

 Chudleigh added, “I would also like to assure all of you that I will not participate in this political game.  I will continue to stand by you to ensure the hospital expansion is completed by 2017 but I will not play politics with your hospital.”

 “To Ms. Naidoo-Harris and MPP Kevin Flynn, I disagree with your tact and I wholeheartedly believe that your behavior necessitates an apology to the people of Milton,” said Chudleigh. “The people worked tirelessly for close to a decade and were promised an expanded hospital; I hope that your Government’s word can be relied upon. I ask that you rise above the behavior you have demonstrated as of late and work to support our hospital’s expansion not to politicize it and to destroy it.”

(Milton) – With the tabling of the 2012 Ontario Budget less than a week away, and the Minister of Finance promising massive infrastructure cuts, Halton MPP Ted Chudleigh today urged the people of Milton to keep their voices strong to ensure the expansion of the Milton District Hospital is completed on time.

“All of us were thrilled when the Minister finally promised the hospital would be expanded by 2016. But we can’t kid ourselves. With the Liberals’ spending problem hitting us hard, the long list of broken Liberal promises and with talk of hospital projects being axed in the upcoming budget we need to keep our voices strong,” said Chudleigh.

“Was this just another Liberal lie to get elected?” asked Chudleigh

The PC Government began the project to expand the Milton hospital in 2001. In 2003, soon after they were elected, the McGuinty Liberals cancelled the expansion.

Subsequently, for close to a decade, the people of Milton worked diligently to explain to the Liberals the necessity of expanding the hospital. A booming population and undersized hospital were not acceptable and had begun to put the heath of their families at risk.

On August 25, 2011 the Liberal Minister of Health and Long Term Care finally heard the Town’s plea and promised the province would fund the hospital’s expansion, “I want to be very clear this money has been allocated. It is in our fiscal plan. It has gone through our treasury board. All of the Is are dotted and Ts are crossed,” she said.

“Was Milton lied to?” asked Chudleigh “I guess only time will tell.”

Indeed, noting that the announcement to expand Milton District Hospital occurred just before the provincial election, Chudleigh questioned if the McGuinty Liberals ever intended to keep their promise to expand the hospital by 2016.

“The Minister stood in the Milton hospital, with tears in her eyes, and promised the hospital would be expanded by 2016,” said Chudleigh. “If this was an election ploy it is unforgivable.”

The McGuinty government announced it would be increasing car license plate renewals to $98 over the next three years. That equates to a 33 per cent increase over the $74 currently charged in Southern Ontario. The rate will rise to $82 on September 1, 2012 followed by subsequent increases until 2015 when the price will reach $98.

Fees for driver’s licenses, driver exam fees, trailer permits, commercial and farm plates will all also increase.

Chudleigh said the fee hikes discriminate against rural people because municipal transportation is usually not an option.

“McGuinty is trying to solve his spending problem by jacking up license fees,” said Chudleigh. “It’s not fair to area residents who need a vehicle to get a job, get groceries or drop their kids off at school.”

Chudleigh further questioned the size of the increase, pointing out that most residents in the riding are seeing only small wage increases or are experiencing wage freezes – with the exception of select unionized public sector workers.

“This is another hit on the pocketbook of Halton residents already struggling with high energy prices and a rising cost of living,” Chudleigh said. “Mr. McGuinty does not have a budget revenue problem. He does not need to jack up fees on hard-working people. He needs to deal with the wasteful spending of ORNGE and E-Health.”

“What we’re seeing from the McGuinty Liberals lately is more of the same old thing: try to increase revenues so you can keep spending more and more. It isn’t working,” said Chudleigh. “Dalton McGuinty has a spending problem not a revenue problem. He needs to change his priority and focus on decreasing government spending.”

Since last year, spending has increased in all but two Ontario ministries and overall spending is up by $3.4 billion.

In December 2011, Moody’s Investor Service revised the outlook on Ontario ’s current credit rating from “stable” to “negative” – a warning that the province’s rating could drop.

In February 2012, the Drummond Report noted that if Liberal spending is not brought under control Ontario risks having a deficit of $30 billion by 2017-18.

“The Liberals need to change their walk and they need to do it now,” warned Chudleigh. “Unfortunately, the upcoming budget is likely to be more of the same old thing. There will be some flashy items to distract the eye but the underlying theme will be spend spend spend.”

Today’s announcement that the Liberals are raising a number of driver’s fees, including fees for licence validation, renewals and replacements,  is another effect of the Liberal spending problem.

“My fear is that not only will Ontario fall further behind; but, in some sneaky way the Liberals will ensure Ontarians face an increase in their taxes or cost of living to feed the Liberal spending habit,” said Chudleigh. “It is a completely unacceptable way to govern and it has to stop.”