MCGUINTY LIBERALS HIDE MUSEUM DONATION

Facts

A Freedom of Information request by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation under the Access to Information Act revealed that, in 2010, the Government of Ontario donated $5 million to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

The document shows that the Government of Ontario is the only provincial or territorial government, besides Manitoba where the museum is located, to donate money to this museum.

Ontario’s 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 Public Accounts show that $500,000 was donated each year to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

To date, the McGuinty Liberals have not informed the public of this $5 million out-of-province donation.

As Ontario sits with a massive $16 billion debt as a result of the McGuinty Liberals fiscal mismanagement, and considers cuts to programs in Ontario, Ted Chudleigh, MPP for Halton and Critic for Tourism and Culture, is asking why, at this time of fiscal crisis, the Government of Ontario is funding an out-of-province museum.

Quotes

“The fiscal disaster the McGuinty Liberals now sit with was evident when they made the decision to donate Ontarians’ money to an out-of-province museum. When we see the cuts the McGuinty Liberals propose I wonder if taxpayers will question if that $5 million could have reduced the debt or supported their families.”
Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and Critic Tourism and Culture

“The protection and promotion of human rights is something the Ontario PC government initiated in Ontario with the enactment of our first Human Rights Code in 1962. This money could have been used in Ontario to create greater equality and financial stability for all Ontario families. Instead, the McGuinty Liberals donated the money to an over budget, out-of-province museum far from the homes of most Ontario families.”
Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and Critic Tourism and Culture

Regulations under the Niagara Parks Act allow a person to perform or attempt to perform a stunt if they acquire written permission from the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC). The administration of the Act is overseen by the Minister of Tourism and Culture.

After receiving approval from the United States to walk a tightrope suspended across Niagara Falls, Nik Wallenda applied to the NPC requesting the same permission.

According to Wallenda, the event could bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the Niagara Region and have a beneficial long term impact on Niagara’s tourism industry.

The Commission rejected Mr. Wallenda’s request and in a press release stated, “The Commission is making this decision based on a number of considerations in support of its mandate, priorities and long-term goals.” The Commission indicated that the risk to Wallenda and others was too high and may encourage similar unsanctioned feats.

After learning of the NPC’s decision Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and Critic for Tourism and Culture called on the Minister to review the NPC’s decision. Acknowledging the dangers involved with the event, Chudleigh nevertheless highlighted the fact that the event could be controlled reducing danger to spectators and the risk that unsanctioned stunts would necessarily ensue.

Quotes

“With the responsibility to oversee the administration of the Niagara Parks Act the Minister should review the NPC’s decision to ensure the reasons are justified and that it adheres to the purpose and objectives of the Act.”
Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and Critic Tourism and Culture

“The economic benefits, and world wide attention, of tourism events like this are great. In a region hard hit by a rising dollar and reduced border traffic they become even more important. The Minister should ensure that the interpretation of the Niagara Parks Act isn’t so narrow that the Commission hinders prosperity in the Niagara region.”
Ted Chudleigh, MPP (Halton) and Critic Tourism and Culture

The cost of government is too high. We intend to provide tax relief in a number of forms, including income splitting, a reduction in HST on hydro, no more eco-taxes, and a small reduction in Ontario income tax.

In addition we are going to make changes that will smooth out any anticipated increases of fees or taxes. We will make time-of-use pricing on hydro optional so you can choose the pricing format that works best for your lifestyle. We will reduce the public service through a hiring freeze while maintaining front line workers in the broader public sector, we will streamline services and agencies that provide little value for tax dollars, and we will end huge energy subsidies to corporations.

We will take the necessary steps to get Ontario’s economy back on track. Tim Hudak outlined a plan to kick start small business growth through lower taxes, reductions in regulatory red tape, a streamlined apprenticeship program, help for farmers managing risk, more flexibility for union members and easier dealings with government for entrepreneurs.

We will balance Ontario’s budget by 2017-18 and end the practice of stealing our children’s future productivity.
We know there are some very popular and desired government services that Ontarians want us to maintain. We acknowledge the need to continue increased spending in health care and we commit to build an additional 5,000 long term care beds as well as provide the money necessary to complete the roll out of full day kindergarten.

We want to return local decision-making powers by ending provincial tinkering in local official plans and reducing the constraints on local government when it comes to spending provincial grants.

We will maintain Ontario’s high level of environmental commitment. We pledge to do our part by finally closing coal burning generating stations, promote energy efficiency and build green generating capacity where practical.

We know that governments must be above reproach and be seen to be above reproach. We commit to transparent accountability in government operations and spending. We will disclose contracts, expenses of bureaucrats, grants to groups, and expand the Freedom of Information Act. We will set up simple methods to report government waste and service gaps. We will insist that welfare recipients be residents of Ontario for a least a year before they are eligible to claim benefits.

We support one law for all Ontarians. That means ending illegal occupations, stopping auto insurance fraud, ending the trade in illegal tobacco, and giving municipalities the means to go after persistent and malicious by-law breakers.

These are not radical suggestions. We only want to close loopholes and stop legal end runs that have created so many problems in Ontario today.

Our Changebook outlines a simple plan to get Ontario back on track to the place where hope, opportunity and faith in the future are the fuel of our success.

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Summer has finally arrived and with it the scorching rhetoric of this year’s election campaign.

Now that we have fixed election dates we can clearly see their advantages and disadvantages – the good, the bad and the ugly.

I believe the fixed election date helps bring the crux of the election debate into the public’s focus and allows people more time to sort through the issues – that’s the good. However the additional time tends to deflect concentrated concern about the issues and thins it out, as people lose interest in what appears to be a never ending side-show. That’s the bad part.

As someone who is standing for re-election I can say that knowing the election date in advance helps with the preparation necessary to put together the huge effort that is required – another good. However, knowing in advance, turns what used to be a five or six week campaign, into a much longer effort. And that’s another bad thing.

Once the Legislature closes for the summer this year, which is expected in early June, the election campaign is unofficially underway. That means people will be confronted with election style politics for the better part of four months, until Election Day on October 6.

Certainly the real heart of the campaign will not begin in earnest until Labour Day, but given Ontarians oft stated desire to have the election and then move on given the result, this lengthy, stealth campaign can turn people off.

In some ways I think the idea of going to fixed election dates was supported by the political wonks who like nothing more than immersing themselves in policy debates. When election dates weren’t fixed we had a pretty good idea when an election might occur given tradition, timing and precedent. Only Bob Rae’s Ontario NDP really defied expectation when they refused to call an election after the usual four years and held off until the bitter and legal end of their term. And that is the ugly.

It was likely the Rae government’s actions which inspired our fixed date election law. Given the burning desire of Ontarians to be rid of the NDP government, perhaps the move to a fixed election date is understandable, even if it hasn’t quite turned out as expected.

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PC Leader Tim Hudak said yesterday he will end the expensive Liberal government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) and Samsung energy programsif elected to office in October. Killing those programs will translate into substantial savings on hydro bills.

Ending these programs, as well as a previous commitment to allow consumer choice between time-of-use rates or a flat rate for hydro, will restore hydro costs to manageable levels for Ontarians.

The FIT program very high guaranteed subsidized rates of pay for those supplying the grid with power generated through solar panels. The subsidized payments range from about 10 times the existing rate payable for those generating power to the grid.

The Samsung deal is a $7 billion contract between the Government of Ontario and Korean conglomerate Samsung to provide technology and expertise in renewable energy systems. Details of that contract are sketchy as the contract has never been made public.

If these programs are not stopped Ontarians will pay an average of $732 a year in additional hydro costs.

There is no doubt there is a place for green, renewable energy sources in Ontario’s electricity future. However, these programs have to recognize the ability of consumers to pay and the effectiveness of the sources to supply the grid.

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