Don Drummond Exposes McGuinty Spending Crisis

QUEEN’S PARK – Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman said that Don Drummond’s report, which was released today, has exposed a Liberal spending crisis more severe than anything previously disclosed, requiring immediate action to start reversing the damage.

“The simple fact is that we would not be in this mess without years of uncontrolled McGuinty Liberal spending, which Tim Hudak and our Ontario PC Caucus have opposed every step of the way,” said Hardeman.

In releasing the report Drummond said that if the government continued on their current path the deficit in 2017-18 would be $30 billion, directly in contrast to what the government forecast in their last budget. Drummond said that every one of his recommendations must be acted on in order to balance the budget by 2017.

The Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services lead by Don Drummond was established in the 2011 budget to examine the way government delivers services.

“Dalton McGuinty has made spending commitments without any regard to the long-term impacts or the fact that his spending was dramatically outpacing revenues,” said Hardeman. “It is that lack of foresight that has spent Ontario into this hole.”

Hardeman called on the government to impose an immediate public sector wage freeze, put an end to corporate welfare – which, according to the report, shows little evidence “of achieving any economic benefit for Ontario” (p. 309) – and implement pro-growth policies such as apprenticeship reform.

“To get this province back on track Dalton McGuinty needs to immediately halt his reckless spending and respond to the recommendations contained in this report,” said Hardeman. “Every day McGuinty delays will only make the problem worse.”

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For more information, contact:
Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford
(416) 325-1239