The Citizen, 2012-04-05, Page 28Continued from page 1
that she can make.
Under Hudak, Thompson says, she
feels she has a ‘respected role’ in the
governing of the province,
something she doesn’t feel right now
under the province’s current
governance.
Thompson says she can’t stress
enough that she feels her role isn’t
being respected with the way things
are now, something that should be of
concern to residents of Huron-
Bruce.
When asked about a potential
election due to the backlash of the
budget presentation, Thompson said
she couldn’t speak to that, but that it
would be up to the Liberals and the
NDP as to how they wish to proceed.
However, Thompson says that she
doesn’t expect that the concerns of
the smaller areas of Ontario will be
heard under the current government,
as they have not been in the past.
“The Liberals have made this
mess,” Thompson said. “It’s their
mess to clean up.”
Thompson says that the current
Liberal government is operating the
province in a way that a group with
a majority government would,
despite the fact that the Liberals have
a minority government.
Thompson called the government
“arrogant” but when it finally came
down to the budget, Thompson said
that while she couldn’t speak for the
rest of the MPs in her party, she was
clear about how she would be voting
when the budget came up for
approval.
“There is no way I can support this
budget,” Thompson said. “There are
no jobs in it, it’s not growing the
economy. I will not be voting for the
budget.”
Highlights from the budget
include:
• Corporate tax rates being frozen
at 11.5 per cent, a rate the
government promises to maintain
until the budget is balanced.
• The MPP salary freeze
announced in 2009 will be extended
for two more years. A pay freeze will
also be imposed on executives at
hospitals, universities, colleges,
school boards and government
agencies for the next two years.
• The 407 highway will be
extended to Hwy. 115 in Clarington
from its current ending point at
Brock Road in Pickering.
• The top five per cent of seniors
(which the government calls high-
earning seniors) will pay a
deductible of $100 plus three per
cent of their income over $100,000
on their perscription drug costs.
Senior couples with a combined
income of over $160,000 will pay a
$200 deductible plus three per cent
of their family income over
$160,000. The change will take
effect in August 2014. The
government says this change will
save the province $30 million
annually.
• Some of the province’s 72
district school boards will be
merged. Public and separate school
boards, however, will not be forced
to merge.
• The province will bring in a
3,000-kilowatt hour cap on Ontario
Clean Energy Benefits that will save
the province an estimated $470
million over three years.
• Two programs encouraging the
purchase of electric cars and paying
for charging stations will be folded
together, saving the province $43
million over three years.
• Seven provincial travel
information centres will be closed
due to a decrease in drop-in visits in
recent years.
• The Toronto West Detention
Centre, as well as correctional
facilities in Chatham and Brantford
will be closed.
• The province will reduce OPP
overtime costs by $3.5 million per
year for the next three years and
delay a plan to replace police
cruisers.
• Provincial funding for Toronto’s
Luminato Festival will be reduced in
the next two years and eliminated
entirely by 2014-2015. The province
will commit $1.5 million to the
festival in 2012-2013 and $2 million
the following year before the
funding is discontinued.
Salary freeze, board mergersincluded in Ontario budgetPAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012.
On the scene
North Huron firefighters were busy on the morning of March
28 at the farm of David Ropp on Moncrieff Road. Ropp and
his father Laverne operate a woodworking shop in the
converted barn. Firefighters were able to save the building.
(Keith Roulston photo)
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ON $6.00 THURSDAYS
Drop into either of our offices any
Thursday with your word classified
(maximum 20 words) and pay only
$6.00 + HST (paid in advance).
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The Citizen