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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-04-29, Page 66 News Record • Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Liberal government "addicted to spending," says local MPP Marco Vigliotti Postmedia Network New spending initiatives in this year's provincial budget will add billions to Ontario's already ballooning debt and exhaust scarce funding dollars that should allocated to core front-line services, charges Lisa Thompson, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Huron -Bruce. The governing Liberals, however, contend that addi- tional spending is needed for vital new transportation and infrastructure projects across the province, which they claim will support over 110,000 jobs per year on average in construction and related industries. "Our government is mak- ing the largest infrastruc- ture investment in Ontario's history - more than $130 billion over 10 years," Finance Minister Charles Souza said in a message to the Expositor. But, Thompson accuses the Liberals of "taking from Paul to give to Peter," by curbing funding for the cru- cial health and education sectors to ease the strain on provincial coffers from these pricey infrastructure and transit projects. And Huron -Bruce, she claimed, is already feeling the impacts of this austerity, specifically in its strained healthcare services. "We know locally in Huron -Bruce that our healthcare system is stretched to the limits after three years of zero increases, all the while, the cost of operating continues to go through the roof," she said in an interview, refer- ring to the 1.9 per cent funding increase for the Health Ministry included in this year's budget as "minuscule" and "unac- ceptable" Souza's $131.9 billion budget, tabled Thursday in the legislature, projects an $8.5 billion deficit for the 2015-16 fiscal year that the Liberals maintain can be erased in the next two years without gutting crucial programs. The spending blueprint also earmarks $31.5 billion for public transit and infra- structure projects, $15 bil- lion of which will be dedi- cated specifically to fund transportation and infra- structure projects in rural and northern Ontario. "This will be one of the largest infrastructure investments in Canada since the Last Spike was driven, completing the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885," Souza said in his budget address. The Liberals, Thompson argued, are actually ignoring their priorities by not restraining spending to pay down the sizeable debt, with servicing costs rising by 5.7 per cent this year to $11.4 billion. The government is "addicted to spending," she claimed. "This particular budget increases spending by another $2.4 billion this year and the overall debt is going to go up by another $14.7 bil- lion," Thompson said. "All the while they're not paying any attention to the debt." Although the government claims the only new tax this (71: 70,6 'Zoete *0.:L6t 70. Vavito 74e4e ‚4 ec/te: Clinton United Church 105 Ontario Street 519-482-9553 www.clintonunited.ca Ministry Team Word and Sacrament: Rev. Randy Covey MDIv Children and Youth: Kathy Douglas DM Director of Music: Louise Dockstader May 3,2015 10:30 am Worship and Sunday School Open Minds - Open Hearts Come and be a part of the family Christian Reformed Church 243 Princess St. E. Clinton Pastor Ron Luchies 519-482-5264 Sunday May 3, 2015 10:00 am - Morning Service 7:00 pm - Evening Service Tuesday's 7:15 pm - Young Peoples "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19 vs 1 First Baptist Church 85 Huron St., Clinton 482-3598 SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015 MORNING SERVICE 10:30 AM Lay Pastor - Wally DeWolfe Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL Clinton News Record 519-482-3443 PRESS '0' BIBLE MISSIONARY CHURCH 35 Toronto Blvd., Vanastra (519) 482-8183 MAY 3, 2015 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM Sunday Evening Worship 7:00 PM Pastor Josh McCarthy Everyone Welcome! HEARTLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH 52 Victoria St., Clinton - 519-606-1015 www.heartlandclinton.ca Pastor Charles Gingerich Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Prayer & Share 7:00 p.m. Expect a welcome and a blessing! St. Paul's Anglican Church A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spirit 49 Ontario St., Cinton The Reverend Karine A. Snowdon BA, M.Div Organist & Choir Master: Dana Prouse SUNDAY MAY 3 Worship 11:15 am PWRDF Sunday EVERYONE WELCOME Council Meets Wed Mar 25 7pm year would be on beer - the price of which will increase by three cents annually until 2018 - Thompson points to the recently announced cap - and -trade carbon reduction scheme and planned Ontario Retirement Pension Plan as being just that. The proposed pension plan, she said, represents a "job tax" Thompson also takes aim at the two budget moves drawing the greatest amount of media attention, saying the Liberals are "burning the furniture to heat the house" by looking to sell 60 per cent of the province's profitable transmission utility Hydro One, while declaring that no establishment in Huron - Bruce would be able to ben- efit from new rules allowing grocery stores to sell beer. "The expansion of beer into grocery stores...is only applicable to populations of 30,000 or greater," she cautioned. Sousa counters that the government is find- ing "innovative ways to grow the economy by "unlocking the value of provincial assets." All net proceeds from this plan, including broad- ening ownership in Hydro One, will be allocated to a Trillium Trust to "build new roads, bridges and public transit that will ben- efit everyone in the prov- ince for years to come." he said, adding that the prov- ince is investing an addi- tional $250 million over two years in the Ontario Youth Jobs Strategy, pushing its contributions to youth employment programming to more than $565 million. Get all of your news, sports and more. Serving Huron County clintonnewsrecord.com • Birthday Club mow Keagan Cook Apr 23 vim Graynger Flynn Apr 24 Ryann Heroux- Apr 25 Robinson Brayden Dykstra Apr 26 Isar Kassandra Raidt Apr 26 Lucia Dale May 3 Bryce Dale May 5 Alex Boven May 7 Myles McVety May 7 Sadie Wammes May 7 Alex Dolmage May 8 Teddy Heath May 8 Kennedy McGregor May 9 Lyric Siebert May 9 1 411‘ Call our In -Store Bakery to Order BIRTHDAY CAKES OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION CAKE • MAGIC CAKES • CHARACTER CAKES • Clinton • BIRTHDAY CAKES • Made to your specification. riOCODUVIII 6 Mary St., Clinton • 482-9341