For Immediate
Release
March 22, 2007
MPP DUNLOP –
SIMCOE NORTH PRIORITIES MISSING IN McGUINTY
BUDGET
Queen’s Park – Today, Simcoe North
MPP Garfield Dunlop voiced his disappointment
with the McGuinty Liberal budget and its failure
to address the top priorities in Simcoe North.
A pre-election budget is considered to be the
basis for the platform of the governing party
and normally indicates government priories to
be addressed over a four year term if the government
is re-elected.
The McGuinty Liberals have increased and taxed
the citizens of Ontario by over $1600.00 per year
for every many, woman and child since coming to
power in 2003.
The Eves 2003 budget totaled expenditures of
67 billion. The Liberals 2007 budget increases
2007 expenditures to 89 billion, an increase of
22 billion.
“I am deeply disappointed that for a government
that is awash in money, that none of this money
has reached the top priorities in Simcoe North,”
said MPP Dunlop. “I believe the McGuinty
Liberal Government has a moral obligation to treat
all regions of this province in a fair and equitable
manner.”
Priorities in Simcoe North that are missing in
the McGuinty budget are:
| 1. |
The failure of the government to provide
a detailed master plan for
the future of the Huronia Regional Centre
and for the institutions that prefer to
be located there.
|
|
2.
|
The failure of the government to provide
funding for the protection of Lake Simcoe
following unanimous support of a resolution
by MPP Dunlop on November 23, 2006 and by
an investment of 12 million dollars by the
federal government in the March 19th budget.
|
|
3. |
The failure of the government to adequately
address the spiraling infrastructure costs
of Simcoe County municipalities as a result
of leapfrogging of development caused by
the Greenbelt and Places to Grow Legislation.
|
The only positive announcement in the 2007 budget
is the funding of the replacement of the Penetanguishene
Mental Health Centre-Oak Ridges facility, which
MPP Dunlop and the community have been actively
lobbying for since the Liberal government delayed
the planning process nearly three years ago.
“It would have been nice if the government
had addressed all of these key priorities in today’s
budget. Remember, this McGuinty government is
removing a 30 million dollar payroll out of our
community and we deserve to be compensated,”
concluded Dunlop.
-30-
For further information:
Garfield Dunlop, MPP
705-327-4500 (cell)
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