December 11th, 2014

NDP Gets Results for Ontarians in Fall Legislative Session

Queen’s Park:  NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said this fall legislative session has shown that New Democrats are the real opposition at Queen’s Park, and the only party standing up for Ontarians and fighting Liberal arrogance.

“This session began with an unprecedented display of arrogance and ended with an even greater display of arrogance,” said Horwath.  “It began with the Liberals using time allocation to shut down debates and shut Ontarians out of committee hearings, and it ended with the Liberals condescending, sexist attacks on the Auditor General and more Liberal government offices being raided for evidence in the gas plant scandal.”

Horwath said the Premier continues to protect Liberal insiders and cabinet ministers while at the same time cutting education funding, healthcare, and closing daycare centres.

Horwath said New Democrats fought hard this session to put the interests of Ontarians first.  Her MPPs fought for good paying jobs across the province, demanded Ontario’s hydro system stay in public hands and called for a real strategy and timelines for lifting people out of poverty.

Horwath was also proud of her caucus’ accomplishments this fall:

·         When problems with the new SAMS computer program wreaked havoc over people’s lives on OW and ODSP, New Democrats held the government to account;

·         When the Liberals tried to pull dental care from tens of thousands of vulnerable children, New Democrats forced the government to reverse their decision;

·         When predatory payday loan companies tried to gouge vulnerable Ontarians by taking 50% on the value of gift cards, New Democrats stopped the greedy practice; 

·         When the Ministry of Transportation participated in US-style immigration dragnets with CBSA, New Democrats spoke out and stopped it; and

·         New Democrats spearheaded a motion that put Ontario squarely behind Tom Mulcair’s $15/day childcare plan.

“Over the break and into the next session New Democrats will continue to hold the government’s feet to the fire and fight hard to make Ontario a fairer and more equitable province for all.”