Bringing sanity to Queen’s Park

Over the past 11 months, I have travelled to every region of Ontario, talking to people and listening to their concerns. Time and time again, I’ve heard one thing: Ontarians want a real Progressive Conservative alternative at Queen’s Park.

Successive Liberal governments have squandered every opportunity to prevent the economic crisis our province now faces. With the latest budget, the Liberals have once again proven that they are incapable of making the decisions that will set the province on the path to economic recovery. Instead, Kathleen Wynne tabled a budget that fails Ontarians by mortgaging our children’s future with even more debt and no real plan to either balance the budget or grow our economy.

Ontarians want to live in a province with a strong economy that not only supports well-paying jobs, but also the social programs they expect and deserve. Because here’s the simple truth: to be socially compassionate, you must first be fiscally responsible.

Strengthening Ontario’s economy and balancing our budget is going to be hard work and will require tough decisions. Progressive Conservatives are the right party for the job: we don’t spend money we don’t have; instead, we live within our means and spend the money we do have on priorities.

There’s no question we can identify and cut wasteful or inefficient spending from Ontario’s budget. Indeed, in her latest report, Ontario’s AuditorGeneral found that in 12 out of 12 “value for money audits,” the Liberals grossly mismanaged and wasted money. We can do better. As a first step, I will conduct a line-by-line analysis of government spending to ensure taxpayer dollars are delivering real value for Ontarians and restore fiscal sanity back to Ontario’s budget.

As premier of Ontario, I will also create the conditions necessary for a prosperous and vibrant economy. That starts with creating a competitive investment climate that attracts new job creators and encourages existing businesses to invest in their employees.

I will review the tax code

Pfrom top to bottom to identify ways to make it more efficient and simpler to understand for businesses and Ontarians. I will also ensure all taxpayers pay their fair share by closing loopholes. Further, I believe that Ontario should attract investment and create good jobs by lowering the business tax rate from 11.5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Ontario must also build the skilled workforce of tomorrow. We shouldn’t accept a skills gap that leaves Ontarians without jobs and jobs without Ontarians. We need to enhance our support for workers entering the skilled trades and reform the apprenticeship system to better reflect the realities of Ontario’s economy. That must include providing financial support for students and incentives for employers to get more young Ontarians into these promising careers.

Further, I committed to building the strong foundation Ontario needs to ensure longterm economic prosperity. That requires that we once again

You can’t be socially progressive without being fiscally prudent first

make energy a competitive advantage for Ontario.

Access to reliable, predictable and cost-effective energy is critical to our economic success and social well being. Ontario has the most expensive power system in North America. Businesses can’t afford it and are forced to defer investments or, worse, lay off hard-working Ontarians. Indeed, just a few short days ago, General Motors Canada announced that it will cut its workforce in Oshawa, Ont., by 1,000 people.

It’s not just Ontario’s businesses that suffer from skyrocketing energy bills. Too many Ontario families face a heat-oreat situation. That’s simply unacceptable in Ontario.

As premier, I will replace a system defined by chaos and cost with a coherent energy plan that attracts investment and offers Ontario’s families relief.

A coherent energy plan is also critical to building a modern Ontario economy, connect-