Catherine Fife MPP, Waterloo

Government of Ontario

Statement by MPP Catherine Fife, Regarding the Financial Accountability Office’s Fall 2016 update

Published on November 3, 2016

QUEEN’S PARK — “Today, Ontarians learned that the Premier’s self-serving attempt to plug a deficit hole before the election with one-time Hydro One cash, that absolutely no one in the province voted for, has been for nothing. Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals will not meet their own targets by 2017/18. It’s very clear that Kathleen Wynne’s choices are more about what’s best for the Liberal party than about what’s best for Ontarians. Just look at the sell-off of revenue-generating public assets like Hydro One. It’s doesn’t make economic sense and it’s not good for the people of this province. The short-term gain will mean long-term pain for Ontarians who are already struggling to pay Hydro bills.

“Ontarians have a right to be concerned about what public assets Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals plan to sell off next to meet the balanced budget promise.  Just last week, Ontario’s New Democrats raised the issue of amendments being buried in an omnibus bill that allows the sell-off of Ontario Place Lands.  Not to mention, the Minister of Health asking the Premier’s privatization czar to calculate the value of Ontarian’s private health information.

“Ontarians will also be concerned about what cuts to essential programs like education and health will mean for families. This is another example of Liberal interests being put above the interests of the people of Ontario.

“People in Ontario have every right to be disappointed in Kathleen Wynne and her government. It’s clear she’s not the Premier she said she would be. Ontarians deserve better.”