Views on its effectiveness vary

By Jeff Helsdon - Staff Writer

Tillsonburg News
The Tillsonburg News — Area MPPs are battling over the effectiveness of last week’s budget.

“The infrastructure announcement is primarily for Toronto and the GTA,” said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. “They make is sound like there is money there but it’s nowhere near the requirements for immediate municipal needs.”

Of the $1.2 billion investment in infrastructure, $400 million is for rural and northern communities. Hardeman said, when you consider a major bridge can cost $500,000, that money won’t go far when it’s divided among more than 425 municipalities.

Hardeman also said the Community Partnership Fund, which helps rural municipalities is done???.

Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Steve Peters, the area’s only Liberal, countered local municipalities will benefit from the direct unconditional grants for roads and bridges. He cited examples of funding to Tillsonburg of $298,585, $3.271 million for Oxford County, $270,919 for Bayham and $2.053 million for Elgin County.

“All of Ontario is sharing in this unprecedented investment of infrastructure,” Peters said.

There is still another $300 million in infrastructure announcements to come in connection with the COMRIF program, the MPP added.

On the health front, Peters said the budget increases the province’s share of public health funding to 65 per cent from 50 per cent. Next year, the province will pay 75 per cent. The budget will also see $300 million allocated to bring land ambulance funding up to a 50/50 split between the province and counties.

Hardeman said each family in the province is paying $2,000 more in taxes than when the Liberals came to power. He said that’s the fastest the budget has gone up in the history of Ontario.

“I don’t believe we’re getting $2,000 worth of improved services,” he said.

Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett believes the budget could have been balanced this year.

“What I find is these guys are purposely miscalculating the numbers to win the next election,” he said, insinuating the Liberals want a big announcement prior to next year’s election.

“They’re addicted to taxes, addicted to spending and don’t care about balancing budgets and don’t care about taxpayers.”

One thing Hardeman noted as lacking in the budget was money to start construction of the Woodstock hospital. He claims the list of hospitals approved for construction and expansion in the budget had all been announced previously. Woodstock, meanwhile, has everything ready except for the the approval to go to tender.

Progressive Conservative leader John Tory characterized last week’s financial status report as a pay-more, get-less budget. He said waiting times for health care haven’t gone down, 80,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost and there is inadequate money for roads and bridges.

Tory contrasted the budget with Quebec’s where Premier Jean Charest chose to balance the budget, yet still invested $1.5 billion in transportation infrastructure. Instead, he said McGuinty’s budget is about politics and electoral success.

The local MPPs also duelled over agriculture spending. While Hardeman and Barrett criticized the government for cutting the agriculture budget, Peters denied it was cut. The PC members maintain agriculture spending was cut by 21 per cent or $244 million.

Peters explained the agriculture budget is comprised of two components, operating and in-year funding for extraordinary circumstances. The operating budget for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs was $863 in 2005-2006. It increases to $880 million in the present fiscal year. One-time funding was $277 million last year, but only $16 million for the current fiscal year. Peters said the latter amount is unbudgeted and will increase if more money is allocated for special funding.

He explained the last funding announcement of $125 million was the province’s portion of the fed’s $755 million in funding. Historically, agriculture funding is provided on a 60/40 basis. Peters said when the federal government comes forward with more money – and the federal Conservatives have committed to spending an additional $500 million – Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky will advocate for the province to provide matching funding.

“Ontario has been there in the past to support farmers and we’ll be there in the future,” he said. “The key player is the federal government and we have yet to see that (federal funding).”
On the tobacco front, Peters said he has met with his federal counterpart Joe Preston and urged him to look at the proposal for an exit plan put forward by the tobacco board. That plan would see a buyout funded by tobacco taxes.

“It’s one that has a lot of merit and wouldn’t impact on either the provincial or federal government,” Peters said.