By Peter Shurman
Vaughan Today
Almost a year has passed since the 2007 provincial election and Ontario finds itself in unfamiliar territory. Where it once was a driving force behind Canada?s economic success and land of opportunity, it now lags behind in growth while Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia take the lead in job creation.
In June, Thornhill lost 3,000 jobs ? a heavy hit for a non-industrial, residential community. Those losses are symbolic of the economic decay that plagues other parts of the province, such as Windsor, where communities are largely dependent on the manufacturing jobs in the area.
For the first time in 30 years, Ontario?s unemployment rate jumped above the national average and, in four years, Ontario suffered the loss of 213,000 manufacturing jobs.
Our province needs strong leadership, effective economic management and the commitment to make difficult-but-necessary decisions.
The Progressive Conservative caucus, with leader John Tory, has stepped up to the challenge and taken on the role of a ?government in waiting? while the elected McGuinty Liberals retreat from the responsibility handed to them by Ontario?s voters.
We understand that to stimulate growth we must encourage investment. With the Canadian loonie at par with the U.S. dollar, our manufacturers have the opportunity to invest in new equipment at a lower cost. They need their government to remove the unnecessary tax burden that stands between them and increased productivity.
Similarly, our tourism industry desperately needs a shot in the arm. Businesses in this sector often rely on the summer season to raise the revenues they need to operate the rest of the year. My colleagues and I presented a proposal to introduce tax breaks for tourism-related businesses, knowing that this would provide an incentive for families to choose Ontario as their vacation destination.
Unsurprisingly, the McGuinty Liberals ignored our calls for decisive action to protect our economy. Collecting taxpayers? money is the one thing this government excels at. This fiscal year they?ve raked in $4.1 billion in excess of projected tax revenues and used it to cover their spending habits, including the salaries of new public sector employees. In contrast to the manufacturing sector, government employment is hitting record highs. In the last five years, Dalton McGuinty has created more government jobs, paid by you, than the rest of Canada?s provinces combined.
Can we afford this? The answer is no. As it stands, every woman, man and child in Ontario now shoulders a government debt of $13,125 ? a consequence of a government more concerned with the results of the next provincial election than with the future prosperity of this province.
A version of this column appears in print Sept. 12, 2008 on page 4.