PC MPP feels "snubbed" over trade trip
By Kim Zarzour - Thornhill Liberal
April 22, 2010

Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman said he is "deeply disappointed" that he has been excluded from the provincial government's upcoming trade mission to Israel.

Premier Dalton McGuinty is making his first mission to Israel and the West Bank May 23 to 27.

The trip will expand Ontario's research cooperation with Israel, build more economic partnerships in health care and enable Ontario to tap into Israel's expertise to turn high-tech ideas into jobs, Mr. McGuinty said.

But as the elected representative for the riding with the largest Jewish population in Ontario, Mr. Shurman believes he should have been invited to come along.

"I would have expected the Premier to understand that many Thornhill constituents are very concerned about Israel and further, have a special interest in strengthening the economic ties between Ontario an Israel."

Mr. Shurman said he asked the premier for an invite to the trade mission on Feb. 16. He was advised by the premier's office last week that his request was being turned down.

The team travelling to Israel with Premier McGuinty and Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Sandra Pupatello will include Liberal MPPs Monte Kwinter, David Caplan, David Zimmer and Mike Colle.

"When PC Premier Mike Harris traveled to Israel in 1998, Liberal MPP Monte Kwinter was included in the trade mission. I cannot understand why Dalton McGuinty would play partisan politics with a matter that is of interest to the entire Jewish community in Ontario."

But the premier's press secretary, Jane Almeida, said Mr. Kwinter was in fact not part of Premier Harris' trade mission, and was also not invited, which Mr. Kwinter's office also confirms.

She said Mr. Shurman's statements regarding the accord with Samsung and Korea Electric Power Corp for wind and solar power development indicate his view are contrary to that of the Liberal government's on economic policy.

With the Samsung deal, Ms Almeida said, Mr. Shurman accused Premier McGuinty of subsidizing foreign companies to bring jobs to Ontario, saying the Green Energy Act, "is making deals with a foreign power so that he's changing Buy Ontario to Buy Korea ... We don't agree with the Samsung deal, we think it exports Ontario jobs."

Ms Almeida said the Liberal's main objective for the trade mission in May, as with the Premier's previous trade missions, is to attract investment to Ontario.