For Immediate Release:
April 13, 201
Queens Park – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett was ordered out of the Ontario Legislature for the first time in his close to 16 year parliamentary career after refusing to retract comments in which he called the Premier a liar.
After previously withdrawing a statement dubbing Mr. McGuinty as “Premier Pinnochio” Barrett reminded the Legislative Assembly of McGuinty’s misleading statements and misrepresentations as follows:
1. After his first election, despite promising no new taxes, Mr. McGuinty brought in the largest income tax increase in the history of Ontario.
2. After his second election, despite promising no new taxes, Mr. McGuinty brought in the largest sales tax increase in the history of Ontario.
3. Approaching his third election, despite promising no new taxes, Barrett charged Mr. McGuinty is planning to become a “three-peat liar”.
When requested by the Speaker to retract the statement as being unparliamentary, Barrett stood fast:
“I will not withdraw,” Barrett refused. “I will not withdraw – these are billion dollar decisions.”
Barrett was escorted from the legislative chamber by the Sergeant at Arms.
“Quite frankly, after eight years of being lied to, it’s time we call out this man for what he is – a ‘bald faced liar’,” Barrett argued following his expulsion. “I was actually being kind calling him a ‘three-peat liar’ as he’s had a lot more undelivered promises since he first told us he ‘wouldn’t raise your taxes’ in 2003.”
During the debate, Barrett reported a laundry list of examples of how the McGuinty government has neglected Haldimand and Norfolk Counties including; the “deep-sixing” of the tobacco economy, the rise in illegal tobacco and associated smoke shops, the scrapping of a state-of-the-art coal power producer, inaction on the Caledonia land dispute, and lack of attention to the plight of commercial fishermen, cattlemen, hog farmers, cash-crop, fruit and vegetable farmers until the run-up of the coming election .
Barrett was allowed to resume his duties in the House as of this morning.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629