Barrett’s pay equity bill blocked in the Legislature

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 25, 2013

QUEEN’S PARK –MPP Toby Barrett’s Private Member’s Bill titled The Comprehensive Pay Fairness Act was defeated yesterday by government and third party MPPs after second reading debate.

“During debate the Liberals and NDP made it very clear they would not support any move towards public sector/private sector pay equity,” Barrett said. “Blocking The Comprehensive Pay Fairness Act leaves little doubt in my mind that government union leaders call the shots in our Ontario Legislature.”

Barrett was heartened, however, by support from organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Fair Pensions for All, Canada’s Fraser Institute and Ontario’s PC Party. He also stressed the value of all political parties making their positions public during the legislative debate.

“The wonderful, highly respected economist Don Drummond said it – they have a structural deficit,” said Durham MPP John O’Toole. “He said that prior to the review of the public sector in the context of prior to the next election. That was back in 2011. What he meant there is that we’re basically paying more than the growth in the economy. That’s where you get into the structural deficit. This was not a political
statement.”

Barrie MPP Rod Jackson said, “The alternative here to save money, is going to be to go to layoffs, mass layoffs, furloughs, to have wage freezes, program cuts. We need to start looking at other options here.
What the member from Haldimand–Norfolk has done has provided us with an alternative and another
option. It’s worth debate.”

Last week Barrett introduced Bill 113, Comprehensive Pay Fairness Act to level the playing field and create transparency in public sector negotiations and fairness for all taxpayers.

 

-30-

For more information contact
MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446