By MPP Toby Barrett It may be a while yet before Ontarians look to the north as a place to start a good career or open a new business. The recent withdrawal of Cliffs Natural Resources from the Ring of Fire mineral belt and the ongoing decline of forestry do not bode well for the … Continue reading “Northern Ontario falling short of its potential”
Category: Column Articles
By MPP Toby Barrett The announced Heinz closing in Leamington is a chilling reminder of the importance of agri-business in rural Ontario. Gone are 740 full-time and 350 seasonal positions. Gone are farm labour jobs and employment in support businesses up and down the value chain. And then there’s the farmers left without a market … Continue reading “Heinz shutdown continues a dismal trend on jobs”
By MPP Toby Barrett Ontario is in trouble. Not only is the provincial economy weaker than expected but the Ontario government now seems to be giving up completely on wasteful spending and reduction of our deficit and debt. In the past few years, Ontario has lost its way. We have become a province of bigger … Continue reading “When you dig a hole of debt – stop digging”
By MPP Toby Barrett “Finest of mortal friends I’ll not forget. When war’s a faded memory in the land.” F/Lt Peter Roberts By MPP Toby Barrett As we pledge, at this time of year, to remember the sacrifices made by those who fought on our behalf, two local books have arrived to help us … Continue reading “Two tangible ways to remember those who served”
By MPP Toby Barrett I’ve always been a believer that if you have the energy to complain and criticize then you’d better have the teeth to finding a solution. Last week I wrote about the decline of our province. We cannot afford more tinkering around the edges. Ontario needs decisive action. The Province of Ontario … Continue reading “There can be hope after the past ten years”
By MPP Toby Barrett Our forbearers built a province that offered an unparalleled promise that if you worked hard you would be rewarded with more take-home pay, and with security to buy a home, raise a family and provide a future for that family. However, over the past decade government has broken that promise. The … Continue reading “The past ten years have been ten lost years”
By MPP Toby Barrett On the heels of what may be one of the largest scandals in Ontario’s history, the long and convoluted trail to the truth has been revealed by the office of Ontario’s auditor-general. As we now know, the cost of cancelling the Oakville and Mississauga power plants was $1.1 billion, far more … Continue reading “Tracking back the billion-dollar gas plant trail”
By MPP Toby Barrett Recently I’ve been attempting to put the spotlight on public sector compensation – not just wages but also pensions, vacation time, sick time, hours of work, early retirement, job security and other benefits – in comparison to private sector jobs. When you factor in the perks, research indicates civil servants are … Continue reading “Barrett bill addresses public/private pay equity”
By MPP Toby Barrett Public servant labour costs now account for about half of all Ontario government program spending. Today’s provincial budget sets government spending at $128 billion, which means roughly 64 billion taxpayer dollars are being spent this year just in public servant wages, pensions and other forms of compensation. There are over one … Continue reading “Half the spending is public servant compensation”
By MPP Toby Barrett “I’d like a government job – nine to five, six weeks holiday, retire early with a nice pension,” is a refrain I hear often in my travels as an MPP. People have the perception that generally speaking, public servants make more money than private sector workers do, work shorter hours, and … Continue reading “There’s unfairness in public/private sector pay”