FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2019
MPPs Toby Barrett, Will Bouma and Ernie Hardeman recently celebrated the one-year anniversary since Ontario’s Government for the People took office and began working for the people of, respectively, Haldimand-Norfolk, Brantford-Brant and Oxford.
Along with the entire PC team, the local MPPs renewed their commitment to respect taxpayers, encourage job creation, and put people first. To date, over 250 initiatives have been implemented, including charting a reasonable and responsible path to a balanced budget that protects the core services the people of Ontario rely on every day.
“This was truly a record year of accomplishment and passing of legislation as I reflect on my 24 years as a MPP,” Barrett added. “We have set the stage for a tremendous amount of work in the coming years.”
“The most pressing issue in Ontario has been and continues to be the burden we were placing on future generations,” Bouma said. “That’s why I am so proud to be apart of a government that has the courage to tackle the issue of our deficit and debt.”
“During our first year in office, our government has worked to protect what matters most to Ontarians,” said Hardeman. “We will continue working hard to end hallway healthcare, invest in our students and improve the services people rely upon most.”
Over the past year, the government has delivered on a number of campaign commitments that put more money back in people’s pockets, including:
- Cancelling the punishing cap-and-trade carbon tax, saving the average family $260 a year and 4.3 cents a litre at the gas pumps.
- Ensuring minimum wage workers pay no personal income tax in Ontario, saving them up to $800 a year.
- Introducing one of the most flexible childcare tax credits for low- and middle-income families in Ontario’s history.
- Scrapping the outdated Drive Clean program and freezing driver and vehicle fees.
- Improving choice and convenience for consumers by expanding the sale of beer and wine to corner stores, big-box stores, and more grocery stores.
The government is working to make Southwestern Ontario open for business and open for jobs. After decades of Liberal neglect, Premier Doug Ford is standing up for Ontario’s manufacturing sector by introducing the Ontario Job Creation Investment Incentive – $3.8 billion in immediate corporate tax relief that allows businesses to make investments now in machinery and expansions. The government has also introduced a 10-year plan to maintain the position of Ontario’s auto sector as a leader in North America. The government will continue to work to ensure prosperity reaches every corner of southwestern Ontario.
The Ontario government is also working with farmers to cut red tape to help them save time and money, including modernizing the licensing and certification processes for agri-businesses. The government is further working to expand access to natural gas to help lower electricity costs, as well as improve broadband service in more rural and remote communities to help entrepreneurs enter the digital economy.
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or MPP Will Bouma at 519-759-0361 or MPP Ernie Hardeman 519-537-5222