McGuinty promises new clean energy industry, seniors’ tax credit

By William Doyle-Marshall

A Youth Opportunities Programme to provide mentoring and leadership training for young people who want to enter Ontario’s job market or pursue post secondary education; an energy and property tax credit worth over $1,000 per senior; a new clean energy industry that will cut electricity bills by ten percent and getting rid of coal to clean up the air and cut $3 billion in the province’s annual health care costs.
   These plans were disclosed Thursday by Premier Dalton McGuinty as he took time from his busy, hectic schedule to be with members of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada.
  Accompanied by some members of his Liberal caucus, McGuinty entertained media practitioners at the annual Christmas get together at the downtown Toronto Reference Library. He disclosed also that the Government of Ontario under his leadership is renewing 80% of the electricity system over the course of the next 20 years.
  He promised to do everything necessary to ensure families and businesses are going to have all the electricity they need to enjoy their lives and power the economy for the next 20 years. Indicating that steps are being taken in a smart way, McGuinty said “Our plan is working. The economy is growing so far we have recovered 87% of the jobs we lost in the recession and that compares rather favourably with the U.S. where they have only recovered at this point in time only 10% of their jobs.”
  The Premier also talked about cutting the size of the public service by 5%; reducing the number of government agencies, getting rid of perks like golf memberships for executives and two-year freeze of MPP pay.
   McGuinty said his government’s job is to bring hope to Ontario families and direct help is being provided. The average family is receiving a $400 income tax cut this year and every year going forward. In addition the Premier said government is giving families a children activity tax credit and there is an energy and property tax credit worth over $1000 for our seniors.
  Despite his attempt to put on a bright face on issues Ontarians are confronting, he admitted it’s been a very challenging year for them. “We are coming out of a terrible economic recession -- the biggest of its kind in 80 years. It hit their (Ontarians) savings, their jobs, their incomes and their confidence,” he continued.
  McGuinty confessed Ontarians are anxious; they are a little bit less optimistic then they were a couple years ago; they are a little less confident about their future. Noting that in terms of the economy as a whole, things have changed as Ontario can no longer count on a low dollar to drive its exports. “We can no longer count on a roaring U.S. economy to pull us forward and it turns out of late we can no longer rely on stable growth in the EEU (European Economic Union) – the largest trading bloc in the world. So this recession has changed our economy and changed the outlook that families have on the future.
  Although Opposition politicians have been critical of his harmonised service tax, calling it a tax grab the Premier said   independent economists have informed his government the tax reforms mean 600,000 more jobs.
   “Again we know we can’t rely as much on the outside world to pull us forward so we have to drive ourselves forward from within. That’s what our tax reforms are all about. We are cutting taxes, not just for people but dramatically for our businesses too to make them more competitive in the global economy,” the Premier announced.
   Determined to continue building a strong and diverse Ontario, McGuinty said has been the motivation for his government investing in over 220 Bridge programs as well as language training to help newcomers adjust. “It’s why we created Global Experience Ontario and Health Force Ontario. They are providing one stop access to information and referral services to help those with international training qualify for professional practice here in our province,” he concluded.
   The Youth Opportunities Programme is a part of the “Building Strong Diverse Communities” initiative of the government. For this reason McGuinty said his government is partnering with community organizations to provide mentoring and leadership training for young people who want to enter Ontario’s job market or pursue post secondary education. He said his government is determined to reach out to youth in the province’s diverse communities because “we want all Ontarians at their best as we take on the world to win.”