In Their Own Words: NDP Turns Their Backs on Agreement to Pass Ontario Budget
QUEEN'S PARK, ON, June 16, 2012 /CNW/ - The Horwath NDP went back on their word and broke an agreement for the second time to help pass the final Ontario budget. They joined the PCs to gut the budget bill beyond recognition, putting Ontario's fragile economic recovery at risk:
"It's understandable that Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty is so
frustrated as to consider asking voters for a new mandate. Having
afforded major concessions to the third-party NDP, notably a new tax on
the highest income earners, Mr. McGuinty thought he had a deal to pass
the budget. Instead, the New Democrats introduced amendments at
committee this week to strip the budget bill of key provisions aimed at
cost-cutting..."
(Globe & Mail Editorial, June 16, 2012)
"Ms. Horwath has a lot to lose here. She has wrestled some gains out of
the Liberals, and all that will be lost - plus her new reputation as a
bridge-builder - if the province is thrown into an election."
(National Post, June 15, 2012)
"The New Democrats whine that others must put water in their wine - then
quietly boost the alcohol content...The NDP unilaterally voted to not
just amend, but delete major portions of the budget in a legislative
committee hearing. These were not "friendly" amendments to merely
fine-tune the budget, but substantive changes from a party that had
already negotiated a quid pro quo with the Liberals."
(Martin Regg Cohn, Toronto Star, June 16, 2012)
"Does anyone believe the New Democrats will be able to control
government and growth and spending, given their DNA? Nothing they said
during the election campaign amounts to credible evidence to the
contrary...The government has a financial plan. It's not perfect. But
it is a plan. The other parties don't even have that, and are less
credible on debt and deficit reduction than the Liberals. Ontario
doesn't need an election..."
(Howard Elliott, Hamilton Spectator, June 16, 2012)
"When the NDP and PCs joined forces in committee to make last-minute
changes to the budget, Premier Dalton McGuinty was understandably
frustrated. It seems Horwath won't stop at negotiations; she'll also do
whatever she can to undermine the Liberal agenda. And as far as that
goes, at least, the PCs and the NDP seem to be of a mind."
(Ottawa Citizen Editorial, June 15, 2012)
"Tim Hudak's Progressive Conservatives have offered nothing
constructive...If anything, the New Democrats look worse. In April, it
seemed that NDP leader Andrea Horwath had forced the Liberals to amend
their budget - and raise taxes on the wealthiest Ontarians - in return
for safe passage of the legislation. Sorry, Horwath says now."
(Waterloo Region Record Editorial, June 16, 2012)
"Horwath insists she always reserved the right to make changes. But it
strains credulity to extract concessions in a bilateral negotiation,
then impose unilateral changes after the fact. That's called having it
both ways."
(Martin Regg Cohn, Hamilton Spectator, June 16, 2012)
"The party with the most motivation to sort it out should be the NDP.
They should give themselves a shake... they run the risk of ending up
without official party status if they force an election."
(John Tory, CFRB, June 15, 2012)
"The Liberals have already accepted many changes to their original
budget proposal and have a right to expect co-operation."
(Luisa D'Amato, Waterloo Region Record, June 16, 2012)
Liberal Caucus Service Bureau
416-325-9300