Northern and rural Ontario have been promised a voice in Queen’s Park.
“When it comes to different regions of this province, your new government will not address your issues in isolation because you are not isolated,” Lt.-Gov. David Onley said while reading the Throne speech at the province’s legislature in Toronto Tuesday.
“Your new government will work with municipal leaders in every region of this province.”
The speech also included a plan to address the “special transportation needs of the Ontario’s North and endeavour to improve vital access to the Ring of Fire.”
Led by the province’s first female premier, Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario government also plans to eliminate the deficit by 2017-18, increase employment, continue to build the education and health-care systems and ensure municipalities and residents have input on the location of energy infrastructure in their communities.
Wynne also challenged political parties to work together to get real work done for the people of Ontario.
“There is common ground that transcends partisan politics, and it is found in the desire to make Ontario’s economy stronger; to improve its transportation networks and give all the people of this province the same opportunities, purpose and pride.”
MPP Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) believes the premier has made a sincere effort in saying she's going to work as hard as she can with the opposition parties to accommodate some of what they’d like to see in the budget and legislation.
“It’s a real earnest attempt, I think, on her part to see this minority parliament work,” he said. “It’s been my belief all along that as a premier she would take that position. Today’s Throne Speech confirms that.”
But Mauro shifted onus onto the legislature’s opposition parties -- the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats -- saying it’s ultimately up to them on whether parties will be able to work together.
Kenora NDP MPP Sarah Campbell said the plans laid out in the Throne Speech are pointed in the right direction, but criticized the vagueness.
“If you listen closely, even though she was touching on a lot of the subjects, she didn’t really commit to anything. We’ll kind of have to wait and see what kind of substance is brought in,” Campbell said, adding that she will be supporting the Throne Speech.
Supporting the speech, however, does not translate to a guarantee that the NDP or its MPPs will be supporting the upcoming budget.
Campbell agreed that the parties need to work together and said they have a tremendous opportunity.
“We really can work together. We just need to make that decision. We need to make that commitment. It’s good to hear that’s something Kathleen Wynne is identifying as a priority but it remains to be seen just how serious she is about it.”
The Throne Speech also calls for Aboriginal communities to have access to the tools and training needed to fully participate in economic development opportunities and the government will ensure the benefits of resource development is shared with First Nations.
Teachers, support staff, principals and school boards will be respected, the speech also says.
Ontario’s labour force will be treated fairly and with respect, it reads.
“It will sit down with its partners across all sectors to build a sustainable model for wage negotiation, respectful of both collective bargaining and a fair and transparent interest arbitration process, so that the brightness of our shared future is not clouded by the indisputable economic realities of our time.”
