Wow. The Premier of Ontario resigned! Just like that – without any prior warning or
hinting, he calls a press conference and announces that he’s out as soon as
they can pick a new Liberal leader.
This news astonishes all who live in Ontario (including me) and pleases
a great many of us (read the on-line comments being posted on the news
services). But why does it please us? Is it right to be glad when a political
leader gives up?
As a citizen, I believe
that when a politician says they stand for something, they ought to stand for
it. That means I expect integrity from
those who govern - most especially those who govern within the spotlight of
up-front public service. As a Christian,
I believe everyone can have integrity -
for God gives His Spirit to all who receive Him, and by His Spirit we can live
rightly. Not completely without sin,
mind you. But in my opinion, to
recognize when one is fallen into sin and immediately repent is as much
integrity as anyone could ever expect in our broken world. So those who confess have more honor than
those who deny wrongdoing.
Dalton and his close
associates have made a series of promises to all the citizens of this
province. He promised to not raise taxes
and then imposed ‘user fees’ and an onerous charge for OHIP premiums. I call that a broken promise, not even
mentioning the HST or the eco-tax. Was
it recognized as such and confessed?
No.
Dalton and his party
promised to balance the budget every year of their mandate, and then again
promised to balance it by 2007. That was
long before the 08 economic crash and in spite of good times for Ontario they did
not do it. Today we have a record high debit,
a 16 billion dollar defiit and there is only a slowing down of spending. We are told that this slow down is excellent
news and we should be satisfied with it.
Sorry Dalton, but as a citizen and a taxpayer, I am not.
They committed to fund
medically necessary health care services.
I still pay for chiropractic and eye exams. My son’s diabetic supplies are still not
covered by OHIP.
McGuinty promised to govern
with honesty and integrity.
I am not sure how spending
40 million dollars to not build a power plant so that another party member can
be elected falls into either ‘honesty’ or ‘integrity’. Further, I find it highly coincidental that
he resigned on Monday after 20000 pages of damaging testimony about this were
brought to the legislature on this past Friday.
Those documents show that he knew it was actually 230 million dollars spent
on building - well actually - on building nothing - because it was spent on avoiding building
anything. How can anyone say they spend
230 million $ of public money on that and claim integrity? Especially after repeatedly and publically
saying it was ‘only’ 40 million dollars? {**see update below}
He promised to close coal
fired power plants by 2007. I think it
was a good decision to backtrack, but did you hear him say ‘I was wrong’ about
that?
He promised to cut
minister’s pay for running a deficit, and then defended the health minister for
the e-health scandal. In fact, the Auditor
General released a review in which he revealed that McGuinty Government
Officials actively obstructed his investigation into the billion dollar eHealth
scandal.
I didn’t see any provincial
minister reprimanded for the Ornge scandal.
In fact, Deb Matthews only fired Chris Mazza after the scandal became
public and people were made aware he was paid 1.4M$/yr plus benefits for his
excellent service to us. Then she said, the
bankruptcy of the firm(s) involved was “vitally important and necessary steps
needed to restore the confidence of Ontarians in the leadership team
responsible for Ontario’s air ambulance service.” Really?
Bankruptcy is a vitally important and necessary step in integrity? How about avoiding it altogether? BTW, Deb Matthews is being touted as a
potential replacement party leader!
What about the Ontario
Lottery scandal? The G20 secret law that
allowed mass round-up of legitimately protesting citizens? The Stewardship
Ontario scandal?
Jesus called a spade a
spade. He told the Pharisees they were
white-washed tombs, and He did that publically.
Rightly so, because they were deceiving the people. Now before you claim I am putting myself in
Christ’s shoes – something we ought never to propose to do – let me point out
that all my critique of Dalton and his government is not spiritual in
nature. My critiques of his actions in
this rant is entirely that of a citizen of the province and a thinking
Canadian. I don’t purpose to call Dalton
and his government corrupt, or even label them as inept. Let the courts decide that. But as a taxpayer for government services –
for Dalton’s services – I am highly offended.
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/bentley-milloy-clarify-legislative-record-on-release-of-gas-plant-documents-1.996186
** Actually, the PC energy critic now says it was more like a BILLION dollars. Hello!
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/50363
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mcguinty-offices-project-vapour-tried-to-manage-power-plant-fallout/article4619960/
** Actually, the PC energy critic now says it was more like a BILLION dollars. Hello!
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/50363
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mcguinty-offices-project-vapour-tried-to-manage-power-plant-fallout/article4619960/
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