| Ontario
Budget Responsive to Waterloo-
Wellington, says MPP Ted Arnott
Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott has praised this
year’s Ontario budget, which was delivered by Finance
Minister Janet Ecker in the Ontario Legislature on June
17, 2002.
“I
am very pleased that the Government has balanced the
budget again - that makes it four years in a row the
budget has been balanced. This budget is practical and
reasonable given the current fiscal environment. Education,
health care, the environment and clean water are clear
priorities that are being enhanced, in my view, because
they are central to our future prosperity,” Mr. Arnott
said.
“As
we move forward to improve the quality of life in the
province, I am also very pleased that the Government
will introduce legislation to remove another 50,000
people from Ontario income tax rolls for a total of
745,000 people with lower incomes who will no longer
pay income tax to the province,” he added.
The
Budget speech indicated that while these 745,000 people
will not pay Ontario income tax, unfortunately the federal
government continues to levy income tax in the amount
of $375 million a year on these low income Ontarians.
Mr.
Arnott pointed to a number of significant measures outlined
in the budget, many of which have been brought to his
attention by his constituents in Waterloo-Wellington.
The
budget speech indicated that the Government has reached
85% of its $5 billion debt reduction commitment for
this term of office. Mr. Arnott continues to advocate
for a 25-year provincial debt repayment plan with five-year
interim targets. His Private Member’s Resolution, through
which he tabled that policy in the Legislature, passed
with all party support in 1997.
The
budget also outlined a commitment to spend over $500
million in the next two years on clean, safe drinking
water for the people of Ontario. Mr. Arnott first made
the recommendation in a letter to a former minister
of Environment in July 2000 and then in question period
in October 2000, that a minimum of $500 million should
be allocated for the purposes of helping small municipalities
upgrade their water and sewer systems.
Another
of Mr. Arnott’s Private Member’s initiatives reflected
in the budget is Ontario’s renewed call on the federal
government to address the cuts they made to the funding
program that supports health care in Ontario, and create
an escalator clause – or an arrangement whereby funding
would increase along with rising health care costs.
Mr. Arnott first tabled a resolution in December 1999
and the position was carried forward by former Premier
Mike Harris, and adopted by Canada’s Premiers in a common
front in February 2000. Mr. Arnott’s resolution passed
with all party support on April 13, 2000.
The
speech also announced that funding for school bus transportation
will be increased by $20 million dollars annually in
order to support the development of a new approach to
funding. Mr. Arnott has raised this issue twice in Question
Period along with his colleagues, MPP Brenda Elliott
and former MPP David Tilson. He also sponsored a news
conference for the Ontario School Bus Association at
Queen’s Park in October 2001 so that the organization
could voice its concerns about funding needs.
The
Finance Minister announced that the Perimeter Institute,
a world-class institute for theoretical physics and
quantum computing, is receiving more than $25 million
from the Ontario government in support of scientific
research and technological development. Mr. Arnott supported
the Perimeter Institute in the Ontario Legislature and
attended a June 14 announcement at which he was recognized
for his support by Dr. Howard Burton, Executive Director
of the Institute.
As
part of the Government’s commitment to clean air, the
budget reiterated the Premier’s proposal to introduce
tax-exempt status for biodiesel fuel, which burns cleaner
than conventional diesel fuel. This is a position that
Mr. Arnott supported in communications with the previous
Minister of Environment and previous Minister of Finance
on behalf of a constituent.
Mr.
Arnott has also expressed support for an increase in
provincial taxes on cigarettes as a way to discourage
young people from starting to smoke. The Ontario budget
announced an increase in the tobacco tax by $5.00 a
carton. The move is being done in partnership with the
federal government for a combined increase per carton
of over $9.00.
The
budget made a strong reference to supporting Ontario’s
agricultural communities and agriculture as a major
industry. Mr. Arnott spoke in the House about the importance
of farming in Waterloo-Wellington in his first Member’s
Statement of this Session of the Legislature and had
encouraged a significant reference to agriculture in
this budget.
Mr.
Arnott is also a very vocal supporter of Ontario’s Promise,
a program that works in partnership to help children
by providing mentoring and other opportunities early
on that enhance their development. The budget speech
indicated the Government’s continuing commitment to
this program.
“This
budget is responsive to many of the concerns and ideas
I have heard in Waterloo-Wellington.” Mr. Arnott concluded.
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