McGuinty Government pulled trigger which killed Toronto Expo Bid, MPP Arnott says

Standing up again for tourism in Ontario, Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott chastised the McGuinty Liberal Government for choosing partisan attack style politics over the public interest, effectively killing the Toronto Expo 2015 bid to host the world’s fair.

Mr. Arnott is the Ontario PC Critic for the Minister of Tourism, and he made his statement in the Ontario Legislature on November 2nd. The following is the text of his remarks in the House:

Mr. Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): In spite of the best efforts of the City of Toronto and the proponents of Toronto Expo 2015, I’ve been told that the bid is dead and the McGuinty Liberal Government has to assume responsibility for pulling the trigger.

More than a week ago I stood in this House as the PC Critic for the Minister of Tourism, and called upon the Provincial Government to work cooperatively with the City of Toronto and Federal Government, to recognize the potential economic benefits which would be realized across the Province, to set aside their partisan differences, prioritize this challenge, share the responsibility, and work together to send the strongest possible bid for Toronto Expo 2015.

But no, this was too much to ask of this McGuinty Liberal Government. For they’re in election mode, they are taking the advice of an American political sleaze merchant, James Carville, who is telling them to attack, attack, attack, and they have brought federal-provincial relations to a new low such that cooperation becomes next to impossible.

This Provincial Government which will say anything to get elected, including contradicting the truth. They are entirely abdicating Provincial leadership by blaming the federal government for all their shortcomings, and today’s disappointing news about the Expo bid is yet another example.

John Tory said today: “Ontario needs a strong Canada and Canada needs a strong Ontario.” I couldn’t agree more.

But if they keep this up, and continue to poison the relationship with the federal government, we’re in for a long year of partisan bickering leading up to the election where little benefiting the people of Ontario will get done.