Premier’s
visit to Washington more spin than substance, PC Critic
says
Premier Dalton McGuinty’s trip to Washington, D.C. seems
to be more about seeking political credit at home than
it is about substance, says PC Tourism Critic MPP Ted
Arnott.
The
Premier, along with Premiers Gary Doer of Manitoba and
Shawn Graham of New Brunswick, is in Washington until
tomorrow to appear to be advocating for a change in
the US-led Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).
Already
being implemented, the WHTI may soon require all travellers
to carry a valid passport in order to enter the United
States. This would have a devastating impact on Ontario’s
tourism industry, most observers believe, as American
visitors would need a passport to get back home. Most
Americans do not currently have valid passports.
“I
sincerely hope that the Premier makes some inroads on
this important issue,” Mr. Arnott said. “However, the
fact that his office has been unwilling to release a
detailed itinerary of his meetings suggests that the
trip is more about speaking to a domestic audience here
at home, with Washington as a backdrop, than a meaningful
diplomatic mission that will achieve results.”
Back
in May of 2006, Ontario PC Leader John Tory visited
Washington during Constituency Week to advance the interests
of Ontario’s tourism industry. In one day there, he
had ten meetings with Government officials. Upon his
return, he provided leadership in the Legislature on
the issue. He drafted a Resolution and worked with the
other parties in the Legislature to unanimously pass
constructive measures aimed at preventing the damage
to tourism on both sides of the border.
Mr.
Tory recently questioned the competence of the McGuinty
Government, because of their inability to deliver on
past promises to upgrade the security of Ontario’s drivers’
licences. The Auditor General of Ontario has also criticized
the McGuinty Liberals security problems associated with
drivers’ licences.
As
the PC Tourism Critic, Mr. Arnott has been proactive
as well. He has raised the issue many times in the Legislature
for more than a year, and last November he attended
two meetings at the US Consulate in Toronto on the passport
issue.
“At
the very least, we need to see a detailed list of who
the Premier met. I wonder whether the meetings are formal,
or just passing exchanges in the hallways. Tourism operators
deserve to know exactly what he achieved on this trip,”
Mr. Arnott concluded.
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