Tag Archives: Premier Dalton McGuinty

04.19.11
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PC candidate Jeff Yurek responds to Health Minister Deb Matthews

At the nomination meeting where Ald. Lori Baldwin-Sands was acclaimed provincial Liberal candidate for Elgin-Middlesex-London, MPP Deb Matthews made a rather outlandish claim.

She suggested PC leader Tim Hudak has a true allegiance to ‘Big Pharma’ in Ontario and that’s why he’s running pharmacists as candidates across the province, a reference to popular St. Thomas pharmacist Jeff Yurek, who recently won the provincial PC nomination for EML. Read full story here.

Via a letter to the editor, Yurek responds to Matthews . . .

In response to the allegations made by the Minister of Health, Deb Matthews, it is necessary to clarify her misstatements.
While I am flattered Ms. Matthews would think that I was hand selected by the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Tim Hudak, her statement is false.

Through a democratic process, I was elected from a field of five candidates by the members of the Elgin-Middlesex-London riding association for the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. Mr. Hudak played no role in the nomination process.

I was elected by the party membership because of their confidence in my experience and abilities. I am a husband, a father, a business owner and a healthcare professional who understands and can bring an educated and experienced point of view to Queen’s Park.

It is important to focus on the real issues in healthcare.

Dalton McGuinty has wasted over one billion dollars on the E-Health scandal and one of the top bureaucrats during the scandal was paid $763,000 in 2010, even though he quit in 2009. The bureaucracy of the Local Health Integration Networks consumes resources that would be better used for frontline healthcare.

A Tim Hudak Progressive Conservative government will put an end to E-Health waste, scrap the LHINs and reinvest the money into frontline healthcare.

Jeff Yurek
Progressive Conservative Candidate
Elgin-Middlesex-London

03.19.11
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Return of CAO enhanced by promotion of city clerk

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After seven years of doing without, St. Thomas will re-establish the position of chief administrative officer at city hall with the appointment of clerk Wendell Graves to the post, effective April 4.

Read full announcement here.

It’s a move this corner has endorsed for at least a couple of years, to the chagrin of former mayor Cliff Barwick and more than a few faithful readers who have questioned the move to promote Graves into the office without a full-scale search.

He is more than qualified for the CAO title, he’s proved himself a key asset to the city and the financial implications will benefit city ratepayers.
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01.01.11
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McGuinty has led us all down the green energy garden path

Guest editorial from Ross McKitrick that appeared in the Stratford Beacon Herald. Original piece can be read here.

Anyone remember the Sprung Greenhouse fiasco? In 1987, Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford attempted to boost local employment by subsidizing the building of a massive hydroponic greenhouse operation that its inventor, Philip Sprung, said would turn the province into a world leader in green produce. His plan had failed in Alberta, but in Peckford he found a gullible partner willing to abandon common sense and start signing over other people’s money.

During the construction phase the premier pointed with pride to the hundreds of jobs apparently created. Meanwhile the province kept signing cheques and promising that cucumbers and economic renewal were on the way in equal measure.
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01.01.11
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You can thank Dalton McGuinty for feeling warm and fuzzy about your St. Thomas Energy bill

From the Toronto Star, original article can be found here

Ontario’s Liberal government is forcing utilities to tout the 10 per cent electricity discount on hydro bills every month for the next five years, the Star has learned.

Over the next few weeks, millions of households, farms, and small businesses will begin receiving the new “Ontario Clean Energy Benefit” on their monthly hydro bills.

The measure is designed to offset an expected 46 per cent increase in electricity costs in the coming five years.
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11.10.10
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STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE STEVE PETERS, MPP ELGIN-MIDDLESEX-LONDON

ST. THOMAS—Steve Peters, MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, issued the following statement today with respect to his political future:

“After twenty-two years of elected service at the local and provincial level on behalf of the people of St. Thomas and the broader community of Elgin-Middlesex-London, I have decided that it is time for a change in career when my current term in office expires. Accordingly, I have informed the local riding association President and the Premier that I will not be seeking re-election next fall.

I take this decision with great anticipation about life after politics but an even greater sense of gratitude to the people in this community. It has been a tremendous privilege to work on their behalf for more than two decades. To serve as Alderman, Mayor, MPP, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Minister of Labour and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. But I have always relied on my instincts to guide me. Those instincts tell me that now is the right time for me, personally, to make a change.
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10.05.10
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The Dalton McGuinty government says it’s showing lobbyists the door.

St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital was one of 14 hospitals which used taxpayer dollars to hire a lobbyist to get more money from the government.

Here’s more on the practice from the Toronto Sun …

Health Minister Deb Matthews said Tuesday she will introduce legislation to ban public institutions such as hospitals and universities from using tax dollars to hire consultants who lobby government for more tax dollars.

“There was a day when that’s how business got done,” she said. “We can’t afford that any more.”

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath identified 14 hospitals and nine universities and colleges that retained private lobbyists to approach the government.

“These public dollars should be going into front line services,” Horwath said.
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08.18.10
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Consultation needs to be better defined in LHIN Act

From the OPSEU blog at http://wp.me/pLpCD-7q
opseudiablogue | August 18, 2010 at 7:50 pm | Categories: Health System | URL: http://wp.me/pLpCD-7q

There is no question the Ontario government spent much political capital framing the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) as local decision-making bodies that would be informed by local needs and priorities, made in and by the community.

Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin’s report “The LHIN Spin” makes clear that the legislative underpinnings never supported that rhetoric.

One of the central problems is that the obligation to consult the public is very weakly defined in the Local Health System Integration Act (LHSIA).

The Act does suggest ways in which consultation can take place, but there is no minimum established.
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08.10.10
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Ontario Health Coalition Applauds Ombudsman’s Report on LHIN Spin

Health Coalition Applauds Ombudsman’s Report on LHIN Spin: Demands McGuinty Stop Delaying the LHINs Review, Investigate Poor LHIN Decisions to Cut Hospital Care for Thousands of Residents

TORONTO, Aug. 10 /CNW/ – The Ontario Health Coalition applauds Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin’s report, “The LHIN Spin”. But the Coalition is deeply concerned that the McGuinty government has evaded its legislative requirement to conduct a full review of its Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and the legislation that governs them and is continuing a major round of health system cuts and restructuring while shutting out virtually all public advocates that have expressed concerns or criticized their reforms. Ironically, though the Ombudsman gave credit to the Ministry of Health for belatedly setting proposed standards for LHINs’ public consultation, the Ministry has not consulted with public advocates who have experience trying to work with the LHINs regarding these standards.

Ombudsman Andre Marin reported that the McGuinty government-appointed LHINs have rendered community engagement “meaningless”. He stated that LHIN board members counted conversations on golf courses and in grocery stores as public consultations. He noted that they relied on presentations of the provider organizations to make decisions affecting access to health care for tens of thousands of residents. He was particularly critical of the LHINs for adopting illegal by-laws to meet behind closed doors.
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06.23.10
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Our built heritage should be a treasure for future generations

EDITOR’S NOTE: To clarify information contained this week in the Times-Journal, in fact the vote was 4-3 to repeal the heritage designation. Ald. Heather Jackson-Chapman joined Ald. Bill Aarts and Ald. Lori Baldwin-Sands to vote against the motion. Ald. David Warden was absent from Monday’s council meeting.

Dear Minister Chan,
We are now at risk of losing heritage status for 96 Moore Street. St.Thomas city council voted 5-2 to notify the public and property owners of its intention to repeal the heritage designation for the entire historic Moore Street property,including the now-destroyed school building and grounds,as covered under the Ontario Heritage Act.Will the ministry of culture step in to protect the chapel,music building and outdoor amphitheatre,or will you stand on the side lines,as did former culture minister Aileen Carroll,and allow the destruction to continue,and take what little remains on this historic piece of land.What will it take for the McGuinty government to opens it’s eyes and see the value in protecting not only historic buildings,but historic properties.Our built heritage should be treasured,so we can pass it down to future generations.Our ministry of culture has no teeth,instead of being a guard dog for built heritage,they are a lap dog for developers,who know very well the Ontario government could careless about built heritage and given enough time,demolition by neglect will do the job for the developer,ensuring they can bulldoze the past,and build a condo building and completely erase our built heritage.We are losing our built heritage at an alarming rate and the McGuinty government needs to step up and protect what little remains,and a good start would be telling the owners of 96 Moore Street ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,the 2 remaining buildings and outdoor amphitheatre cannot be torn down,and keep the heritage designation so future generations will not have to fight this battle again.
Sincerely,
Bob Foster
Brampton,Ontario