Ontario Liberal announcements put Ontario families first

In the past couple of days, the Ontario Liberals have come up with some solid policy announcements that show how Liberals are committed to delivering results, not reckless rhetoric for Ontario families.

At Summer Fling last weekend, I was proud to stand behind Dalton McGuinty as he showed his commitment to families and youth by adopting a policy that started out as a Young Liberal idea - extending the grace period for paying back OSAP loans should a student choose to enter into the not-for-profit sector. This will help young Ontarians and their families be more financially secure as they transition into full-time work.

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2011/08/13-liberals-grads-loans-sudbury.aspx

Liberals are also supporting families with the new Family Caregiver Leave

http://www.news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2011/08/helping-caregivers-spend-more-time-with-sick-family-members.html

This would help protect Ontario families jobs when they have chosen to help take care of a loved one at home.

Families are at the heart of the Ontario Way, be they caring for one another, helping to create jobs, or providing strong social stability, and the Ontario Liberals are offering real ways to support them in all the things that they do.

Tim Hudak vs. Full Day Kindergarten

Today, Ontario is announcing the last stage of the rollout of full day kindergarten. In a highly competitive, globalized, knowledge-based economy it is absolutely essential that Ontario invest in the younger generation to ensure that we build a powerful workforce that can compete and win against the best anywhere on this planet, and investments in families like FDK go a long way to securing Ontario jobs and strengthening our economy.


And up until last weekend, reckless rookie Tim Hudak wanted to scrap this program. But, in his slick, angry, and dark scheming unveiled over the weekend, Tim Hudak - just as he has on human rights, the HST, and creating Ontario jobs – has flip flopped.


What once was a “frill”, he now says he’ll keep. After saying he would “freeze” the program and create two-tier schools, he now says it would be “a mistake to disrupt its implementation”.


Despite his flip-flop, with a $10 billion dollar hole in the middle of his platform, important investments in Ontario families and the future of our economy like FDK would be at risk from Hudak’s reckless rookie schemes. The last PC government promised “funding for education will be guaranteed”, and Ontario families saw schools being closed, students locked out, and less investment in children.
Ontario must continue to keep moving forward with a solid plan for investment, not reckless rookie scheming and flip-flops.