Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath said Wednesday she\u2019s concerned that the Ford government\u2019s recent review of the books is laying the groundwork for the privatization of public assets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On the heels of Ford\u2019s theatrical pronouncement that the deficit is deep and the province is in need of\u00a0cash, this week\u2019s release of a review of the books recommended a \u201cdivestiture\u201d and \u201cAlternate Service Delivery\u201d of the Government Business Enterprises \u2013 that\u2019s the LCBO, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), and Ontario Lotteries and Gaming (OLG).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cDoug Ford didn\u2019t campaign on selling public assets, and it wasn\u2019t in the throne speech. But yesterday the President of the Treasury Board was happily telling reporters he’s ready to get started,\u201d said Horwath, who raised the issue in question period on Wednesday, and noted that the LCBO is a profitable venture that helps fund Ontario\u2019s health care system and schools.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe LCBO brings in over $2 billion a year for the people of Ontario, yet the Conservatives\u2019 high-priced consultants now say that they could sell it all for a \u2018one-time cash payout,\u2019\u201d said Horwath.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last Conservative government never campaigned on selling the 407. But they did it anyway and stuck drivers with the bill \u2013 a bill they are still paying. In 2014 the Liberals ran an election campaign insisting they weren\u2019t going to privatize Hydro One. Within months, they were doing exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Horwath urged the Ford Tories to abandon any plan they\u2019re cooking up in the back rooms to sell off any further public assets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the history of disastrous privatization in this province, does this government really believe that a fire sale of public assets makes a lick of sense?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SOURCE – Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP Leader<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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