Liberal, NDP, Tory – Same Old Story. Time For Fresh Thinking Is Now

NEWS
With the Legislature set to rise for the summer, Green Party of Ontario (GPO) Leader Mike Schreiner expressed disappointment with the Liberal government’s old ways of approaching the challenges of the 21st-century.

Schreiner renewed the Green Party’s commitment to policies that promote the health and well-being of all Ontarians. Instead of cutting funding for the special diet allowance for Ontario’s most vulnerable, the GPO is calling for an Ontario food strategy to support local farmers and processors while insuring access to healthy local food for all Ontarians. The Green Party believes preventing illness should be the top priority in addressing challenges facing the health care system.

Schreiner criticized the government’s non-response to this session’s Environment Commissioner of Ontario’s reports which proved Liberals have no plans for energy efficiency and conservation or for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of cutting funding for transit, the Green Party would make energy efficiency and conservation, especially in the transportation and building sectors, a key priority – as this is the most financially responsible and effective approach to meeting Ontario’s energy needs and addressing climate change.

Schreiner called for a community-focused energy strategy for Ontario, not secretive backroom deals with multi-national corporations such as Samsung. The Green Party supports using the Feed-in-Tariff program as an economic opportunity for all Ontarians to become green energy entrepreneurs, stimulating local job creation.

The GPO believes that handing over Ontario’s sales tax authority to Stephen Harper and the Conservative government in Ottawa, as the Liberals have done with the HST, takes Ontario in the wrong direction. As the only party offering an alternative tax reform package, Schreiner advocates a Green Tax Cut to reduce income and business taxes to stimulate job creation and charge levies on waste, pollution and unsustainable resource use to reward businesses and individuals for choosing sustainability.

QUOTES
“Ontarians want to live green. The old political parties offer the same, tired approach. It’s time for fresh thinking and bold ideas so that Generation Green can lead Ontario into the 21st-century building a prosperous green economy that nourishes our communities and promotes health and well-being. ”
– Mike Schreiner, Leader, GPO

“This session should be dubbed the Spring of Lost Opportunity. Ontario has a chance to boldly step into the future – where once we led the world, today we are playing catch-up. Billion dollar backroom deals and handing over our tax system to Stephen Harper is wrong. It’s time for fresh thinking – it’s time for the GPO.”
– Mike Schreiner, Leader, GPO

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Contact:
Jaymini Bhikha
(416) 275-8573