Fedeli unveils provincial Conservatives' blue book

Committing to cleaning up government waste, investment in health and education and putting more money in people’s pockets, Nipissing PC candidate Vic Fedeli rolled out the rest of his party’s plan today during a news conference in Centennial Park in Callander.

“We’ve always known Ontario is the economic engine of confederation. And if that’s true then Northern Ontario is the engine the fuel of that engine, the economic engine. And that means we provide the lumber and the minerals and the minds for this economic engine for confederation,” states Fedeli with Lake Nipissing in the background.

“But for the last eight years it has not worked that way and we’ve had life, as we know it, be a little bit more uncomfortable with taxes, hydro bills, private sector growth has stalled.”

Fedeli says that people have had enough and it’s time for change in the province and his party’s ‘Change Book’ will bring the relief Ontario families want.

“Really Change Book is all about three things … number one it’s change to put more monies in our family’s pocket books. Number two is to guarantee the services that you need -- services like health and education and other services that you need. And number three change to cancel the waste in government.”

Giving reporters examples of how the three main pillars will work, Fedeli said under their plan families would see a 5 percent reduction on taxes for the first $75,000 which translates to about $258 for every family. He also says families will be allowed to share their salaries for income tax purposes. As well he restates that the HST and debt retirement charge would be taken off hydro, natural gas and home heating bills, meaning another $275 in relief for families. Based on Fedeli’s calculations average family on the low side will be saving over a thousand dollars.

Aside from promising to increase healthcare spending by an extra $6 billion and $2 billion to education, Fedeli announced that every other sector of government will need to trim two percent from their budgets.

“We will be instituting wait-time guarantees for emergency room care, and we will hold hospital CEOs accountable for meeting those guarantees.”

“We will be improving health care for seniors by adding and renovating 40,000 long-term care beds in Ontario. In our four years.”

“With respect to education spending will rise as well. $2 billion increase to education spending by year four. We will implement full-day kindergarten for all schools … four and five year olds in all schools.”

“We also know that strong universities and colleges are fundamental to creating a dynamic recovery and so we will add 60,000 post-secondary spaces. And we will raise the threshold on financial support to make it more accessible for middle-class families.”

Addressing Callander Mayor Hec Lavigne, who was on hand just to hear what the candidate had to say, Fedeli promised that the Ontario PC party would return decision making powers back to municipalities.

“Right now Mayor Lavigne, the Province can put industrial wind turbines right here on Callander Bay without you, your council or any citizen having a say to say ‘No’. That’s the law today under Dalton McGuinty.”

“We are going to restore the local decision-making back to you and your municipality. That’s something that both you and I have felt we were robbed of when I served as Mayor in the City of North Bay.”

“But Hec my personal favourite in Change Book ... and you’ll recognise my fingerprints all over this particular one -- is we will give all municipalities in Ontario the gas tax revenue.”

Fedeli explains the current rules have great inequities as only the 89 communities with public transit systems receive the funds to use for transit and with their plan all 444 communities will receive a share of the gas tax to use how they see best for their community.

Fedeli says don't expect relief at the gas pumps by way of the Ontario PC plan.

"Our relief here is all about the families with their hydro bill that's the way we feel we can bring relief."

"By taking $275 off their hydro bill, their natural gas bill and the debt retirement charge that's going to be our focus. Plus the income tax, plus the income sharing that $1,009 for an average family for an average family is what our plan will contribute to the pocketbooks of families of Ontarians."