MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The Progressive Conservatives have an economic plan that can withstand another recession, Leader Tim Hudak said Monday, but declined to give details about where a Tory government would make cuts if the province were to head into the red once again.
“We’ve built our plans prudently, we’ve also made sure there’s a reserve in place,” Hudak said during a campaign stop in Mississauga, Ont.
The Tories have pledged to protect health and education if elected to lead the province, while at the same time cutting government spending by two per cent each year to deal with Ontario’s $14-billion deficit.
Critics worry that means Hudak will impose massive cuts similar to those made by former Tory premier Mike Harris if let into office, and argue his vague promises cannot be trusted.
Asked repeatedly where exactly the cuts would be felt in the event of a deeper recession, Hudak simply returned to his party’s promise to trim the fat at the province’s 630 boards and commissions.
The party has also promised to dismantle the local health integration networks, known as LHINs, which have cost $300 million since they were established in 2007.
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“I know it won’t be easy and I don’t look forward to it, but it must be done and it can be done smart,” Hudak said.
The Liberals maintain there is a $14-billion gap in the Tory platform that would force the party to slash public services or raise taxes – a message Premier Dalton McGuinty continued to hammer away at during an unrelated event in Mississauga.
“He refuses to have (his plan) independently costed by an economist or independently reviewed, I think that should give rise to concerns on the part of all of us,” McGuinty said.
“We know that last time when there was a PC government in Ontario, they made tremendous cuts. They said they wouldn’t, but they did in fact cut our schools and our hospitals.”
New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath said neither one of her rivals could be trusted when it comes to job creation.
“Mr. Hudak’s brought a plan forward that he’s basically suggesting to folks that the savings are there to be found,” she said.
“I guess people have to ask themselves who do they trust to bring change to the province that puts them first without hurting them.”
The NDP has promised to reimburse companies 20 per cent of the wage for new hires for one year, up to $5,000 per worker, with a program that would cost $100 million a year and create roughly 80,000 jobs over four years.
The Liberals, meanwhile, are betting on green energy and improvements to GO train service, as well as a $10,000 tax credit to businesses that hire new Canadians.
The money is meant to offset training costs for up to one year for Canadian citizens who have been in the country five years or less and are in professions such as architecture, accounting or engineering.
Hudak also has railed persistently against the immigrant tax credit, calling it divisive and wrong.
The Tory leader headed to Kitchener after his morning event in Mississauga, where he donned a Kitchener Rangers jersey to play road hockey before arriving in London for an evening rally with supporters.
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