June 4, 2007


MEMBERS' STATEMENTS GOVERNMENT'S RECORD

Mr. Ernie Hardeman (Oxford): Coming once again to a television near you: More promises that you can't believe from Dalton McGuinty. Almost four years ago, Dalton McGuinty's advertising friends put together a slick commercial where Dalton made his memorable promise. We all remember Dalton McGuinty standing in front of a red brick wall looking Ontarians in the eye in living rooms across the province and saying, "I won't raise your taxes, but I won't lower them either."

The people of Ontario believed him. Then, in record time, Dalton McGuinty broke that promise with the single largest tax hike in Ontario history. He went ahead with the tax hike even though he had to change the law to do it. He had to amend the Taxpayer Protection Act, the very law that was meant to protect Ontario's taxpayers from people like him.

Now he has the nerve to make the same promise again, but he says he really means it this time. He says that he won't break it this time, and he expects Ontarians to believe him again. The people of Ontario are smarter than that. They have seen this movie before, and they know how badly it ends. They know that Dalton McGuinty tried to make fools of them, they know that the Dalton McGuinty government will say anything to get re-elected, and they know that a man is only as good as his word. People should be able to believe their politicians, but after breaking more than 50 promises, Dalton McGuinty has proven he is untrustworthy. No amount of slick advertising and fancy commercials will make the people of Ontario trust Dalton McGuinty or believe his promises again.

The reviews are in, the movie bombed at the box office.