After a five-month break for Question Period, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath used her first question to highlight the 10,000 teaching positions that will be lost over the next five years thanks to PC government budget cuts.
Premier Doug Ford denied her claims and suggested his government is actually investing in the education system.
“Our government has invested over $700 million back into the classroom, that’s more money than any government in the history of Ontario.”
Horwath came back saying budget cuts do not benefit anyone.
“I would suggest if you want a world-class education system you don’t get there by firing the people who deliver it.”
The NDP also highlighted how the opposition was disappointed they couldn’t demand answers from the Premier for over 5-months.
Meanwhile, the PC government came under fire for an increase in hydro bills.
Energy Minister Greg Rickford blamed the previous Liberal government when it comes to the increase.
An opposition MPP asked why the Ford Government has allowed hydro rates to go up to which Rickford replied they inherited a mess, an unmitigated disaster.
“We took important steps immediately over the past year and a half to reduce costs system-wide, to introduce legislation and repeal some to get us to a place where we can cut costs.”
The opposition continued to pressure the government saying the PCs are failing to lower bills and allowing them to get higher.
Finally, Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant is on the mind of a local MPP as he introduced legislation at Queen’s Park.
Liberal Michael Gravelle introduced the private members bill to require that public bodies that purchase mass transit vehicles may only consider eligible bids that meet certain conditions. These conditions include a requirement for at least 60% of the part of the bid price relating to materials, overhead, labour and profit to be an account of materials, overhead, labour and profit originating in Canada.
He adds he wants all assembly of mass transit to be done in Canada.
Gravelle will be debating the bill on Thursday, October 31st.
