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Jeff Green | Apr 14, 2005

Feature article April 14, 2005

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If you thought this would be a refreshing defence of the Federal Liberals in the midst of their trials and tribulations over sponsorship, you were wrong; those bums should indeed be thrown out.

The Provincial Liberals, on the other hand, the ones that were elected when the Tory bums were thrown out about 18 months ago, have actually started to turn an unresponsive provincial government around. Lets cite a few examples that are relevant to our little corner of the Province. Recently, the Minister of the Environment has received a proposal for a replacement water regulation that would increase the safety of drinking water without forcing the closure of rural institutions and businesses. If the Environment Minister can strong arm this proposal through cabinet and her own department, she will have delivered on a promise she made to fix the water regulation.

Sticking with the Ministry of the Environment. There is a proposal to overhaul the Environmental Protection Act that has also come forward, which is long overdue.

The government has also recently announced a new way of transferring money to rural municipalities to help cover shortfalls created by the previous government when they downloaded services to municipalities and left the municipalities footing the bill. The first thing the new plan does is come forward with money that was owing, but never paid, under the old plan, and then it puts more money forward for a new plan. While no one seems to understand the new plan yet, it looks like it will increase transfers, helping to halt the spiralling increase in municipal taxes.

Although things have not been settled yet, and a teachers strike is not out of the question, indications are the government will be able to patch things up with the provinces teachers as they have with the provinces doctors, and reforms of both the education and healthcare systems are underway. This is a fair weather view of the government to be sure, but the point is that after 18 months they seem to be finding their feet, and are working towards improving things.

Contrast this with what happened in Ontario over the last term of the previous Ontario government, when things just slipped further and further downhill and a hidden deficit was created.

Contrast this with the Federal Government; well, lets not talk about the Federal Government. JG