Public Sector Pay Freezes Can Work in Ontario

PC Leader Tim Hudak said last week that Ontarians can look to other western democracies and even to other Canadian provinces to see examples of public sector wage freezes that worked.

Tim Hudak noted that Dalton McGuinty is running a $16 billion deficit, and more than 560,000 Ontarians are out of work. With 55 per cent of all government program expenses going to compensation, something’s got to give – and soon. Premier McGuinty says he has implemented a non-union public sector wage freeze. What is the difference?

In British Columbia, the Liberal government imposed two wage freezes over the past decade in the public sector. New Brunswick and Manitoba expressed their intention to legislate wage freezes, but were able to achieve voluntary concessions from their public sectors.

In the United States, President Obama imposed a two-year pay freeze in 2010 on all government employees outside the military. In the United Kingdom, a wage freeze introduced in the 2010 budget affected teachers, prison officers and the armed forces.

Ontario’s approach to pay freezes has failed. It’s clearly time to get ideas from other jurisdictions where wage freezes have helped rein in government spending. Remember that Ontario is spending $2 million more every hour than it is taking in. Without decisive and effective action from the provincial government, that shortfall will only get worse.

Public Hearing Needed on ORNGE Ambulance

In April 2011, opposition MPP Frank Klees questioned Ontario’s Health Minister about costs and accountability at Ontario’s ORNGE ambulance services. These concerns are growing with each passing day as new revelations surface and are reported in the media. When he questioned the Health Minister last spring, Frank Klees pointed out that costs increased by more than 450% since the McGuinty government converted the Ontario air ambulance and critical care land ambulance service to a not-for-profit corporation. Ontarians have also learned that ORNGE employees on the ‘sunshine list” have increased from 16 people in 2006 to 116 by 2011. Earlier this month, MPP Klees added that it’s time for public hearings on exactly what has happened at ORNGE. The ideal forum for such hearings would be an all-party committee of the Legislature with power to call witnesses. In my view, this is the best way to restore accountability and tell taxpayers exactly how their money has been spent. This is another example of government waste and mismanagement, like e-Health.

Durham Authorized to Elect Regional Chair

An announcement from Ontario’s Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister last week paves the way for the next Regional Chair to be selected in a public ballot. Municipal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne has signed the papers needed for the Durham Region to change the process. This means there are no provincial hurdles remaining. However, Durham Region has more work to do. For example, there must be a public meeting, five of eight Durham municipalities must support the concept of an elected Chair, and there must be approval of regional council. In the past, Durham’s smaller northern municipalities have been reluctant to support an election at large because of concerns that more power would be handed over to the larger, more urbanized municipalities in the south. I intend to support these concerns. However, I am sure there are rules that may offset the balance-of-power issues. That being said, the referendums held in the 2010 local elections showed strong support from the public for an elected chair. Current Regional Chair Roger Anderson has been quoted as saying that Regional Council could deal with this subject in February. In any event, there is time for a decision to be finalized before the next municipal elections in 2014. Previous Regional Chairs have been elected solely by earning a majority vote among the members of Regional Council. Durham Region has over 500,000 citizens. It is larger than some provinces.

Seniors Over 80 Can Renew Health Cards by Mail

Ontario seniors, age 80 and over, can renew their health cards through a mail-in renewal service. In the future, seniors 80-plus can complete and sign the back of their renewal notices and return them to ServiceOntario in a pre-addressed envelope. This means they won’t have to wait in lines or make trips through winter weather to renew their health cards. As the old red and white health cards are being replaced with photo ID that must be renewed, frail seniors are finding it difficult to apply for new cards. I have written Ontario’s Health Minister on this issue, and I am sure similar comments have been forwarded to the Ministry from other MPPs, from individuals, and families. Statistics Canada figures from the 2006 census shows there are about 442,000 people over the age of 80 in Ontario. Of course, those who prefer to renew in person can still visit their local ServiceOntario centre.

Since not all seniors enjoy the same level of health and mobility, I would prefer to see the mail-in option made available to anyone over the age of 65. For that matter, why can’t seniors aged 80 and up simply have their cards automatically extended? There must be a better way, and governments need to find it.

Canada’s Non-Smoking Week: January 15 – 21

During the 35th Annual National Non-Smoking Week held January 15 to 21, Ontarians had the opportunity to take stock of a number of policies that have helped smokers to quit and have cleared the air for non-smokers. For example, smoking is now prohibited in enclosed public spaces and workplaces. Children are protected from second-hand smoke in cars and the so-called power walls that promoted tobacco products in stores have been banned. In Ontario, smokers will get more help to quit through new and enhanced supports, including increased access to nicotine replacement therapy and planned expansion of cessation counseling in healthcare settings, including pharmacies.