August 18th, 2010

McGuinty Gambling Away Ontario’s Future

(QUEEN’S PARK) –  Last week the McGuinty Government announced that they have given Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) the authority to establish an online gambling site in the province.  This is just another example of how out of touch the McGuinty Liberals are with real issues facing Ontario families.

Ontario has recently gone through one of the toughest economic periods in its history.  Family budgets are strained, schools need repair, hospitals require more beds and we are in desperate need of energy infrastructure. Ontarians are looking for a plan to return to prosperous times; instead they are receiving new schemes to shore up Liberal Government coffers.

The root of this plan was born out of necessity by the McGuinty Liberals who’s out of control spending created a record breaking $24.7 billion deficit for Ontario.  The Liberals expect that their gambling site will raise $100 million per year when established but they fail to take into account the societal costs that we will incur.

“This is just another cash grab by the McGuinty Liberals that targets the most vulnerable in our society,” says Savoline.  “It is unfortunate that the McGuinty Liberals are using the painful addiction of some of our citizens to fuel their own addiction to spending tax payer’s dollars.”

What is more surprising is that Dalton McGuinty is expanding the responsibility of the OLG, an organization that only months ago was in the heat of a spending scandal.

“The OLG has time and time again shown that they struggle with transparency,” says Savoline.   “And now the McGuinty Liberals want to charge them with the task of setting up online gambling for the province?”

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For more information contact:

Joyce Savoline, MPP

(416) 325-5362