"Ontarians work very, very hard. Ontario winters are very, very long and Ontarians deserve a statutory holiday in February,'' Finance Minister and Liberal campaign chair Greg Sorbara said.
"I think this is going to be very, very welcome in Ontario. It's something we've talked about for more than a decade.''
But do you believe him and his boss?
John Tory's reaction was certainly one of cynicism and so was that of NDP leader Howard Hampton:
Hampton said the Liberals can't be counted on to keep their promise of a new holiday given that the government effectively killed a private member's bill in 2003 that would have created such a holiday.
"Dalton McGuinty found the time to give himself a $40,000 raise but didn't get around to giving working families a much-needed day off," Hampton said in a statement.
Actually, the Post tells us that this idea has been scuttled by the Liberal majority government more than once in the past:
The Liberals are not the first to propose a Family Day for Ontario. John O'Toole, a Conservative MPP, introduced a private member's bill earlier this year calling for the day as a way to recognize "the importance of the family as one of the great institutions of civilization."
NDP MP Peggy Nash tabled her own bill in Ottawa last February calling for Flag Day, Feb. 15, to be made a holiday across Canada.
So why now?
Well, of course it has nothing at all to do with the upcoming election!
No indeed.
The real reason (or at least what Liberal Finance Minister and Campaign Chairman Greg Sorbara wants you to believe) is that the economy is doing so well now (all of a sudden), that we can finally afford another day off!!!
Never mind all this screaming about Ontario's economic woes just a short while ago with all the equalization scrapping.
Never mind that the manufacturing industry is in a tailspin (oh yeah - that's the Federal Government's worry, right?).
And never mind that McGuinty's record on keeping promises is anything but credible.
Well all I can say to my fellow Ontario lemmings is, if you follow McGuinty off the cliff on this one, be prepared for more disappointment.
* * * *
Wednesday Update: Now this isn't a bad idea - Liberals Promise Dental Care for Working Poor.
But what about low-income seniors???
- Especially those caught in that gap between retirement and before their drug benefits begin at 65.
Many have no dental benefits at all. In some ways they are even more at risk, since their immune systems are weaker and therefore more susceptible to infection if gum disease should occur.
Run with it, John!!!
BTW, Dalton - Does this dental plan addition mean we'll be getting a Dental Tax now to go along with that Health Tax???
And what about a Holiday Tax?
The possibilities are endless.
But what about low-income seniors???
- Especially those caught in that gap between retirement and before their drug benefits begin at 65.
Many have no dental benefits at all. In some ways they are even more at risk, since their immune systems are weaker and therefore more susceptible to infection if gum disease should occur.
Run with it, John!!!
BTW, Dalton - Does this dental plan addition mean we'll be getting a Dental Tax now to go along with that Health Tax???
And what about a Holiday Tax?
The possibilities are endless.
* * * *
Another Promise! Now he's fishing for votes. Check this one out! Some of the comments are a hoot.
At Home in Hespeler - How does more days off help the manufacturing crisis?
At Home in Hespeler - How does more days off help the manufacturing crisis?
26 comments:
What if he promises to keep his promises about his promises this time? Would you vote for him then?:)
mcguinty's decision to promise another long weekend in february just before the his re-election campaign may be opportunistic but that's the name of the game.
are you gonna turn down a long weekend during the dullest month of the year?
i betcha if tory thought to offer us a long weekend instead of bashing the u of o, there'd be more laughs around tory election headquarters this morning.
Jeff, I want mcguinty out more than I want a day off in february.
my vote will not be bought, and promises of rainbows and smiles will not make me change my mind.
oh, almost forgot- if tory had "promised" this, I'd be outwardly groaning because this type of promise is SO high schoolish...will mcguinty promise me no homework, too?
When are we going to stop believing politicians' campaign promises altogether?
Regardless of where it came from, can we get someone to promise (and follow through) on the February holiday idea in New Brunswick?
Jeff, a Tory did think of it. Family Day started in Alberta.
Oh wow, this isn't crass politics at its finest..
"Vote for me and I'll bring in a new holiday!"
Although, yeah, does anyone really believe him?
Well, if you people are silly enough to believe people will vote on the issue of a day off only - you really are dumb.
I don't care, give us a day off - Mike Harris had a chance but answered to the corporations that didn't want to lose money giving a day off to employees. Yes, folks, this is not the first time this has come up - Mike Harris blew it and it doesn't mean we can't deal with it again.
What the hell does joe calgary know about Ontario?
Sounds more like the promises made by high-schoolers running for student council than anything else.
Ontario Lemming Oath
As a resident,taxpayer and voter in the land of the trillium, I promise to follow blindly, rank and file behind the lead lemming and throw myself to my death in a show of support for more broken promises, more hypocrisy, more entitlements,
more job losses, more bloated bureaucracies. Long live the Ontario Liberals one-size-fits all Lemming Land! Individuals, markets, parental choice, be damned.
TangoJulietted sez: the huffin'Puffin sucks and blows, and I am getting VERY, VERY CONFUSED.
Are Ontario winters really "very, very long" and really very, very cold?
If so -- why did McDolt blow a bundle on the Goracle flicks for ALL schools in Ontario? Does the Gory film come sith newsreels, trailers, serials and cartoons, all included?
Is Ontario very, very hot or is Ontario very, very cold? Or has Ontario been very, very compromised and hoodwinked??
Ah, le president Dalt-ON! Q'uelle buffon!!
tj
Jeff, I want mcguinty out more than I want a day off in february.
my vote will not be bought, and promises of rainbows and smiles will not make me change my mind.
You are not the target of the promises, since you will not change your mind for any reason.
Same here.
What the hell does joe calgary know about Ontario?
People who log in under "anonymous" don't hold much moral ground to be ragging on other blog guests who actually self-identify.
Also, I've said here before that I welcome viewpoints from outside the province for perspective, and because they are usually less partisan and more objective.
Bravo Tango! There's a 'gottcha' if I've ever seen one.
In keeping with the "family" theme, McShifty will soon promise even more "quality time" by passing legislation extending the day to 25 hours.
"Ontarians work very very hard and they deserve an extra hour of each day to spend with their loved ones."
"We will also pass legislation to increase the number of sunny days each year."
Anon at 1:48 - Good one. ;)
Because everyone knows that having an extra stat holiday is such a very very IMPORTANT issue.
A holiday which will benefit mostly public employees especially!
PGP - Exactly. Public servants, banks, letter carriers, beer & liquor stores. The usual suspects.
We have family day here in Alberta. Other provinces have holdays in Feb. as well.
I doubt this will make or break anyone's decision to vote for him but won't hurt, thats for sure.
I doubt this will make or break anyone's decision to vote for him but won't hurt, thats for sure.
Well, the point is that McGuinty's Liberals used their majority to vote against such a move when introduced by both opposition parties previously.
Suddenly it's a good idea. What changed? Oh, right. An election.
with all this talk about lemmings I can't believe no one blogging here came up with naming the new holiday
Liberal Lemming Day - it's the day the Liberals blame the Feb. 2 prediction from Wiarton Willy on Mike Harris and Climate Change.
Think of the lawn at Queen's Park filled with folks in the latest in lemmingwear sporting empty wallets, drinking Lemming Lager, singing furry rodent ballads under a statue of the Lead Liberal Lemming.
Gah! Anon, don't give them any ideas!
It does conjure up an amusing mental image though.
Actually Anon, I spend a fair bit of my time in the halls of Treasury in Oshawa... lucky me.
Not to mention two techs, 22 salesman, and the delapitated building I just bought for them in Hamilton... talk about real estate at bargain prices.
No offense Steel Towners, but what a shithole.
Sheila Copps had almost a decade and a budget of about $5 billion and it's obvious she didn't give any of that money to Hamilton.
Maybe he's jealous of the month long extention Harper has just given himself?
Well, the point is that McGuinty's Liberals used their majority to vote against such a move when introduced by both opposition parties previously.
Suddenly it's a good idea. What changed? Oh, right. An election.
And Tory is now "suddenly" opposed to it?
Please! Hypogrites all around.
A holiday in February may be the only thing good that Ontario gets out of Dalton McGuinty's eventual re-election. You might as well enjoy it.
I don't think another holiday is necessarily a bad thing but to wrap it up as part of their election platform? That's just silly.
And as someone who voted for Dalton once, I can't see this issue winning any votes for Dalton. People are more likely to think either he is lying or that it is crass politics. That being said, so far Tory hasn't done anything really groundbreaking either...
LS: At least you're honest about it.
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