Ontario Tories rescind pledge to keep health-care premium

Published Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 12:56PM ESTLast updated Monday, Feb. 07, 2011 1:20PM EST23 comments

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has flip-flopped on a key plank in its campaign platform for the upcoming provincial election, and retracted a pledge to keep the health-care premium.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak repeated his mantra that “all tax options” are on the table when asked by reporters on Monday about the controversial measure that costs Ontario taxpayers up to $900 each per year.

“We are considering all tax options and how to give families a break,” Mr. Hudak said. “We will be discussing in the time ahead what’s going to make the most sense for Ontario families.”

His vague pronouncements were at odds with a statement released by his own party last Thursday, a statement that was reinforced by Tory MPP Sylvia Jones.

“Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak has been very clear,” the statement said. “If elected premier, he would not cut the health tax or Ontario’s health care budget.”

The Tories issued the statement, titled “Minister of Health Lies to Nurses,” in response to a senior Liberal cabinet minister’s campaign-style speech on Thursday morning. Health Minister Deb Matthews insisted in her speech to nurses that Mr. Hudak has every intention of eliminating the health-care premium if he gets elected. Abolishing the premium, she said, would slash the province’s $46-billion health budget by $3-billion and lead to massive cuts in front-line care.

For a brief time last Thursday, it appeared that Ms. Matthews’ speech had the effect of forcing Mr. Hudak to give Ontarians a peek at his campaign platform.

He does not plan to release to document until late April and has been vague about what kind of tax-relief measures he has in mind, including his plans for the health premium introduced by Premier Dalton McGuinty in 2004.

“It is just nothing short of astonishing that they clearly don’t have a plan,” Ms. Matthews said on Monday.

Ms. Jones, the Tory MPP, was initially just a coy as Mr. Hudak during a media scrum last Thursday, where she refused to discuss the fate of the health premium if her party wins the election on Oct. 6.

But 45 minutes after her media scrum ended, officials in Mr. Hudak’s office had Ms. Jones make a series of telephone calls to media outlets, including The Globe and Mail.

“Getting rid of the health-care premium is not an option,” Ms. Jones declared in an interview. “We have no intention of getting rid of the health-care premium.”

Mr. Hudak would not comment on what appeared to be an unequivocal pronouncement sanctioned by his office. The policy flip-flop marks a rare misstep for the Tories under his disciplined leadership. Mr. Hudak is renowned for staying on message.

“When you’ve got the sandbox politics of McGuinty and Hudak,” said New Democratic MPP Peter Kormos, “increasingly Ontarians are saying a pox on both their houses.”

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Tight mayoral races in cities across Ontario

Published Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 10:20AM EDTLast updated Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 1:00PM EDT30 comments

Ontarians head to the polls Monday to elect their mayors, councillors and other municipal officials.

Voters in several cities face hotly contested mayoral races, including in Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, London and Ottawa. Polls are open until 8 p.m. ET.

In Toronto, the battle for the mayor’s chair is between Rob Ford and George Smitherman, who recent opinion polls suggest are virtually tied. Joe Pantalone is running a distant third.

Mr. Ford defined the campaign with his cost-cutting message and Mr. Smitherman, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister who was initially considered the man to beat, was forced to adapt his message.

Given that the polls are so close, turnout will play a huge factor in determining who becomes the city’s next mayor. Advance polls recorded a huge increase in turnout, with 77,397 people casting early ballots.

The divisive nature of the campaign was illustrated this weekend when a Tamil radio advertisement and derogatory signs denigrated Mr. Smitherman’s homosexuality. Mr. Ford, an Etobicoke councillor, said neither he nor his campaign were behind the ads or the signs.

In the most closely watched election in decades in Mississauga, several challengers have lined up to take shots at legendary incumbent mayor Hazel McCallion. In previous elections, Ms. McCallion has taken more than 90 per cent of the vote. She is expected to win again this year, but political watchers will pay close attention to the vote tally to judge whether her support is slipping.

In Vaughan, incumbent Linda Jackson is facing challengers Maurizio Bevilacqua and Mario Racco. Defamatory lawn signs recently cropped up around the city accusing the three front-runners of a mixture of criminal activity and personal transgressions.

In London, Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best is being challenged by Joe Fontana in a tight race. Mr. Fontana, a former Liberal MP, unsuccessfully challenged Ms. DeCicco-Best during the last election.

In Ottawa, incumbent Mayor Larry O’Brien is trailing behind frontrunner Jim Watson, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister. In an unprecedented move, Mr. O’Brien apologized to Ottawa residents earlier this month, characterizing the first two years of his term as a “disaster.”

After polls close at 8 p.m., come back to globeandmail.com for live coverage of the Toronto mayoral race as well as live results for Toronto council seats and key races in the GTA.

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