Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Who Cares About Toronto?
The Toronto Board of Trade is working hard to obtain the answer to a vital question in this provincial election campaign – Who cares about Toronto? Which party and leader will tackle the challenges facing our city and business community?
Over the past two weeks, your Board of Trade has been the only organization in Toronto to have the three major party leaders address our membership. More importantly, we challenged all three to respond directly to our election agenda:
- Create a better climate for economic growth through tax reform,
- Invest in public transit to relieve congestion, and
- Upload social program costs from city taxpayers back to the province.
The Leaders Respond!
Here, in order of their appearances, are the leaders’ responses to our election agenda…
TBOT Agenda | NDP Response | Liberal Response | PC Response |
| Economic growth o Eliminate the Ontario capital tax immediately o Reform PST to a value-added tax | Neither idea was addressed in Mr. Hampton’s speech. | Neither idea was addressed in Mr. McGuinty’s speech (previously committed to eliminating the capital tax by July, 2010). | Pledged to follow the existing schedule for capital tax elimination at minimum and to speed it up if possible. Did not address PST reform |
| Public transit o Return to the fair share funding formula for public transit o Provide the GTTA with the tools and powers it needs | Pledged to implement the City’s transit vision by 2012 and to share transit operating costs equally with the City. Dismissed the GTTA as an ineffective body. | Neither idea was addressed in Mr. McGuinty’s speech (repeated existing commitment to ‘Move Ontario’ plan). | Pledged to increase transit funding to $800M/year in Ontario by 2011 through gas/fuel taxes. Pledged to provide GTTA with funding and an ‘improved’ mandate. |
| Upload social program costs | Pledged to upload several programs in his first term and to meet all contracted costs. | Pledged to upload drug and disability benefits program costs, and follow up on provincial review. | Pledged to speed up provincial review and start uploading before 2008 municipal budgets. |
TBOT’s Election Agenda – Standing up for you and your business
You can read the media release about our election priorities HERE. Toronto must remain a great global city with a thriving economy and high quality of life to continue contributing to our province. However, that status is at risk; Toronto has lost tens of thousands of jobs and our economic growth lags the provincial and national averages.
Progress To Date - Our Vote Toronto program is making an impact!
· In August, the Province announced the transfer of Ontario Disability Support Payment and Ontario Drug Benefits Program funding back to the Province over the next four years. This decision will provide the City with approximately $30M-$40M in relief for 2008.
· Uploading is now an important provincial election issue. The major parties have stated publicly that social services and social housing should not be funded through the property tax base. All have promised to address this issue, but differ on the approach and timing.
· Transit funding prospects have improved. The government launched Move Ontario 2020, a $17.5B initiative ($11.5B committed). Opposition parties have made large dollar transit commitments. John Tory proposed a further dedication of gas tax to support transportation/transit and Howard Hampton committed to cost sharing of transit operating costs.
Our Next Steps
The end of our Leaders’ series does not spell the end of our election activities. We will continue to promote your issues and keep you informed.
Visit our website's special Election page (www.bot.com/election) for information about upcoming events, such as our Election Fest local candidate debates, and for responses to our leaders’ survey, expected soon.
Your Board of Trade will continue working to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision on October 10th. Again, I urge you to take that opportunity to Vote Toronto by backing the candidate and party you believe will help Toronto remain a great global city.
Carol Wilding is President & CEO of the Toronto Board of Trade.
Labels: election, Vote Toronto, Wilding
However, this posting was about the Leaders' speeches here at the Board, and about their responses to the specific items they were asked to address.
Mr. McGuinty did not respond to our call for a return to the fair transit funding formula or for increased resources/authority for the GTTA in his speech, and that is reflected in the chart describing the Leaders' remarks.
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