In this legislative session, the McGuinty Liberals continued their track record of broken promises and not being straightforward with the people of Ontario. Dalton McGuinty and his Cabinet Ministers avoid answering clear and direct questions each day during question period. The examples of Liberal doublespeak from this session include:

• Changing again their timeline to deliver a balanced budget for the third time in two years; 
• Admitting that they will not be able to keep their commitment to shut down Ontario’s coal-burning power plants by 2007; 

• Cutting $47 million in funding to communities across the province instead of fulfilling their commitment for a new deal for municipalities;
• Claiming a deal with the federal government was worth $5.75 billion in new money when most of it was recycled money that had already been allocated; 
• Abandoning their previous standard against taxpayer subsidized ministerial expenses by allowing the Economic Development Minister to charge thousands of dollars in expenses for swanky hotels, theatre tickets, and suits to his riding association; 
• Failing to uphold Mr. McGuinty’s own standard for Ministerial conduct in light of information suggesting Minister Takhar has been involved in private business while a Minister.

The Liberals continue to deserve the label of Fiberals, not just for one broken promise – but from an ongoing record of promising one thing and doing another. There have been 50 broken promises since their election. That is one broken promise for every 12 days. This is not a government that understands the first thing about integrity.

In contrast to the McGuinty Liberal record, the PC Caucus has been able to achieve many notable accomplishments this session. These include:

• Convincing the Liberals that the flawed adoption legislation was not ready for passage due to its lack of adequate protection of privacy rights;
• Exposing $170 million that the McGuinty Liberals are wasting to fire employees, close offices and then hire back some of those people and hundreds more in their latest health care boondoggle;
• Providing strong opposition to the budget and its missed opportunities to pay down the deficit and genuinely address waste and inefficiency;
• Exposing the lack of real science behind the boundaries of the Greenbelt;
• Obtaining unanimous support from MPPs to improve decorum in the Legislature;
• Getting the Liberals to endorse a motion to make the Ministry of Agriculture a lead ministry and provide much-needed assistance to farmers.

PC Caucus members had two Private Members Bills passed during this session: Ernie Hardeman’s Farm Implements Amendment Act, 2005 and my bill, the Apprenticeship and Certification Amendment Act, 2005 for the development of a Fuel Technician apprenticeship program.