JOHN TORY TAKES HIS SEAT

On Tuesday, John Tory took his seat as the MPP for Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, and as the leader of the Official Opposition.

John Tory will lead the Official Opposition in the Legislature, holding the governing Liberals to account for the state of Ontario’s finances, health care, agriculture policy and other issues that affect Ontarians. He will also oversee the development of a new platform for the Progressive Conservatives to take into the next provincial election.

In his first day as Leader of the Official Opposition, John Tory asked the Premier about Ontario’s ballooning deficit, and the lack of any plan to deal with it. He also pressed the McGuinty Liberals on their record on health care, and their inability to inform hospitals of their funding for the next fiscal year, which begins on April 1st.

Although he will be tough on the McGuinty Liberals for their lack of any plan to tackle the problems facing the province, John Tory also hopes to rebuild Ontarian’s faith in the political process. During his maiden speech on Tuesday, John Tory said:

The opportunity for individual members of provincial Parliament to make a real difference, regardless of where they sit, is at a low ebb today, and I would like to work with the other parties and with all members to see if we can reverse that.

When you think of the challenges we have in the province, whichever ones they are -- all the ones that have been discussed today and all the ones that will be discussed going forward -- and when you think about the talent that exists in this chamber on all sides of the House to help address those challenges, I think it really is time for us to get all hands on deck.

I am proud to be a part of John Tory’s team, and I know that he will make a tremendous representative for his riding, and will by his very presence elevate the level of debate in the legislature. We need his voice speaking out for the people across this province whose voices are not being heard by the governing party.