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“Kathleen Wynne’s sudden interest in the needs of everyday Ontarians is all about her political survival, nothing more." — Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
Toronto (13 Sept. 2016) — The Liberal government of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne needs “the boot, not a re-boot,” says the President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
Refreshing the Liberal brand isn't enough to correct bad decisions
"After two years of lurching from mistake to mistake, the Liberals don’t need to 'refresh their brand,' ” Warren (Smokey) Thomas said today. “They need to call an election.”
"The Speech from the Throne on September 12 is meant to erase the public’s memory of Liberal missteps ranging from the privatization of Hydro One to the “cash-for-access” scandal to their attempt to close provincial schools for children with disabilities," Thomas said.
“The first two years of Kathleen Wynne’s mandate have been all about the love affair between the Ontario Liberal Party and its funders,” he said. “We knew it would be, the minute she hired a retired banker to advise her on the privatization of provincial assets and then promoted him to be her economic advisor generally."
Reasons for reboot: Ontario Liberals lose by-election, drop in polls
“Kathleen Wynne’s sudden interest in the needs of everyday Ontarians is all about her political survival, nothing more," Thomas continued.
Thomas said he expects the Liberals tomorrow to be the same as the Liberals yesterday, only with different messaging.
“The central theme of this government has been austerity — the privatization of public assets coupled with unrelenting cuts to public services like health care,” he said. “That’s not going to change.”
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE