Ontario Provincial Elections 2003

October 4, 2003

MQM Canada Congratulates Liberal Party for their

landslide victory in the Ontario Provincial Elections!

Central Organizer of MQM Canada along with several MQM

workers & supporters attended the victory celebrations of Liberal

MPP elect, Mr. Bob Delaney and greeted him over his victory from Mississauga West riding.  Mr. Delaney appreciated the efforts

of all the volunteers in his campaign.

more pictures

Elections Resource Page by MQM Canada

MQM Canada urges local community to actively participate in Ontario Provincial

Elections on October 2nd by exercising their right to vote...click for details

Elections Ontario

(Official Web Site)

Major Parties and their Platforms:                                        

The Ontario Liberal Party's platform theme is "Choose Change." A slogan they hope will attract the 60 per cent of Ontarians who have said in public opinion polls they believe it's time for a new government. The Liberals, led by Dalton McGuinty, highlight six main points in their campaign:   Education Have 75 per cent of students meet or exceed the provincial standard in provincial tests Put a cap of 20 on the class size for early grade classes Daily reading, writing and math classes Make it mandatory to continue education until age 18, either through academics or work preparation Government Set fixed dates for provincial elections Put limits on fund-raising by political parties Increase the power of the provincial auditor Require cabinet ministers to attend Question Period; provide more independence for MPPs Improve the transparency of agencies, Crown corporations and appointments Health Ensure cost-effective public health services to fight things like SARS and West Nile Virus Open 1,600 new hospital beds in the province Scrap the Progressive Conservative government's decision to increase nursing home fees by 15 per cent Improve people's health in the work place and schools; provide more assistance to expectant mothers Economy Freeze taxes, work to strengthen core services Work to attract new investment Increase access to post-secondary education, in part by freezing tuition fees; double the number of apprenticeship spaces Strengthen trade ties with the U.S.; expand them with other countries Improve investor confidence in Ontario’s capital markets Communities Close coal-fired power plants by 2007; require Ontario electricity suppliers to obtain five per cent of their supply from clean, renewable sources by 2007; 10 per cent by 2010 Help businesses and homes cut consumption Implement the Walkerton report to ensure safe water Protect tenants, increase supplies of affordable housing Protect greenspace; control development and sprawl Divert two cents per litre of gasoline sold, an estimated $312 million per year, to municipalities to fund public transit Put 1,000 more police on the streets; add more prosecutors too Protect kids from Internet crime Crack down on deadbeat dads Purchase thermal imaging systems for firefighters to find victims in dense smoke Auto insurance A Liberal government would freeze auto insurance rates immediately and pass legislation requiring a 10 per cent cut in rates. This would be covered by restructuring the way auto insurance works in Ontario. Work to control medical costs stemming from accidents and to ensure that insurers pass those savings along. Improve consumer protection, including an auto insurance watchdog.

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party has picked The Road Ahead as its theme. It's pushing the experience of its leader and team who have held power since 1995. The party, led by Ernie Eves, has highlighted the following issues:   Tax cutting, taxpayers’ rights Will introduce a mortgage interest tax deduction that could save homeowners up to $500 per year   Will introduce a property tax break for seniors   Tax deductions for family caregivers   Tax relief for job-creating businesses   Protect taxpayers against municipal tax hikes without their consent   Hire quality auditors to make sure hospitals, school boards and municipalities are spending tax dollars wisely Fiscal prudence Will continue to balance the budget and pay down provincial debt. Health care Shorter waiting times for things like surgery and MRI scans -- guaranteed to be within recommended medical limits Provide more doctors, more nurses and more hospitals Education High school students will have to prove they can read and write before being allowed to graduate Job action by school employees will be banned during the school year Crime, consumer protection Funding for at least 1,000 more front-line police officers Second convictions for drunk driving and illegal racing will result in lifetime suspension of driving privileges, plus seizure and sale of the driver’s vehicle Crack down on welfare fraud Pass a 'lemon law' requiring manufacturers to replace cars and other consumer goods they can't fix in three attempts Tough new laws to control unwanted telephone marketing calls and fraudulent sales Immigration Negotiate a 'made-for-Ontario' immigration solution to give the province the power needed to bring in needed skilled immigrants while securing its borders against criminals and terrorists Prevent illegal immigrants and deportees from using OHIP (the provincial health plan) End legal aid for refugee and immigrant claims Transportation Will build highways and transit in accordance with the Smart Growth plan for Ontario Immigration Negotiate a 'made-for-Ontario' immigration solution to give the province the power needed to bring in needed skilled immigrants while securing its borders against criminals and terrorists Prevent illegal immigrants and deportees from using OHIP (the provincial health plan) End legal aid for refugee and immigrant claims Social services Shared Care teams - consisting of outreach workers, nurses, doctors and psychiatrists - to bring health and mental health services to the homeless. The teams will have the power to take homeless people into care when, in the team's opinion, it is necessary for their protection

The Ontario NDP Party is branding its campaign publicpower. By that it means public control over certain key spheres of life in the province, such as health care, water, hydro and education. Led by Howard Hampton, the party's platform takes aim at the following key issues:   Hydro Stop privatization of hydro Ensure clean, reliable public power at cost Health care Extend public home care Create 100 new community health centers Cancel government plants for private medical facilities like MRI and CT scan clinics and hospitals Drinking water Keep supply of drinking water public Protect water from source to tap Education Create an Education Excellence Fund to take the politics out of education funding No public funds for private schools Higher education Ensure no student is denied a place for financial reasons Cut tuition by 10 per cent Workers Increase minimum wage to $8 per hour Ban the use of strikebreakers Treat injured workers fairly Protect pensions from inflation -- allow them to follow workers from job to job Tenants Freeze rents for two years Build 32,000 units of affordable housing Increase shelter allowances Transportation Lower transit fares, shorten waits Reduce gridlock with a dedicated transportation trust fund Child care Reduce child care fees to $10 per day for children aged 18 months to five years in non-profit, regulated child care Create 20,000 new child care space