“Ontario — a key engine of Canada’s economy and a cornerstone of the nation’s fiscal framework — is struggling. The province is shouldering an increasingly heavy load when it comes to supporting other regions and filling Ottawa’s coffers. With Ontario stretched to its financial limits, and the federal government still comfortably in the black, some are asking whether Ottawa is killing its golden goose.”
(April 15, 2005, Canadian Financing Quarterly)
CIBC World Markets Report
“We need to grow the pie, not try and shrink it. We need to take a look at what’s good for Toronto. What’s good for Toronto will be good for the rest of the nation as well as any other large urban centre. That’s where prosperity is created. Study after study has shown that. We just need to buy into it and think about what’s the right thing to do for our country and for our cities.”
(April 20, 2005, CP24)
Glen Grunwald
CEO Toronto Board of Trade
“The sheer magnitude (of the gap) weighs on an already burdened economy, taxing the Ontario government’s ability to invest in a strong, vibrant provincial (and hence national) economy.”
(April 16, 2005, Ottawa Citizen)
Warren Lovely
CIBC World Markets senior economist
“The federal government has long taken relatively more out of Ontario to support less well-off provinces.”
(April 16, 2005, Ottawa Citizen)
Warren Lovely
CIBC World Markets senior economist
“It’s critical. We support (the) Premier … in that (narrowing the gap) 100 per cent.”
(March 10, 2005, Toronto Star)
Glen Grunwald
CEO Toronto Board of Trade
“We fully endorse the unanimous resolution of the Ontario Legislature on February 21, 2005, calling on Ottawa to narrow the $23 billion gap in net contributions from Ontarians to the federation.”
(February 22, 2005, CP Wire)
An open letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin signed by the Ontario Hospital Association, the Ontario Medical Association, the Registered Nurses Association, the Long-Term Care Association and the Home Care Association
“We continue to believe that investing in Ontario is investing in Canada. Ontarians contribute significantly to our federation. It is fitting that the federal government pay its fair share to the people of Ontario in support of Canada’s health and health care system.”
(Letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin, April 21, 2005)
An open letter to Prime Minister Paul Martin signed by the Ontario Hospital Association, the Ontario Medical Association, the Registered Nurses Association, the Long-Term Care Association and the Home Care Association
“Ontarians are proud Canadians, and are proud of the fairness and sharing that underlie Canadian values and we expect — we need — that fairness to be extended to Ontario.”
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“Ontario is the economic engine of the country — more than 40 per cent of its GDP — and that engine needs to continue to fire on all cylinders.”
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“Right now, Ontario is disadvantaged in a number of areas of federal spending — specifically, in health and social transfers, in infrastructure investments, in immigration settlement and in labour market development.”
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“John McKay is right. He does not understand the issue. If you read the CIBC report, it points out some things that are really important. This extra burden puts a significant drag on the Ontario economy.”
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“Premier McGuinty will be going to Ottawa to talk about the $23 billion gap. There will be a variety of subjects that are part and parcel of the gap, including immigration and corporate tax and labour market development and full per-capita funding for (health) and investments in infrastructure and better financial aid for students.”
(April 16, 2005, Toronto Star)
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“The log-jam will only truly be broken when the Prime Minister agrees to sit down with the Premier and begins to talk about rectifying this fiscal imbalance.”
(April 15, 2005, Toronto Star)
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“If he (the Prime Minister) doesn’t accept the figures that we’re talking about, he’s rejecting the data produced by his own government. It’s the federal government statistics that point to the $23 billion gap.”
(April 14, 2005, Toronto Star)
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“I think we made progress in this sense: There was acknowledgement from Mr. Volpe that this was a serious issue and that he would work hard to intervene with the Prime Minister and with his colleagues in Ontario.”
(April 14, 2005, Toronto Star)
Finance Minister
Greg Sorbara
“Ontarians are committed to a strong Canada. We need the federal government to commit to a strong Ontario.”
(March 16, 2005, editorial in the Globe and Mail)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“Something is fundamentally wrong when we rank first when it comes to generating wealth, but last when it comes to investing in our future prosperity. This $23 billion gap is restricting our ability to build a stronger Ontario for a stronger Canada.”
(March 10, 2005, Toronto Star)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“I am a proud Canadian. I want to make my country stronger. And I know the way to build a stronger Canada is to build a stronger Ontario. Our resolve on this matter will not waver.”
(February 25, 2005, Statement to the Legislative Assembly)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for Ontario’s fair share. We are asking that we keep enough of our wealth to invest in Ontarians, so we can continue to play a leadership role in Canada.”
(February 25, 2005, Statement to the Legislative Assembly)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“I would never sacrifice my country. But I will always stand up for my province. Because my country depends on it.”
(February 24, 2005, Remarks to the Niagara Chamber of Commerce)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“[I]f they allow us to keep more of our own money, we can invest it in enhancing our prosperity, and create further wealth that we can transfer to the rest of the country.”
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“We have the lowest levels of funding for our colleges and universities. We are receiving the second-lowest levels of funding for our health care, yet we’re giving the federal government $23 billion for distribution in the rest of the country. Listen, we have a long and proud tradition when it comes to supporting public services in other parts of the country. But, right now, at this stage in our history, $23 billion is too much.”
(March 1, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“I’m glad Mr. Harper has expressed an interest in this. If anybody else wants to talk to me I’ll take their call as well … We have treated it as a non-partisan issue at the provincial level and we would like to do that federally as well.”
(March 29, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“I’m prepared to meet with anybody on the Hill who is prepared to gain a better understanding of the nature of the $23 billion gap issue, because I think it’s in their interest, as it is in the interest of all Ontarians, that we find a way to come together to begin to address it.”
(April 6, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“I think one of the things you’ve got to do is to stay in touch with your electorate. The people in Ontario are saying, “We’ve got a $23 billion gap, and it’s simply too wide. Let’s find a way to work together to narrow it.”
(April 6, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“[W]e have a continuing issue here that is bigger than me. It’s bigger than my party, any one budget, any one federal party or any one federal government, and it’s not going to go away.”
(April 6, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty
“Ontario’s call for fairness is based upon our desire to continue playing our historic role as Canada’s economic engine. However, federal policy still redirects a disproportionate share of our resources, compromising our ability to make the economic investments we need to compete.”
(April 12, 2005, Queen’s Park)
Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty