(Toronto, Ontario) – Today, a clear majority of Ontarians voted for fairness and against Hudak’s reckless cuts, costly tax giveaways to wealthy corporations, and wholesale firing of 100,000 public sector workers. This should serve as a warning to the Progressive Conservative Party that there is no appetite for emulating American Tea Party-style politics in this province.
The Liberals should work to improve the budget introduced last month, while following through on their promises of a public pension that mirrors the Canada Pension Plan, wage increases for vulnerable workers and investment in infrastructure. Ontarians have rejected Hudak’s radical and rash fiscal approach, and now further cuts to public services and privatization should be abandoned.
Progressives across the country have been watching closely knowing that a Hudak victory would have set a dangerous precedent. The outcome of this election sends a clear message to right-wing politicians: introduce U.S.-style anti-worker platforms at your peril.
On behalf of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), I congratulate all of those who have worked tirelessly over the last several months to stop Tim Hudak’s Conservatives from winning this election. We have defeated a radical plan that would have stripped workers of their collective rights, slashed pensions and driven down wages across the board. This work has also helped elect many MPPs who will be a strong voice for working people. Unfortunately, we have also lost some stalwart defenders of the public good who will be greatly missed.
For the OFL and the labour community, the work does not stop here. Both municipal and federal elections are on the horizon and the labour movement will continue to press for policies that support working people and build a fair Ontario. These include expanded workplace rights, good pensions for all, and concrete measures to address youth unemployment, curb the rise of precarious work, reduce income inequality, and stem the tide of austerity once and for all.
Sid Ryan
President
Ontario Federation of Labour
