I’m just going to point out a few recent events here, and let’s see if you can spot a worrying pattern.
(1) Dalton McGuinty introduces full-day Kindergarten. (And the ETFO loves it!!!)
(2) Michael Ignatieff marvels at Dalton’s sheer courage and audacity to bring such an expensive program in at a time when the economy is in fragile recovery-mode and Ontario is a Have-Not Province. In fact, he exclaims with unabashed hero-worship:
“When I see a Dalton McGuinty get up in the teeth of a recession, in the teeth of a deficit, and commit to full-day kindergarten, I am proud to be a Liberal,” he told the crowd.
(3) Mr. Iffy announces big National Childcare program – “I’m not going to allow the deficit discussion to shut down discussion in this country about social justice.” Oh my, how very Daltonesque of you!
(4) Expert predicts costs for daycare will rise as a direct result of Full-day kindergarten.
Mmmm….
So is Mr. Iffy taking a page from Dalton’s book? Or worse, is he planning an Ontario bail-out if he becomes PM?
Monte Solberg suggests it wouldn’t take much to twist Dalton’s arm on this one (H/T Liz J):
…Sure the provinces will roll over if the Liberals throw enough money at them. They certainly did last time. But the government doesn’t have any money, except what it squeezes from taxpayers who can’t afford to pay more. And still there’s that deficit that could choke a horse.
But let’s say for argument’s sake that we agree to spend billions to box up little Timmy and mail him off every morning to the Gradgrind Educational Institution.
How then do we afford Iggy’s other important social justice imperative — providing a year’s worth of Employment Insurance benefits for only eight weeks of work? Geez I guess Iggy’s view is that you enter state care when you’re eight months old, and you never really leave it…
What a team.
Dalton and Mr. Iffy —> Looking after Ontarians and Big Public Unions on the backs of taxpayers and their offspring from wealthier provinces.
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