News Releases    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 27, 2003

Tory infomercial shows contempt: OPSEU

TORONTO - OPSEU President Leah Casselman said today’s Conservative budget infomercial, broadcast from the Magna auto parts plant in Brampton, shows utter contempt for the people of Ontario and for their own employees.

Casselman, at Queen’s Park for an Ontario Federation of Labour briefing on today’s “fake budget,” again condemned the government for taking the budget outside of the Legislature. The opposition, the major media, constitutional experts and several government MPPs have criticized the process.

“The public is just getting a taste of the kind of treatment our members get from this government on a daily basis, utter contempt,” Casselman said.

The tax cuts in the budget showed Ernie Eves has failed to learn from Walkerton, she said. “You can’t have tax cuts without service cuts, and you can’t have service cuts without people being put at risk.” “Anyone who says you can is lying.”

“The continuing contempt for our members and for the public is shown by $14 million in cuts to the Ministry of Natural Resources after four lives were recently lost by employees of that Ministry in a helicopter accident. They still don’t get the connection between quality public services and public safety and security.”

“The spectre of Mike Harris is still haunting Ontario,” she said of the former Premier who sits on Magna’s Board. “Fortunately, we’ll all soon have the chance to pass judgement on the spiteful and anti-democratic actions of this government.”

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For further information:

David Cox, OPSEU Communications: 416-443-8888 (ext 314)