Premier Wynne prorogues Ontario Legislature

Liberals tol set new agenda for government with Monday's throne speech

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne is proroguing the legislature, setting up a throne speech for Monday.

A throne speech allows a government to press the restart button two years before the next election. They will have the opportunity to set priorities for the rest of the term.

A Forum Research poll conducted in August found if an election were held at the time of the poll, the Liberals would receive 28 per cent of the vote. This would make it the official opposition in a Progressive Conservative minority government.

Party leaders were quick to comment on the situation, once the news broke about the Liberal’s plans.

In a tweet, Premier Wynne compared her decision to prorogue government and “refocus on what’s important” to decisions families face heading into the fall.

The leader of the Official Opposition, Patrick Brown, called this decision a smoke screen — to hide the government’s failures.

“What’s more, every failed policy decision this Government has made for the last 13 years has made life more unaffordable for Ontarians,” Brown said in a statement. “Unfortunately, today’s prorogation distraction tactic is too little, too late.”

NDP house leader Gilles Bisson said he hopes the government uses the throne speech to readdress some important policy issues.

“If the Premier is really determined to turn the page, then she can prove it in Monday’s throne speech by halting the sale of Hydro One, reversing her deep cuts to healthcare, and committing to good jobs for the future,” Bisson said in a statement.

About this article

By:
Posted: Sep 9 2016 12:41 pm
Edition:
Filed under: News