The Liberal MPP for Huron-Bruce says the budget introduced in the Ontario Legislature is a work of fiscal responsibility that calls for sacrifice.
Carol Mitchell says Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has taken the only direct route possible in getting rid of the province’s 21.3-billion dollar defecit.
Mitchell says the 126-billion dollar document respects the need to keep repaying debt while being vigorous in balancing the books within eight years.
The Agriculture Minister says the time has come for the McGuinty government to make hard decisions and that the public sector has a role to play.
Mitchell says the measures contained in the spending plan are the only way to help maintain existing levels of service in health-care and education.
She says imposing wage-freezes on non-union public sector workers and holding off on wage increases for MPPs over the next two years is a tough but necessary approach.
Mitchell says the two-year wage-freeze period will generate 750-million dollars to help run Ontario hospitals and schools.
Mitchell says the province won’t go after unionized public-sector workers and will leave existing labour contracts alone.
Nurses and teachers are among those who won’t get a raise for the next two years once their current collective agreements lapse.
The wage-freeze will not affect municipal workers or police.
The budget also contains 63.5-million dollars to help replace federal money that’s being withdrawn from child care funding.
The budget projects Ontario’s economic growth at 2.7 per-cent this year, 3.2 next year and again in 2012, and an even three per-cent in 2013.