NEWS
editionap.ca
Bill 115 is wrong says former education minister GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
mier’s office to be more responsible to both voters and the party for any actions taken. He noted that during his own term as edu- cation minister, he tried to involve all the different groups representing labour, man- agement, and parents in policy planning. “Every measure I brought to the table,” he said, “I shared the power I had to make deci- sions, and better outcomes were the result. You need to have as direct a connection be- tween the government and the people as you can. It’s your actions that give you cred- ibility, not your words.” Kennedy noted that his own family tree is grounded in Eastern Ontario with his fore- fathers moving to Alexandria in Glengarry County from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. He observed that a key issue for rural rid- ings like Glengarry-Prescott-Russell is hav-
ing government policies for health, eco- nomic development, social services and other concerns that meet local needs and expectations rather than what bureaucrats in Queens Park think are the priorities. “It’s about liveability,” he said, “and that we don’t want ‘one size fits all’ solutions. We need to respect the rural community. Matching up needs and preparing people in the right way is a very big deal.” On his campaign website Kennedy has a short video monologue during which he asks voters, both Liberal partisans and those who support the Opposition parties to “take a leap of faith” and keep involved with the government. “We get the politics we deserve,”Kennedy told the Vision. “We need more good peo- ple to be willing to be involved. A lot can get done.”
Rockland | Gerard Kennedy never liked the “carrot-and-stick” approach to dealing with labour issues when he was Ontario’s education minister. He still doesn’t like it and thinks the McGuinty government is making a mistake with Bill 115. “I don’t agree with it,” Kennedy said dur- ing a Nov. 21 phone interview. “I think there are other ways to get good results for the (provincial) treasury and also good results for the students.” Kennedy announced his intention to run for the Ontario Liberal party leadership on Nov. 19 and since then has been doing a se- ries of interviews with both major daily and smaller regional media as part of his open- ing campaign. Bill 115 has become a regular topic of the interviews. As part of new provincial government austerity measures Bill 115 freezes wages for teachers, school support staff and also puts limits on what school districts might be able to offer as benefits during contract talks. The Education Ministry has also indicated it wants school districts and their unions to settle on new contracts before the end of the year whether either or both sides are happy with the deals. When Kennedy held the education port- folio during the first term of the McGuinty Liberal government in 2003, he created a provincial framework for negotiations be- tween school boards and the unions that allowed for wage increases over a four-year period in exchange for labour peace. He thinks that legislation like Bill 115 should not be “hanging over the heads” of the unions and school districts to force them to a settlement when there is no crisis and both sides are negotiating and should be allowed to work out a solution in peace. “I think there are other ways to get good results for the (provincial) treasury and good results for the students,” he said. “There should always be room for creativ- ity.” Prior to his entry into politics, while in Ed- monton attending the University of Alberta Kennedy was executive director for the lo- cal food bank. He later became executive director for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank and during the 10 years he was in charge the metro food bank distributed more than $30 million worth of food every year with- out ever having to rely on any government support funding. Kennedy believes that kind of manage- rial expertise plus what he has learned as an MPP and later education minister, along with his experience during a past campaign for the federal Liberal leadership position would serve him well as the next provincial Liberal leader and Dalton McGuinty’s re- placement as premier. “I see my leadership style as being a cata- lyst,” Kennedy said. “Transforming govern- ment service takes creativity and a willing- ness to take risks. But you’ve got to also create the right environment. It’s in the interests of public servants to help govern- ment to improve.” Kenney sees a need for more collabora- tion in government and also for the pre-
CONSTRUCTION Vente • Sale
CONSTRUCTION Vente • Sale
DERNIÈRE CHANCE DE BÉNÉFICIER DES PROMOTIONS SUIVANTES:
• Ensemble sécurité HIVER ou 750 $ de rabais sur certain modèles
FORD TAURUS SEL 2013
• 1 000 $ comptant au client avec le programme de Fidelité ( sur les nouveaux modeles SUV/CUV pour les clients approuvés)
• 0% d’intérêts sur certains modèles
• Rabais jusqu’à 10 000 $ sur certains véhicules
NOUS SOMMES À LA RECHERCHE DE VÉHICULES USAGÉS, NOUS PAYONS LE MAXIMUM 27,995 $ +taxes
Stock # 12-301
CONSTRUCTION Vente • Sale
CONSTRUCTION Vente • Sale
2900 Laurier, Rockland ON Tél. 613 446-6464 www.rocklandford.ca
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs