Premier McGuinty was positive on the future of Hamilton's public transit, which is great because if you have been following along there has been many hints that the 2010 provincial budget should be really positive for Hamilton's B-Line.
A Spectator interview with Premier Dalton McGuinty
http://www.thespec.com/videogallery/652695
Dalton McGuinty bullish on Hamilton
Eight questions with the Premier
October 14, 2009
Mark McNeil
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/652981
Dalton McGuinty could definitely use a spot of tea.
His government is being scalded by opposition MPPs over the botched $1 billion eHealth program. A cabinet minister has resigned. And the provincial deficit is spiralling during the recession.
Yesterday, at William's Coffee Pub by Hamilton's Bayfront, the premier took some moments of caffeine reflection in an exclusive interview with The Spectator.
He talked about his eHealth woes and how for him it is a cautionary tale about jumping into government initiatives too quickly.
He said he is bullish about Hamilton, especially with planned public transit improvements over the next several years.
He thinks an NHL team belongs here and contends the manufacturing sector has a promising future.
Here are some excerpts from the wide-ranging conversation:
On eHealth:
"I accept wholeheartedly all the findings and recommendations of the auditor. As head of the government, I accept responsibility for failing to bring oversight to the way money was being spent within the ministry and within eHealth.
On provincial finances:
"I'm not sure Ontarians fully understand that just as the global recession has had an impact on the Ontario economy, it has also had an impact on Ontario government finances. We will be called upon to make some difficult choices and we will start to talk about them more publicly ... it is not business as usual."
On the provincial deficit:
"We're borrowing money to stimulate the economy so that it serves the needs of our generation ... it is the right thing to do. But we have to pay some attention to the needs ... (of the next generation) ... (You don't want them to say) 'It's now 2019 and what about my economy? I'm still paying off your debt.'"
On the manufacturing crisis:
"One of the things I think Ontarians need to understand is there is a promising future for manufacturing in Ontario.... It's not the end of manufacturing in Ontario. It is the evolution of manufacturing in Ontario. It's becoming ever more sophisticated in terms of the processes that are used, the products that are produced and the skills that are enlisted."
On future public transit in Hamilton:
"I want us to get to a point where people (working in Toronto) say that public transit is so great that I am going to buy a place in Hamilton. I am going to raise a family in Hamilton. It is so much more affordable. I'll commute and maybe telecommute two or three days a week ... Suddenly you have more opportunities for people to come to Hamilton and enjoy a special quality of life. Take a look at your waterfront here. How many people know about the opportunities along the waterfront? I think only the people in Hamilton."
On an NHL team for Hamilton:
"You couldn't get a better market (for hockey) ... (there is) a ready, committed, fanatical market base here ... A hockey team is one of those things that brings us together and gives us something to cheer for. I would not underestimate that. It's not everything but it is pretty emblematic of a city that is on the move ... it gives you a sense of pride."
On Caledonia:
"We have worked really hard to keep the temperature down, to introduce respect on both sides for the other party, to keep people at the table. There are longstanding concerns that predate Confederation between the aboriginal communities and the federal government ... There are obviously certain incidents that we would have preferred to have never happened. But I do commend the Ontario Provincial Police in particular for working so hard under very difficult conditions ... some days we felt like peacekeepers there. There is an ongoing dispute between the federal government and aboriginal communities and we tried to do everything we could to maintain a civil discourse."
On downloaded social service costs to municipalities:
"In an ideal world ... we would upload everything that had been downloaded. But we can't. We have our own financial obligations. So we put in place a plan to gradually upload the costs and take those on."
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