After having made his presence felt at Ontario racetracks over the past couple of weeks, Progressive Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton issued a press release Saturday, July 21 stating that the Ontario Liberal Party’s plans to decimate the provincial horse-racing industry by walking away from the mutually beneficial slots-at-racetracks program is “nothing more than a desperate and greedy cash grab.”
The contents of McNaughton’s release appear below.
Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of people involved with the Ontario horse racing industry. I have visited horse tracks from Windsor to Kawartha and from Fort Erie to Sudbury. One thing I have heard at every stop is that Dalton McGuinty and Liberal Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s decision to end the successful slots-at-racetracks agreement marked the beginning of the end for Ontario’s horse racing industry and with it over 60,000 direct or indirect jobs (at a time when we already have 600,000 unemployed men and women here in Ontario).
The agreement allowed slot machines into 17 racetracks with a revenue sharing program to benefit all partners. 10% of the revenue went to the tracks themselves, 10% went directly to the people working in the horse industry, 5% to the municipality hosting the racetrack and the remaining 75% was paid to the government of Ontario. The agreement has resulted in over $1 billion in slots revenue being returned to the province last year alone.
Not satisfied with 75% and facing continued bond rating decreases, the McGuinty-government is increasing its take to 100%; squeezing out the horse industry and going back on the existing agreement. In announcing 29 new ‘gaming zones’ the McGuinty government has gone ‘all-in’ for massive new casino expansion while leaving the horse racing industry in its dust.
These changes were announced with a lack of community, industry and stakeholder consultation and with the shameful arrogance of a government that is well past its stale date. They are nothing more than a desperate and greedy cash grab.
Accordingly, I was pleased to introduce Bill 76, ‘Ensuring Local Voices in New Casino Gambling Development Act’. By requiring a mandatory municipal referendum prior to any new casino development, my bill will ensure that local voices are not only heard but also respected and that the local community is indeed a willing host prior to any new casino development.
Bill 76 is now in the crucial committee stages and has been supported by not only the entire PC and NDP Caucus’ but also by several members of the governing Liberal Party, passing second reading 57-19. I look forward to continued debate and discussion on this bill and also on the benefits of a mandatory municipal referendum prior to any new casino development.
As we look towards the fall, I am urging the government to pass Bill 76 and to recognize the importance of local voices when it comes to sensitive issues such as these. Quite simply, new casino development is too important an issue to be left to the politicians to decide upon.
There is not much use in just
There is not much use in just complaining on this website. If you want your voice and your opinion to be heard- write to your MPP, in fact, write to every MPP in the province! I have!
You can do it by email - the email address for each MPP is available on the website: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/home.do
Click on Members and then Current MPPs, then click on each name to get their contact information.
I wrote one letter in a word document, then copied and pasted it into each email, and sent to several MPPs at a time, until they all were reached.
You can do it too!
MAYBE TIM HUDAKCO SHOULD GET
MAYBE TIM HUDAKCO SHOULD GET BACK TO WORK AND CALL A NON CONFIDENCE MOTION . Instead of harping on union members and legal immigration ( immigration ) to the GTA.Real vote getters EH? Tom kelly
This "Press Release" was
This "Press Release" was issued by Mr. McNaughton on Sat July 21/12. Can anyone post a list of all the Main Stream newspapers that have published any news articles based on this release? As of 4.45 pm on Mon July 23/12 I haven't been able to find any article in the major Toronto or Hamilton papers in which, of course, it would have to be published for any of the ordinary citizens to read and for it to be of any help in this war.
Thank you Mr. McNaughton, but
Thank you Mr. McNaughton, but where is your Boss in all of this, we have not heard a word from him, he who was president of a Cnd org. that supports the individual freedoms and accountable gouvernment acts,he who said he would create new jobs but is letting the minority liberal gouv. do away with thousands of jobs in the agricultural community (horse racing people,grooms,trainers,drivers blacksmith's,and on down the line).This little pea I have for a brain, has a hard time understanding all this, BUT MY EYES ARE STILL VERY GOOD AND I CAN SEE STRAIGHT.If the slots at racetracks program is cancelled and the prime minister has done nothing, then maybe he already has a piece of the PIE. HAVEA GOOD DAY MY FRIENDS AND DRINK BEER.
A referendum, Mr McGinty in
A referendum, Mr McGinty in his budget tried to have referendums outlawed. He does not want the people to decide on whether or not to have casinos in their community. I like this idea of referendums as a point of law. May be a real eye opener for the Liberal crowd. No matter how they try to sugar coat it. Bruce T. Winning
Yes. Thank You Mr.
Yes. Thank You Mr. McNaughton...this is great news but I am afraid that D. McGuinty & D. Duncan will neither support this bill or accept the referendum by the citizens of these communities. We all have Seen McGuinty change the law in order to suit HIS PURPOSES..... I QUOTE the following (from a letter writter by Ed James)....
""In some circles Canada is known as the land of hockey players and whores. How is double passing of bills on the same day, June 20th, for stick handling? ""
He simply changed the rules..............
I hear all of the rhetoric
I hear all of the rhetoric from the Tories but don't hear solutions or alternatives!
Unfortunately, this Bill does
Unfortunately, this Bill does little to stop the current Liberal plan. It would at least undo the change that the Liberal party made regarding referendums for new gaming sites.
Great news for us but what
Great news for us but what wasn't mentioned was future revenue sharing or "subsidy" with casinos and bingo halls, this as much as anything shows the corruption involved, as well as who has bought up bingo halls recently. Hopefully it is just being saved for future ammunition. Maybe Mr McNaughton could register a complaint to the integrity commission. Every one who complained to the ombudsman should also complain to the alcohol and gaming commission who governs the OLG, the Attorney General and Auditor General. We are begining to get more support and need to keep up the pressure so the media will pick up on it and we can level the playing field.The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
U HAVE SAID IT RIGHT IT
U HAVE SAID IT RIGHT
IT is time for them to go slot machines in bingo halls just to win the hearts of the bingo players it all about money for them and for the N D P shame on U CAN STAND UP AND VOTE LETS GET THE BILL 76 PASS
Thanks to Mr. McNaughton for
Thanks to Mr. McNaughton for his consistent and most helpful action so far. If he can only get his leader to stop showing contempt for unions we might be ready to have a non confidence vote.