Where the PCPO Candidates Stand on Policy

Here is a brief on where the leadership candidates for the Ontario Conservatives stand as per their responses to a survey from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Please note that Christine Elliot did not return a completed survey, but responded via a letter highlighting various policy proposals. In order of responses received:

Randy Hillier

* Introduce a ‘Tax & Expenditure’ constitutional amendment to:
o To make the pre-McGunity Taxpayer Protection Act less easy for politicians to get their hands on;
o Cap spending at combined growth in inflation and population; and
o Prevent government from increasing spending during the fiscal year
* Abolish municipal property taxes in favour of a revenue sharing formula with the province
* Eliminate corporate welfare, including the auto bailouts
* Hold Senate elections
* Supports in principle, but will not include in his platform, the ability to ‘recall’ MPPs
* Allow Ontarians the right to purchase private health insurance
* End public funding of non-medically necessary procedures
* Overhaul the LCBO
* Protect property rights through a bilateral constitutional amendment
* Make unions voluntary while maintaining the right to join as a matter of choice

Tim Hudak

* Strengthen the Taxpayer Protection Act, but will not push to entrench in the constitution
* Cap spending at growth and inflation, but not make doing so mandatory in legislation
* Devote all end of year surpluses to debt repayment
* Eliminate corporate welfare, but stipulates that since the auto bailouts are going ahead regardless, the most excessive aspects must be reined in.
* Hold Senate elections
* Rejects ‘recall’
* Allow for the private delivery of health care, but does not directly touch on private insurance
* End public funding of non-medically necessary procedures
* Allow wine sales outside of the current regime in a system comparable to ‘The Beer Store’
* Introduce a ‘Property Owners Bill of Rights’ and support federal initiatives to protect property in the constitution
* Does not directly commit to the right to opt out of unions as a matter of choice, but does commit to restoring the secret ballot

Christine Elliott

* Overhaul Ontario’s tax regime with a flat tax
* Reform EI
* Freeze the minimum wage
* Reform voluntary overtime laws

Frank Klees

* Make the pre-McGunity Taxpayer Protection Act less easy for politicians to get their hands on
* Use restraint in spending, but does will not make limiting spending to growth and inflation mandatory in legislation
* Will not eliminate corporate welfare
* Hold Senate elections
* Allow for the private delivery of health care, but does not directly touch on private insurance
* Will not commit ending the public funding of non-medically necessary procedures, but promises a “review and reassessment”
* Will not commit to reforming the LCBO, but proses that an “efficiency review” be undertaken
* Protect property rights through a bilateral constitutional amendment
* Does not directly commit to the right to opt out of unions as a matter of choice, but promise to work with PCPO grassroots on developing policy on freedom of choice in unions