"Common Sense Revolution"
First term
- repeal of the previous NDP’s legislation that prevented strike-
bound companies from hiring replacement workers
- 26-per-cent cut to provincial welfare rates
- sole sourced contract for new welfare administration failed.
Eventually had to be re-written years late and significantly
over-budget
- an end to employment equity programs
- drastic reduction in the staff of the Ministry of the Environment
- Native demonstrator, Dudley George shot by OPP officers during a dispute over land claims at a provincial park
- George family launched a lawsuit against Harris
. Harris response was initiating his own legal actions against a Toronto newspaper he believed had libeled him over his role in the affair.
- Significant public-service and health-care budget cuts were announced, affecting large numbers of government and medical workers.
- province’s entire system of elementary and secondary education was to be overhauled.
- Large tax cuts were to be introduced at the same time as the deficit inherited from previous NDP and Liberal administrations was to be eliminated.
- Young offenders were to be sent to boot camps
- welfare recipients were to be compelled to participate in workfare programs if they wanted to continue to receive
their benefits.
- Neoliberal policies, no matter how distasteful to specific groups affected by them, were imposed quickly, firmly, and with a minimum of input and consultation, especially from those directly involved
- abour and social-action groups organized mass “days of action” protests that brought tens of thousands into the streets in 1995 and 1996, shutting down schools, government offices, and public transport.
- In 1997, a two-week province-wide teachers’ political action was called in response to the government’s education reforms, which included an increased workload and mandatory testing for teachers, and a new education funding formula that reduced the amount of money available to school boards.
- Employees in the provincial health-care sector, including nurses, doctors, and hospital workers, also demonstrated, expressing their frustration over a massive restructuring of the system that involved significant budget cuts and layoffs.
- The six municipalities that had once composed Metropolitan Toronto were forcibly merged into one big “megacity” despite strong opposition from local politicians, and a massive “no” vote of the city’s residents
(The end of the recession of the early 1990s, a booming U.S. economy stimulated the demand for consumer goods, reducing unemployment and boosting provincial tax revenues so Harris claimed he'd created lots of jobs.)
Lets not forget that Harris began the sell off of Ontario Hydro and then the sale of the 407 to a consortium of private foreign investors.
Welfare subsidies have not even come close to reaching the then existing levels which leave many hopelessly trapped. Hospitals, highways, and everything else still are in trauma. Harris cut revenues and services laying ground for privatization which draws even more funds away from services and quality since profit must be made. Driving an economy down to push profits higher is what they did then, and still support.
He also changed Ontario tourism into a user pay and not representing all of Ontario unless the areas paid dearly for inclusion.
Doesn’t sound too extreme unless you saw how he flipped the minister of tourism each year of Five! And his govt didn’t have a clue how integrated tourism actually is... until sars hit hard and almost shut down the city of Toronto.
Walkerton. A place where Harris and Murdoch the MPP denied it ever could’ve been about cuts... until you talked to ministry of enviro ppl who said otherwise
Thanks to robin Chat, Sylvia Ray
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