TORONTO, April 18, 2001 -- With the Ontario Legislature set to resume for the spring session, Premier Mike Harris’s Conservatives have hinted at what Ontarians should expect to see in tomorrow’s throne speech -- an attempt to counter the growing perception that the Common Sense Revolution is adrift. Highlights will likely include: major accountability initiatives for all municipalities, hospitals, school boards and universities that receive provincial funding; education reform (including tying funding of individual schools to the number of students they attract); new initiatives to control health-care spending; and an aggressive program of income-tax cuts and privatization. The following York experts are available to comment on the various aspects of the throne speech:

Accountability of Municipalities: Edmund (Terry) Fowler, professor of political science at York University's Glendon College and an expert on municipal affairs, says municipalities are vastly more accountable to taxpayers than either the provincial or federal government. "While greater accountability in the use of taxpayers’ dollars seems desirable on the surface, this is a political move that is likely to add to the stress and burden of already cash-strapped municipalities," he says. Fowler can be reached at home: (416) 651-9772.

Health Care/Privatization: Ron Burke, an organizational behaviour and industry relations professor at York University's Schulich School of Business, has conducted several studies on the effects of the Harris Government's restructuring of Ontario's hospital system. He says the government’s reforms to date have exacerbated Ontario’s nursing shortage, and diminished the level of care Ontarians receive. Burke can also comment on the government’s privatization program including potential job losses and lower pay for workers. He says that Alberta’s privatization of the province’s liquor retail sales for example, was detrimental not only for workers but consumers as well. Burke can be reached at: (416) 736-2100, ext. 77921 or at home: (416) 486-8371.

Tax Cuts: Neil Brooks, a law professor at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School, says Ontario cannot sustain another round of tax cuts without further reducing the overall quality of life for middle and low-income Ontarians by putting at risk the social programs they depend on. Brooks argues that only high-income earners have benefited from the Harris’s tax cuts and that the government shouldn't cut taxes, but increase spending to health care and education. He can be reached at: (416) 736-5047 or at home: (905) 880-4735.

Education Reform: Terry Piper, the dean of York’s Faculty of Education, says any attempt by the Ontario government to tie funding to the number of students schools can attract risks widening the gap between "have" and "have-not" schools particularly in urban and ethnically diverse populated areas. "Public education shouldn’t be a class-based enterprise," says Piper who can also discuss other Harris education reform initiatives. Piper can be reached at: (416) 736-2100, ext. 66301.

Is The Common Sense Revolution adrift?: Robert Drummond, dean designate of the Faculty of Arts and a political science professor with extensive knowledge of Ontario politics and provincial public policy, says the Harris government will seek to bolster support among its party faithful in tomorrow’s throne speech by rekindling promises contained in its Common Sense Revolution including privatization and greater financial accountability by public institutions. He can be reached at: (416) 736-2100, ext. 88843 or at home: (416) 494-3460.

Robert MacDermid, a political science professor who has written extensively on election financing, says the Harris Tories are not leading by example when it comes to   accountability, especially where accountability and the disclosure of political contributions into its party coffers is concerned. He says the United States has adapted far more aggressive political contribution accountability policies. MacDermid can be reached at home: (705) 357-2459 or at work: (416) 736-2100, ext. 77298.

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For more information or additional experts, please contact:

Ken Turriff
Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086 
kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/048/01