Miller says Tories will protect hospitals, public service

QUEEN’S PARK — Government MPP Norm Miller is touting today’s throne speech as a way to protect hospitals, schools and “other vital public services.”

Norm Miller is “proud” of party’s direction heading into rare summer session.

That’s a bit of a rare departure for a party know to oppose big government and spending.

The Parry Sound-Muskoka member of Provincial Parliament says he is “proud to be a part of a government that has already begun to deliver on their promises to bring change for the people.”

In today’s Speech from the Throne, which opened the 42n Parliament with a summer sitting, the PC Government of Doug Ford laid out their priorities for the next four years, including “cleaning up the hydro mess, leaving more money in the pockets of Ontarians, ending hallway medicine and restoring accountability to government.”

“After 15 years of waste and mismanagement, there are a number of pressing issues that need to be resolved. Our Throne Speech today made it very clear that our government is serious about bringing relief to the people of Ontario and creating jobs and economic opportunity,” said Miller in a release.

“It is important to create jobs and prosperity, not just for the sake of jobs and prosperity, but, as was said in the Throne Speech, to ‘ensure that we can afford to maintain and strengthen our hospitals, schools and other vital public services.’”

Even before the Throne Speech, Premier Ford had demonstrated that he intends to move quickly to fulfill his promises, starting by announcing the resignations of the CEO and the Board of Hydro One yesterday.

Miller will return to Queen’s Park on Monday morning for the summer session of the Legislature where the government says it will deliver on its promises to end the deadlocked strike at York University and to introduce legislation to end the Liberal’s Cap and Trade scheme.

Miller is the Parliamentary Assistant to Ford in premier’s cabinet capacity as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, a post that involves dealing with other Canadian federal, provincial and municipal governments.