Thursday, April 23, 2015
Ontario President Dave Bulmer issued the following message to members on the Ontario Budget.
Hello friends,
I have just been released from the budget lockup at Queen’s Park.
Ontario’s 2015 Budget has some positive elements. For instance, investments in infrastructure throughout the province, and continuing commitment to implement the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan.
At the same time, I was disappointed – though certainly not surprised – by many of the proposals in this year’s budget. In particular, the government’s continued commitment to its ill-conceived “net zero” compensation policy attempts to march towards a balanced budget at the expense of the employees it purports to value so much. The Budget boasts of limiting compensation increases in the provincial sector to a mere 0.6% per year, representing a real loss of 1.8% per year when inflation is taken into account.
As widely leaked and reported, the government will sell assets – most notably the crown jewel of Hydro One. Even as profits from Hydro One exceeded expectations by tens of millions of dollars this year, the government will sacrifice generations of sustainable revenue for a short-term boost.
The sale of Hydro One is only the latest and most egregious privatization scheme. The fact that this sale will not directly impact on the work of AMAPCEO members does not relieve us of a need to fight back. I have already reached out to some of the other unions and community groups involved in fighting this sale, and offered AMAPCEO’s support.
This budget leaves much to the imagination of the reader, and much uncertainty. For example, proposed changes at the Ontario Racing Commission, where AMAPCEO represents judges, policy staff, and administrators – are largely still to be determined.
Staff at AMAPCEO have prepared a short brief on a few specific budget measures that impact AMAPCEO members. We have an informational piece on the proposed changes to the Ontario Racing Commission. Finally, we also have our media release.
As ever, AMAPCEO will remain vigilant while the government rolls out these changes.
Sincerely,
Dave Bulmer
AMAPCEO President