The leader of the Ontario Liberal Party stopped in at a Westboro bookstore Tuesday to share how her proposed tax cuts would help Ottawans — and to tell the premier to “stay in his lane” when it comes to municipal politics.
Bonnie Crombie was in Ottawa for a fundraiser Tuesday evening and popped into the Spaniel’s Tale bookstore on Wellington St. W. Her visit comes a week after Crombie announced that if her party forms the next provincial government, she will cut the income tax rate for middle-class Ontario families and eliminate the HST on home heating and hydro bills.
“Especially here in Ottawa, families have to make choices about paying for heating bills, for their hydro bills, paying for groceries, buying their new winter coats or feeding their families,” she said. “This is not the Ontario that it once was. People in this province work hard and you deserve better.”
Crombie was joined by Tyler Watt, the Ontario Liberal candidate for Nepean, Trevor Stewart, a Clarence-Rockland city councillor and the candidate for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, and Rob Rainer, the candidate for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston. Thomas Simpson, who is seeking the Liberal nomination for Ottawa Centre, was also in attendance.
Responding to a question from Ottawa Compass, Crombie said as premier she would be dedicated to prioritize affordability, unlike Premier Doug Ford, who she says needs to “stay in his lane” and out of municipal affairs.
Ford’s government has tabled legislation that will restrict and regulate cycling lanes in Ontario cities, and would see existing lanes that don’t meet these standards would be torn up.
The legislation has been met with criticism from Ottawa city councillors and advocates who support active transportation options in Ottawa and don’t want to see taxpayers’ dollars used to reverse this infrastructure.
“We know the estimates for pulling out this very critical infrastructure are going to be quite significant,” Crombie told Ottawa Compass. “163,000 Ottawans don’t have a family doctor, yet he’s worrying about encroaching into municipal politics. Part of me feels that he really still harbours the desire to be the mayor of the City of Toronto and has been very active in interfering with council decisions.
“He can leave these decisions that are best made by the municipal politicians and focus on the needs of Ontarians: schools are crumbling, people can’t get into a hospital or family doctor, we have no housing,” she continued. “But he’s worried about bike lanes.”
