Electricity, jobs and families will be the focus for MPP Monte McNaughton in 2017.
During his annual New Year’s Levee held at the Wallaceburg Legion Br. 18 on Saturday, McNaughton told the Sydenham Current he is honoured to represent the citizens of his riding and proud to have been nominated to represent the Ontario PC Party in Lambton-Kent Middlesex for the 2018 Provincial Election.
“I’m going to continue taking ideas that are here locally, taking those ideas to Queens Park to continue fighting on behalf of the people of Lambton-Kent Middlesex in Toronto,” McNaughton said.
Three key priorities will be his focus, he said.
“One, the government has got to get a handle on electricity bills. There are families on a fixed income, seniors on a fixed income, families with young kids at home that are having a tough time making ends meet. Life has become unaffordable in the Province of Ontario,” McNaughton said.
“Secondly we have to create private sector jobs in the province. In the last 10 years we have lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs, a lot of those right here in Wallaceburg and across southwestern Ontario. The Government has got to have a plan to get some of these jobs back and regardless of what people think of the results of the U.S election, we know that they are going to be more aggressive in trying to get those jobs in the States. They are lowering costs for businesses. In Ontario, every day the government is increasing costs. Whether it’s the cap in trade system that was just brought in, or hydro bills going up. We have to make Ontario more competitive.”
McNaughton added: “Lastly I am going to continue standing up for the families and parents and kids in our riding who are quite frankly just really upset with the government and government intrusion in people’s lives. We need to just always stand up for families and those family values. I am going to continue doing that at Queens Park.”
McNaughton said jobs will be a key issue impacting Wallaceburg this year.
“I think it is the job situation,” he said.
“We need jobs and we need well paying jobs. It’s been a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs and other jobs going to the U.S or going to other areas with more businesses just shutting down. We need the government that’s on the side of small businesses and manufacturers and farm operations, and every time we turn around there is more red tape… the businesses have to deal with more costs. The best way to really improve people’s lives is to be sure they have a well paying job. That’s been my focus since I have been a MPP for the last 5 years.”
Jobs, along with the horse racing industry, will be key issues in Dresden, McNaughton said.
“It’s important that we have jobs there, good jobs,” he said.
“As well I have been a strong advocate of the horse racing industry. It’s a vital part of the Dresden community and all of rural Ontario. So I will continue standing up for the horse racing industry as well making sure the jobs are there and the race track remains open.”
Before attending Wallaceburg on Saturday, McNaughton visited Forest and later in the afternoon he held a similar event in Strathroy.
– With files from Linda Howlett
– Photo credit: Linda Howlett
