McGuinty resignation - Ontario Liberals need to get back to being Liberals

TORONTO, Oct. 15, 2012 /CNW/ - Given the surprise resignation of Dalton McGuinty this evening, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is hoping that the Ontario Liberal Party will get back to being Liberals and pursue a more balanced approach to resolving the province's fiscal problems. 

"Premier McGuinty was known as the 'education premier' for many years and he had great ideas that improved education early in his tenure as leader and premier," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "It is unfortunate that in this last year he appeared to focus more on the welfare of the corporate private sector than middle class working people." 

"It is our hope that the Liberal party will get back to being Liberals. It's time to stop vilifying the public sector and focus on building a budget that addresses strategies to create new jobs and strengthen revenue sources," said Hammond.  "It's very evident that Ontario has a revenue problem, not a spending problem."

"Mr. McGuinty has said that his party is going to go back to the drawing boards and make a determined effort to negotiate a wage freeze with public sector workers. If that is truly the goal then the Liberal government has no choice but to repeal Bill 115, which is draconian legislation that went far, far beyond forcing teachers to take a wage freeze." 

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

SOURCE: Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario

Valerie Dugale, ETFO Media Relations: Cell: 416-948-0195