NEWS RELEASE
CELIA ROSS, SAULT STE. MARIE NDP CANDIDATE
************************* NDP candidate Celia Ross shows sincerity, personal experience and accuracy at debate
SAULT STE. MARIE – NDP candidate Celia Ross showed a sincere and clear understanding of the issues facing Sault Ste. Marie and accurately represented them at tonight's debate, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and Algoma University.
“It was wonderful to answer questions from the audience, the Chamber of Commerce and of course, students at Algoma,” the former president of the university said.
For Progressive Conservative Jib Turner, it was his first appearance at a debate this election.
The Green Party's Luke Macmichael had an optimistic and amusing take on provincial politics – a refreshing twist on Liberal David Orazietti's gift for enumerating the sums of taxpayers' money his party has doled out.
Unfortunately, some of the candidates didn't have their facts straight:
On ER wait times, Liberal David Orazietti claimed that Sault Ste. Marie's were below average for every category.
Yet according to the Ontario Ministry of Health, as of May, nine out of 10 patients at Sault Area Hospital spent 13.7 hours in the ER for complex conditions, and 4.8 hours for minor ones.
On average, the wait time at Sault Area Hospital for complex conditions was 6.7 hours, and 2.4 for uncomplicated conditions.
We are above the provincial average in all categories.
On job creation, Progressive Conservative Jib Turner claimed the NDP's policy of cutting corporate taxes will kill jobs.
But studies show cutting corporate taxes doesn't always work: “tens of billions of dollars to their stockpiles of cash at a time when tax cuts are supposed to be encouraging them to plow more money into their businesses” (Globe and Mail, April 6, 2011).
New Democrats will reward real job creators and reduce the small business tax.
On Algoma University, David Orazietti claimed the NDP was against granting independence to Algoma in the 1990s. In fact, the NDP Government was prudent in not granting independence, insisting that the institution get its finances in order and increase the number of registered students. Once this was accomplished, under Celia Ross's leadership, Algoma University was granted independence.
“These tired old politics aren't working for the people of Sault Ste. Marie,” Ross said. “On Oct. 6, choose real, affordable change that puts people first.”
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