FACTS STILL MATTER: Fact-checking Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal AGM speech

Earlier this evening, Kathleen Wynne gave a speech in front of a small crowd of Liberal insiders at the Liberal’s Annual General Meeting.

The speech was littered with mistruths. But, as we all know, facts still matter in Ontario. We hope Kathleen Wynne takes the opportunity to correct the record.

Premier Wynne said: “Thank you for coming out in such impressive numbers”

Fact: Wynne’s Sean Spicer moment?

https://twitter.com/robferguson1/status/959904061825978370

Premier Wynne said: “In fact in the last three years, Ontario’s economy has led the G7 nations.”

Fact: This isn’t remotely true. The Wynne Liberals have been fact-checked on this before, but they continue to knowingly mislead Ontarians.

Kathleen Wynne said: “The rich are getting richer while too many people are being left behind.”

Fact: After Kathleen Wynne sold off Hydro One in a fire sale, the CEO got a massive raise, and now earns $4.5 million a year. Meanwhile, seniors had their power disconnected in the dead of the winter, small businesses were forced to close their doors, and families were forced to choose between heating and eating.

Kathleen Wynne said: “So exactly who are we fighting for?”

Fact: It would have been a factual statement if she had followed the question with the party’s corporate donors, Liberal insiders, rich Hydro One executives, and her own political self-interests. But she didn’t.

Kathleen Wynne said: “And we are increasing our critical care and home care.”

Fact: It was reported in the media that the Liberal Government’s changes to home care were done to benefit one union – SEIU, which has campaigned for the Ontario Liberal Party and run anti-PC attack ads.  

An industry insider said about the changes: “This is not about health care, this is about delivering these workers to this union…Everybody in health care knows that this is what this play is all about.”

Kathleen Wynne said: “We pushed hard for better pensions.”

Fact: In total, Kathleen Wynne’s failed ORPP scheme cost Ontario taxpayers $70 million. In total, six senior executives were set to receive $2 million in severance payments. Many of these senior executives had close personal ties to the Liberal Government.

The Wynne Liberals also spent $8.1 million promoting the non-existent ORPP. The Auditor General said some of these ads would have been rejected under the old rules.

Kathleen Wynne said: “Those folks who are at work earning a living in manufacturing and technology and construction…”

Fact: Under Liberal Governments, Ontario has lost more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs. In total, Ontario’s skyrocketing electricity rates cost 75,000 manufacturing jobs.

Kathleen Wynne said: “Now there are those who say you are doing it [raising the minimum wage] too fast.”

Fact: One of “those” who said it was the Wynne Liberals’ hand-picked expert witness at the recent pre-budget hearings.

Chris Alexander, senior vice-president and chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada: “I think it’s going to be a big shock to businesses because of the speed at which the minimum wage is going up. I think we could have gone to $15 an hour over a longer time frame and had more of a chance for businesses to adjust to the higher labour compensation.

Kathleen Wynne said: “We can’t just ask people to give us their vote.”

Fact: The Liberals have tried that before. In 2011, a Liberal staffer was caught on tape boasting about offering residents of a Toronto shelter cigarettes in exchange for votes.