BREAKING: Liberal horse racing plan would result in “23,000 job losses and 27,000 dead horses”

Explosive new documents in the civil lawsuit against the Liberal Government reveals that the Liberals planned for the “collapse” of the industry and “23,000 job losses and 27,000 dead horses.” The documents were filed in court as former Premier Dalton McGuinty, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and senior Liberal officials are set to testify in a 2018 trial. John Wilkinson, the former Liberal cabinet minister and point-person for the file also said the plan would be effective in “wedging Tim [Hudak] and Andrea [Horwath]” in by-elections.

“This industry was crucial to so many people in Ontario. Now it’s been destroyed by the Liberals. But the fact they did it for political purposes, and again with the implication of thousands of horses killed and thousands of jobs lost is devastating,” said Brown. 

The 2012 decision which has devastated the industry has resurfaced as the government failed to block efforts forcing McGuinty to testify in the trial. Reports indicate that breeders were forced to sell off horses to livestock exchanges.

Internal emails also reveal that the Liberal Government “parachuted” messaging on their slots and riding industry into the supposedly independent Drummond Report.

“It’s tragic plain and simple. This government pursued a devastating agenda for purely political gain. They are only  in it for themselves and Liberal insiders.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COURT DOCUMENTS:

• “We met with mckinsey, hired by finance. They confirmed under their wildly optimistic best case scenario (ie no collapse of the industry), we are look at 13,000 job losses and 16,000 euthanized horses between sep 4 and dec 31. Collapse (which we think is what will actually happen) is 23,000 job losses and 27,000 dead horses. The lawsuits coming our way will add up to $500 million and you will be lucky to settle for $250 million.” – John Wilkinson, former Liberal Cabinet Minister
• “….and give us an advantage in the byelections by wedging both tim and andrea.”  – John Wilkinson, former Liberal Cabinet Minister
• “The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that I might still be here when the entire Slots at Racetracks program is either slashed brutally, or purse pooling and yearly ‘grants’ based on yearly applications gets rid of the  notion that horsemen have of slot money being ‘their’ money.” – Policy Advisor, Gaming Policy Branch, Ministry of Finance