Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner said there is definitely some dissension in the provincial PC party.
“There are a number of Conservatives coming up to me and saying ‘we didn’t sign up for this, we’re opposed to what’s going on and we’re being intimidated to toe the party line,’” Schreiner said Sunday.
The Toronto Star reported Saturday that there was some dissension in the Conservative ranks and that some Tory MPPs might be looking to cross the floor at Queen’s Park.
Schreiner said he hadn’t had any “specific conversations” with people looking to switch parties “but I’ve had general conversations on that with a number of individual MPPs.”
Schreiner made the comments in response to a question during a town hall meeting at the Evergreen Seniors Centre Sunday afternoon attended by roughly 75 people.
“When they say there’s seven (interested in leaving the Conservatives) I have a pretty good idea who those seven are, because they talk to me a lot, and some of them sit near me, so we talk on the floor (at Queen’s Park) a lot,” Schreiner said.
“Those conversations are happening.”
After some brief remarks, he spent most of the 90 minutes answering questions from the crowd, touching on a variety of local and provincial issues.
Locally, Schreiner said the issues he’s hearing most often are: housing issues, health care, mental health and addiction and access to long term care facilities.
Some of the other issues Schreiner discussed Sunday.
On transit issues:
“We’re trying to fund a transit system on property taxes only … The province has more financial revenue measures that they could implement to help relieve the burden of property taxes and improve both the quality and affordability of local transit.”
On all-day, two-way GO service:
“They keep telling me it’s a priority, but we don’t know, and the fall economy statement didn’t have any money for it. So we don’t know at this point.”
On legislation aimed at specific dog breeds:
“I’ve been very supportive of eliminating breed-specific legislation …. It’s not the specific breed of dogs that causes problems, it’s how people manage, relate to, take care of their dogs.”
On replacing the cancelled cap-and-trade program:
“The environment minister tells me that he wants to bring forward a credible plan and he has said in the house publicly on many occasions that climate change is an important issue, it’s affecting us now and that human beings are causing it.
“He’s told me is that I can give him any idea that I want as long as it doesn’t involve pollution pricing, which is really sad, because if you look at any economist, whether they’re conservative or left or centre … all would say that the foundation of any credible climate plan includes pollution pricing.”
On his first upcoming private members bill:
Called the Paris-Galt Moraine Conservation Act, it’s about water protection, taking the protection that exists for the Oak Ridges Moraine and existing it to the Paris-Galt Moraine.
On proposed changes to Ontario Works and ODSP:
Schreiner is “deeply concerned” about the proposed changes, mainly in that it creates a “more restrictive definition” of who qualifies.
On the elimination of the provincial environment commissioner:
“”I’m deeply, deeply worried about it …. it’s not even about saving money, it’s about consolidating power, it’s about eliminating oversight and accountability.”
On behaviour during the sitting of parliament:
“It’s just the anger. The anger, particularly between the government and the official opposition right now is unbelievable.
“I’ve never seen a premier heckle the way this premier heckles. It’s just constant.”
