Sault Progressive Conservatives packed the room at a rally held by PC party leader Doug Ford at The Water Tower Inn Tuesday.
The leader didn’t disappoint his listeners, as Ontario prepares for a provincial election campaign.
After being welcomed by Sault MPP Ross Romano, Ford began his speech with a reference to Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cap and trade program, promising a trade of his own.
“We’re going to cap all taxes and trade Kathleen Wynne,” said Ford to applause.
Ford said a PC government, if victorious in the election expected to be held on or before June 7, will cut hydro rates.
“We will make sure that we reduce hydro rates for every single person in Ontario, right off the hop we’ll reduce them by 12 per cent,” Ford said.
The Tory leader railed against the Liberal government for increasing Ontario’s debt, which Ford said is well over $325 billion.
“We’re paying well in excess of $12 billion a year (to service that debt). Just think of what we could do with $12 billion. Imagine if we could spread that across the province,” adding 300,000 manufacturing jobs have left the province over the past 15 years of Liberal rule.
“This will come to an end….we’re going to get rid of that carbon tax and cap and trade. The Green Energy Act is the biggest scam you’ve ever seen in your life,” Ford said, condemning cap and trade as a job killer.
Repeating statements he made earlier Tuesday while visiting Timmins, Ford said people in the Sault and northern Ontario will benefit from revenue sharing, promising northerners a cut of the money the province collects for aggregate licences, stumpage fees and mining taxes.
That, Ford said, will allow the Sault to spend money in areas in which it is needed.
“When it comes to health care…we’re opening up 15,000 long term care beds in the first five years (if elected) and another 15,000, totalling 30,000 long term care beds in the next 10 years. That will take the load off our hospitals,” Ford said.
There was no direct reference to job creation for the Sault or the Ring of Fire project, but rather, Ford said “the government doesn’t create jobs, the government creates the environment to create jobs, and once you create the environment, companies will come.”
“When I was at Algoma (Essar Steel Algoma) they said they had 600 companies they deal with, reciprocal jobs, so we have to make sure companies like Algoma stay here and thrive.”
Ford had planned to visit the Sault Apr. 24 as part of his 'Rally for a Better Ontario' campaign with stops planned for The Machine Shop, Tenaris Algoma Tubes and the Water Tower Inn, but cancelled due to the tragic events which occurred in Toronto Apr. 23, when a Ryder cube van jumped a curb in the Yonge Street and Finch Avenue area, killing 10 people and injuring 16 more.
Tuesday was a full day for Ford, who planned to leave for Kenora Tuesday evening for events planned for that community and Thunder Bay Wednesday.
A number of people of all ages in attendance at Tuesday’s rally lined up to have their photos taken with Ford following his speech, many holding ‘Doug for the People’ signs.