In the face of logic and cold, hard facts, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan continues to publicly misconstrue the province's bilateral, commercial contract otherwise known as the slots-at-racetracks agreement
which has brought the Ontario government roughly $15-billion since its inception.
In an email exchange with Windsor Star reporter Monica Wolfson on Wednesday, March 7, Duncan continued to convey that Ontario's slots-at-racetracks program is a 'subsidy' for the provincial horse-racing industry, which couldn't be any further from the truth.
On Wednesday, Duncan told Wolfson that since 1998 the Ontario horse-racing industry has received $3.4-billion in "government support;" which, in actuality, is a total accumulation of the provincial racing industry's 20-per-cent share of revenue taken in by slot machines located within the walls of Ontario racetracks. During that same time frame, the Ontario Provincial Government has stuffed its coffers with roughly $15-billion in slots revenue, via its 75-per-cent take of the machines' net.
Above and beyond the slots revenue, the Ontario horse-racing industry, which attracts a wealth of foreign capital to the province, annually sends $261-million in direct taxes to the Ontario Government; employs roughly 60,000 Ontarians; accounts for roughly $2-billion in annual expenditures; and pays out roughly $15-million in salaries and wages, which equates to an enormous stimulus for the province.
"We as a government need to be accountable to the taxpayer and decide whether or not we're spending their hard-earned dollars wisely," Duncan told Wolfson. "The review of the slots at racetrack program will help us to do just that."
The review that Drummond is speaking of is exactly what Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association President Sue Leslie wants. "[The Ontario horse-racing industry would be more than happy to sit down with the government and assess this program on the basis of 'value for money,' she said. "[The figures] are hugely on our side, so we welcome that, and we are attempting, as we speak, to get that opportunity with the government."
For Trot Insider's complete coverage regarding the fallout and uproar in response to the Ontario Liberals' Drummond Report, click here.
(Photo of Dwight Duncan courtesy Todd Korol/Reuters)
The Liberals appear to be
The Liberals appear to be misrepresenting everything nowadays. PITY!
What do you expect from the
What do you expect from the Fiberails???
Less ORNGE monkey business.
Less ORNGE monkey business. Less ehealth shenanigans.
More truth to the public when standing at the shortened podium.
What did the OPP find when they were digging at ORNGE?? Anybody know??
This crap calls for a citizen's arrest.
Ian Dow I think it was
Ian Dow I think it was Winston Churchill who said "We get the government we deserve" What did Ontario ever do to deserve this bunch of Liars?
Has anyone noticed the poor
Has anyone noticed the poor quality of the people running things in this country? I feel like I'm living in the third world. Municipal government - mayor engineers the firing of a long time valued employee (TTC) because his expert opinion didn't jive with the mayoral vision. Provincial government - finance minister calls a binding legal contract a subsidy, tarnishes the reputation of the whole horse racing industry by making them look like they're stealing from health care and education, fails to acknowledge the consequences of welching on this deal while all around him are financial disasters like Ehealth and ORNGE. Also makes the brilliant choice to tell low income (soon we'll all be in that category) Ontarians they are too stupid to manage their Tax credits so they will be given them as a monthly "allowance". Federal government rigs elections and then smirks at the public and tells us they did nothing wrong. WHAT THE HELL!!!! Why can't we fire these people?
Sue Leslie......great
Sue Leslie......great interview on CFRA today in Ottawa (CFRA would be the Ottawa equivilant of CFRB in Toronto....big following). I firmly beleive the real story and actual $$$ numbers of racings "partnership" are getting out to the general public.
In reply to Sue Leslie......great by Terry Lantz
Tom kelly Where does a
Tom kelly Where does a person who has been going to the races since the 1950s fit in this discussion? I support your stand in all of this, and we were saddened when ORANGEVILLE Raceway shut down, but why is the government allowed to change the agreement? My logic tells me they will either cut to 10 percent( from each race track slots, revenue) and only the WEG and Georgian - flamborough racetracks will survive. OF course the liberal riding in Ottawa might fail in the next election! We, the two dollar bettors will survive but what is everyone else to do?
We're trying here in Ottawa
We're trying here in Ottawa to get the facts out. This is a link to an interview done this morning on CFRA radio. Steve Madley interviewed Sue Leslie who did an excellent job of presenting our side.
http://www.cfra.com/chum_audio/Sue_Leslie_MAr08.mp3
Many thanks to Steve for presenting this on morning news radio to his large audience!
And this man is our Minister
And this man is our Minister of Finance??? Scary! What other lies and misleading information has he spewed out?
The citizens of Ontario deserve the truth from Mr. Duncan. As a long-time Liberal supporter (no longer), I am disgusted by the arrogance and deceitfulness of this government.