Over the past few months, numerous members of Ontario's Progressive Conservative Party have vocally opposed the Liberal government's decision to end the slots-at-racetracks program in 2013.
While the party as a whole hasn't formally adopted the stance as policy, the PC Party leader continues to state where he stands: against the Liberals and with horse racing.
As the industry was learning that Peterborough's Kawartha Downs would close in 2013 without the current arrangement, PC Leader Tim Hudak was in Peterborough for a town hall meeting in concert with his Ontario PC Jobs and Our Economy Tour. According to the Peterborough Examiner, Hudak supports the current arrangement and revenue sharing split between the government and horse racing.
“I think the government’s on the wrong path here,” he says.
While he has offered the industry his support, Hudak has not gone on the record with guarantees that he would reinstate the slots-at-racetrack program if his party was elected to power. The 2012 Budget still needs to pass a second reading, and if not passed it would send the province into an election.
That's real encouraging Hudak
That's real encouraging Hudak has gone on record with no guarantees that he would reinstate the SAR program if his party was elected.
Finally, Mr. Hudak has voiced
Finally, Mr. Hudak has voiced his support. I pray the budget is defeated. If not we need the conservatives to win any by-elections that come up.
The people of Ontario need
The people of Ontario need some relief from the heavy hydro bills (another form of taxation)and the tax and spend policy of the current governance. We need a Queen's Park that promotes industry and agriculture. However, we need a firm commitment from whom ever we put into Queen's Park. Right now we do not have this. Everyone working for the province of Ontario is going to have to really look forward to tight fisted regime financially. Deficit spending has to end and the debt has to be serviced. To end the slots at the race track programme does not make sense to me. Now if the Provincial government wants to lower the tax on the dollars they make on the horse betting and return some dollars to the horse account that would offset the dollars from the SAR programme. Some thing tells me Dwight Duncan doesn't understand arithmetic and would not even consider such a change. He wants every dollar he can lay his hands on. Rightly so as the province is Bankrupt. Bruce T. Winning.
This is of course the trick
This is of course the trick with these guys. Show up and support us but don't commit. He has to come out and say he would restore the program for me to vote for him.
Remember that GST was a horrible idea according to the opposition parties at the time but when they got into power, they didnt cancel the program.
By the way, GST and HST is still a horrible idea.
Georg Leber-ICR Racing
Look lets get serious here,
Look lets get serious here, of course Tim Hudak is against it and the reason for it is plain and simple. If the liberals are in power the conservatives are against every idea they have and if the conservatives are in power then the liberals are against everything they want to do and it is the same way in the states with the democrats and the republicans. This is the pathetic, sorry state of politics these days. Hudak may not be against it because he thinks it is a good idea or a bad idea but he is against it because it is a liberal idea. Is anyone naive enough to believe that if the liberals go thru with this, that if Hudak gets elected with a majority that he will change it back. It won't happen.