Premier Wynne's Dream

"If we think that we can continue to make decisions based... on a parochial jurisdiction basis we are going to miss a huge economic opportunity," said Wynne.

Premier Wynne dreams of a silo-free Ontario.  I tend to agree it's the right vision for the times.  

Until now, we've heard "move with us or get behind us" and "only we can fix the problem."  The question we've needed to ask that Premier Wynne is tabling is "how might we move forward together?"

Which is about a lot more than transit.

Why #VoteON Isn't Over Yet

 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the word Liberal is not just letters on a lawn sign.  It is the generosity of spirit that defines us at our best.  And so do you.

 

 

The results are coming in as I write this and it's looking like another Liberal government.  That being the case, Tim Hudak's political career will come to an end and Andrea Horwath might be existing the stage as well.

 

For a moment, all the hard-working Liberal candidates, volunteers and paid staff deserve to high-five each other, do toasts and the like.  Frankly, for the blood, sweat, tears, dollars and conviction all people who've helped on this campaign have put in, they all deserve some appreciation.

 

Don't think for a second, however, that a Liberal win is a cleansing of past concerns or a complete repudiation of the PCs or NDP or even the Greens. 

 

When the dust settles, it'll become clear that far fewer voters engaged than could have.  Divisions between Parties will largely exist along geographic lines, with urban centres divides from rural ones and the North.

 

There will be a lot of hard feelings, ill will on one side and on the other, a nearly irresistible urge to gloat and get cocky.

 

This would be a mistake.

 

Ontario is increasingly a fractured, disenfranchised place.  People are tuning in to what matters to them, not the whole picture; patience for shared solutions is weak.  Increasingly, they're not voting - especially young Ontarians, who could very well stay non-voters moving forward.  It's not a good picture.

 

Now comes Kathleen Wynne's true test of leadership.

 

Her job now is to do what she has always done best - to engage, to listen and to build common ground.  Nowhere will this be more important than within her own Party.

 

It's time for the Ontario Liberal Party to really dig deep and reconnect themselves with what liberalism really means to them.

 

Is it just about being better than the other guys?  Or is it more than that?

 

I believe it's still about moving forward together - which is equally about leaving no one behind.

 

Four years is a lot of time to get things done.  Starting off with some policy pieces that really unite the Parties and the province would set the right tone for the term to come.

 

It's time for Liberals to be at their best - not for their benefit, but for all of Ontario's.

 

Why the Political Right Should Fear Open Data

Open Dialogue is a big step in a new direction.  It call on governments to revisit and rethink some of the basic assumptions about democracy.  To some, that will seem risky - even dangerous.  Those, like me, who believe such change is not only desirable, but necessary, should welcome Wynne's emphasis on Open Dialogue.

I look forward to the chance to engage.

A strict focus on winning the next election is the political equivalent of making a movie without planting seeds for a sequel; nobody aims that small any more.  The goal is franchise, a political legacy that doesn't just shape policy, it converts audiences.  Political Parties want empires, not democracies.

Enter Stephen Harper, stage right - according to many, including Paul Wells, Harper has at least in degrees achieved his infamous hidden agenda, a Phantom Menace-like Machiavellian plot to reshape Canada in conservative ways, ensuring no future Prime Minister will ever be able to rub out his watermark.

Here's the long and short of the tricks those wily Conservatives have tried to pull on a generally somnambulent Canadian public.  By focusing on emotional trigger issues like crime, punishment, fear of The Other, someone else getting more than you and simultaneously withdrawing or undermining public data, the Harper Conservatives have attempted to starve public curiosity and appetite for innovation and instead get them relying strictly on their reactive, selfish, emotional selves.  Keep calm and carry on, the message goes, without a look beyond.  Leave the big uninteresting stuff to daddy.

Pats on the back for Team Harper - you've truly done a great job of getting Canadians upset with the status quo in politics.

In one form or another, the rest of Canada's political right is trying to pull the same trick - stir up emotional reactions of anger, fear and everyone's favourite, resentment.  Bitter people are inwards-focused and interested in punishment, not comprehension; they are theoretically content to live minimalist existences within their castle walls, so long as everyone else is kept out.  Ontario's Tim Hudak is so good at this shtick, he comes across as an angry, resentful and reactive guy pretty much all the time.  

His problem isn't ignorance, so much as it's preconceived ideas.

As an example; one of the things Hudak is railing against now is Premier Wynne's predilection for consultation, open data and holding conversations.  Leaders know when to make choices, he says - they don't waste time on endless consultations, they act first and react to those who oppose them later.  He figures that, by undermining Wynne in the way politicians traditionally undermine each other (with the big hand motions and exaggerated reactions fit for the stage, not the screen) he can undermine public confidence in her, as an individual, making them more likely to react against her by voting for someone else.

There's an argument to made for this approach, of course - Team Harper has been making that argument for 10 years.  Put down government and put down the other Opposition Parties, then form government on the backs of the ensuing protest.  Once in power, start railing against everyone else that thinks differently than you do, always focusing on turning people against - never for.  

In slow, easy, incremental steps (more than anything because Harper fears public backlash like his own shadow) the CPC has been boiling the Canadian frog, trying to change the structure of what is Canada is.  Get them mad, keep them distracted, starve them of data and come across as supremely confident at all costs.  We know there this approach has gotten them.

The New Canadian Harper Government can (and does) boast loudly about safety, economic fundamentals and natural resources, but where Canadians are increasingly fretting is about the decline of our democracy, opportunities for sustained personal growth that carries on into meaningful careers and lefty issues like the environment and aboriginal rights.  For their part, bureaucracies across Canada are talking about structural change in the hopes of realigning our public institutions into some form of sustainable.

Which is where initiatives like Open Government, Open Data and Open Dialogue come in.  The Opposition in Ontario are painting this move as a lack of decisiveness, a reactive bait-and-switch move to change the channel away from scandal.  It's a mistake on their part; at this juncture in history, focusing on government failings only makes the people hungrier for a more direct stake in the game - exactly what Team Harper has been discouraging.

Here's what they're missing.  A focus on open data, innovative information platforms with visual flair that are accessed using the latest cool toys, an emphasis on the value of diverse opinions and the like causes people to think with the proactive, prosocial part of their brains.  It asks the question and invites an answer, then combines those answers, empowering an increasing amount of folk to get engaged, connect dots and feel the positive neurological wins that result.

In short, the "B" Arc for Open Government is to shift public consciousness into a more liberal gear.

Justin Trudeau is all about affability, open dialogue, listening and the appearance of listening. Successful politicians like Naheed Nenshi embrace the public and embrace social media (though it helps that they have a natural comfort level with people and communication, which is not the same thing as messaging).

Creative ideas are insidious, infectious things - like the Call Me Maybe meme, once you get 'em in your head they're hard to shake loose, especially when everyone around you is being seen to participate in the process.  Instead of being afraid of what might be taken away from you, you start feeling like you want to board the train before it leaves the station.

The Political Right is right to be critical and suspicious of open information and an emphasis on shared solutions; structural innovations are the exact opposite of what they've been trying to achieve.  The problem is, if they don't up the innovative ante, they are liable to get left behind.

It's happened before, after all.

I worry none at all over the notion that Harper has fundamentally changed Canada in irreparable ways.  

The Tokugawas and the Ottomans did the same thing, yet the world's carried on since.

That's the thing about progress - it's inescapable.  You simply can't stop the signal; the best you can hope for is to carry on with it.

Value Add Ontario

 

"Young Entrepreneurs, Make Your Pitch invites you to pitch ideas that will drive the future of Ontario’s economy."

 

The Government of Ontario is creating opportunities for youth to share their ideas and develop presentation skills at the same time.

 

Oh - and they're also empowering every single Ontarian to offer their five cents on the upcoming Ontario budget - share your ideas through submissions@ontario.ca or via twitter: @Ongov #budgettalks.  This is significant; by offering a positive outlet, the government is encouraging creative contributions, much as the Rural Roundtable did over the recent leadership race.

 

On top of this, the LPO has become more inclusive in their tone and opened up things like a major fundraiser dinner to the public.

 

They're letting people in and engaging them - and bringing the conversation to where the people are. 

 

Will this approach work?  Let me put it this way - nobody has asked me to promote these opportunities.  I'm doing so because the idea is so cool, I want to take part.

 

It's amazing how little it takes to get the stone rolling.

Party Friction : A House Divided

 

Everything is relative. This is not, in the words of the great Malcolm Tucker, “the break up of the Beatles, during the fall of the Roman Empire.” But political parties that don’t stick together, don’t tend to win together.

 

 

This is a much more complex statement than most political organizers give it credit for. 

 

How often do unelected senior staff see themselves as the embodiment of a given Party - and therefore, the only voices that matter?  This is not a stance that gets staked out maliciously.  A lot of high-level political staff work their way through the ranks, making personal sacrifices and putting in a lot of blood, sweat and tears in support of the vision their Party represents. 

 

This brand loyalty is commendable, but in the high-stakes, competitive game that is politics, there's a natural shift that happens between supporting the vision a Party represents and backing the tribe, no matter what.  It's this shift from cause to partisanship that leads people astray.  

 

When you see yourself as a grizzled Party veteran, you develop a certain sense of entitlement - you've been through the trenches, you know what's best for the Party.  Newbies, be they staff or even Members, don't have your skin in the Party game nor your institutional experience, so it's their job to serve you, in support of the Party, rather than your job to empower them.  Strict control of the team and a go-for-the-throat approach to the opposition is the only way ahead.  

 

The result is an increasingly tightening fist that ignores, threatens or eliminates opposing perspectives.  Of course, the public has differing perspectives; when you cease to include them in internal conversations, that approach bleeds out to public communications, too, with a shift of focus from informed conversation to message control.  It happens all the time, to all Parties - it's a chief reason why governments (and for that matter, nations) fail.

 

As is happening now to the Federal Conservatives (and as some of us predicted was coming); internal dissent to this increasingly top-down process and growing frustration with the firewalls that have grown up around government are eating away at the CPC from within and chipping away at those walls from without.

 

There's another side to this story, though - in a tightly controlled system, many of the staff that work their way up the ladder are able to do so because they affiliate themselves with (or are taken under the wing by) senior staff who groom them to carry on their particular legacy. 

 

Those who might have differing perspectives or loyalties more to an employer (elected official) or the vision over the brand can be seen as not being team players and be marginalized or even fired, creating disaffection among natural Party advocates.  Yes, actual ability and creativity play a role in this process, but not as much as everyone likes to tell themselves.  If disenfranchised staff manage to stick around - or even if they don't - they can harbour grudges against those senior folk that, from a non-insider perspective, are seen to have hijacked the Party from its roots and its beliefs. 

 

Leaders come and go; when one leaders goes, the Senior Centre will naturally gravitate towards one who is most reflecting of their way of doing things and under whom they can carry on in the general roles with which they've become comfortable. 

 

They may legitimately see differing voices within their own Party as threatening to the establishment they feel they've built and, therefore, the Party itself.  At the same time, those who have been marginalized over the years (and also those who simply want to build something of their own) are going to see the Establishment as the problem and themselves as the solution.

 

In this way, leadership votes can be less about a particular leader than about the teams that back them and the strategies/communications gambits they have played.  It's not how politics should work, but it often is.  This being the case, backroom operatives that fight tooth-and-nail for a particular candidate/method of operation in which they play a key part may see the Party's choice of a differing candidate as a slap in their own face. 

 

If they aren't shown the door by the new team, they may just walk off themselves in resentment.

 

More than a few political operatives should pay heed to the advice of Colin Powell: "Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it."

 

This is the scenario unfolding right now in Harper's Conservative Party; if he's serious about keeping his coalition of Reformists and Conservatives together, he's going to have to switch up the methodology that got him into power and with which he's governed so far. 

 

A good model for him (and his potential successors) to look at would be Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.  Wynne faced a similarly polarizing battle with Sandra Pupatello that demonstrated a rift between the establishment and many of the junior staff/Party members.  The Leadership Convention itself was a bit messy, but Wynne and her core team did an amazing job of reaching out to and including the organizers of other candidates, especially Pupatello's. 

 

Worth noting - what allowed Wynne to pull this off was a steadfast focus not on the Party as a brand, with wagons circled and pistols drawn, but of the vision and virtues the Party is meant to represent.  In her internal actions, her dealings with Opposition Parties, the press and stakeholders, Wynne has kept at it, walking the talk and leading by example. 

 

This inspires trust, faith and loyalty, which are the fibres that hold a Party together.  Carrots and sticks simply don't have the lasting power to accomplish this.

 

Yes, there are differing viewpoints both within the Party and across the province, but Wynne is applying her mediation skills and active listening ability to keep people engaged, making them feel respected.  This allows her the space and time to drill down to points of commonality and build back up from there.

 

If Team Harper put their vision (though I'm not sure exactly what that is, as their actions are pretty contradictory to their supposed intent) first, they would be able to engage the growing discontent in their own Caucus and across the country the same way.  Take abortion as an example; at the end of the day, pro-life advocates don't want to see young lives penalized for the sins of their fathers/mothers.  Fair enough; what about looking to empower those fathers and mothers to make better choices at the outset? 

 

Contraception is part of that mix, yes, but not exclusively; education, as for all things, is key.  Sex education, social-emotional learning, respect for difference and self-discipline through initiatives like Positive Psychology and Roots of Empathy.

 

You can take the focus on abortion and judo-flip it into a mandate to directly tackle stigma, poverty and education challenges.  Why bait and switch when you can convert?

There is always a solution to every problem, but as every problem is complex and interwoven with the very structure of our society, it's important to scale down to the core basics that everyone - even those whose opinions you detest - can agree upon.  From there, you build up and move forward.

 

Which brings me to my key point - yes, the party that doesn't stick together doesn't win together, but you don't achieve cohesion through strict top-down control; that's invariably a recipe for friction. 

 

The best leaders don't act like tyrants - they tend to be more like teachers.

The Return of Charm to Canadian Politics

 

Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

 

 

Kathleen Wynne is as sincere, open and straight-forward as they come. It's an approach that requires courage, patience and endurance.  It's also one that impresses - and succeeds.

Alison Redford has clued in to the value of the conversation, too - she's actively wooing the press and stakeholders by being more human, more accessible, more forthright.

Stephen Harper, however, remains the exact opposite - aloof, contemptuous of opponents and uninterested in chit-chat with the press, the provinces or anyone he can't control, for that matter.

Given the rise of the pro-social politician, can Harper maintain the distant disdain? Or will Steven Sweatervest be making a return?

Also worth noting - there's a subtle shift happening in politics away from the obstructionist, target-a-few, pick-fights-with-the-rest mentality towards, again, something more conversational and collaborative. 

Interesting, is all.

Getting Ontario Working: A Labour of Love

 

“In tough economic times we all need to work together, especially with our labour partners from the public and private sector,” says Naqvi.

 

“I want to bring that culture of collaboration in finding solutions to some of the tough challenges we are facing today.”

 

 

I know Yasir, so I'm biased, but from what I know of the new Minister of Labour he is absolutely the right person to make this happen.  He's positive, energetic, disciplined, an active listener and someone not afraid to look outside the box in search of shared solutions.

 

Which is important, because that's a concept that isn't universally accepted - that sustainable solutions have to be shared.  I have spoken with union representatives who are convinced employer partners are determined to succeed at the expense of their labour; I've also talked with employers who feel union reps don't care about the sustainability of a business, only that their members get enough financial remuneration to pay their union dues.  We have some political leaders who flatly reject cooperation, taking a "my way or the highway" approach and instead of seeking opportunity are expending their resources attacking their competitors.

 

It's this static, entrenched dichotomy that restricts partners from finding the innovative, sustainable shared solutions that will allow them (and us) to move forward together.  The problem isn't one group or another - they are following the established rules and competing in the traditional methods.  It's the rules and methods themselves that are holding us back from collaborative, innovative success.

 

The model of work most organizations are using today was designed for the Industrial Revolution, when a whole different set of products/services were being created and a different kind of labour was required to produce them.

 

This model is tried, tested, comfortable and completely inadequate to the challenges presented by the Knowledge Economy.  You simply can't motivate cognitive labour using the same tools you do to motivate physical labour.  That's not speculation - that's evidence-based science.

 

It's not the first time we've come across a cognitive dissonance between what people think works versus what actually does work.

 

The Labour Revolution that stemmed from the Industrial Revolution was the exact same sort of economic birthing pain we're going through right now.  Resisted at the onset (and in some quarters, still resisted today), labour accommodation benefited both means-of-production owners and the labour they employed.  From a systems perspective, the labour revolution was about maximizing labour efficiency by providing the right accommodations to workers. 

 

It turned out that when you provide lunch breaks and humane lighting/humidity levels and the opportunity for wage increases/promotion, the aggregate productivity of your organization was higher than if you worked employees like serfs.  Quality-of-life went up for workers, profits and satisfaction went up for employers.  Everyone gave a little, but gained more through developing (wait for it) shared solutions.

 

It wasn't about one group winning at the expense of the other - it was about strategic collaboration.  Growth and efficiency resulted from everyone working smarter.

 

Lo and behold, Canada suffers from a deepening productivity gap - people are working harder and longer, but don't have an equal growth of productivity to show for it.  We also have an unheralded business crisis in Canada that's negatively impacting productivity, job satisfaction and our expanding healthcare bills.  It's the trillion dollar elephant in the our workplaces.

 

Sound familiar?  Cyclical, almost?  

  

The challenge that faces Minister Naqvi and, more broadly, labour in Canada/Ontario is how to get ahead of the curve and proactively develop new work platforms before the old ones have completely burned through.  Innovative companies like Apple and Google have already gotten way out in front by accommodating their cognitive labour, which is why they lead the pack in growth and success.  We're seeing tentatives steps in that direction at the Federal level with Labour Minister Lisa Raitt's Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace guide.  

 

These measures are a good starting place but again, it's reactive.  If we as a society want to remain competitive in the global marketplace for ideas, we have to get out in front.  Unfortunately, we have fallen into a culture of polarized antagonism that has impeded our individual and collective potential for growth.  To break through this impasse, we need to tear down our firewall silos and explore new ideas, collaborate, innovate, dare to dream a little.  At our current conservative pace, Canada and Ontario are falling behind early adapting competitor jurisdictions.  Remember, early adaptation to the Industrial Economy played a huge role in shaping the super powers of the last century.

 

Which brings us back to Yasir and the Premier that tapped him for Labour, Kathleen Wynne.  These are people who fundamentally reject the politics of division; they understand that stoking fear of the other discourages collaboration and encourages stasis.  You have to love your neighbour before you're able to trust them and trust is fundamental to collaboration.  This is the reason the Throne Speech focused on the three pillars of economic growth, individual opportunity and cooperation - the three have to be addressed in tandem for any one of them to be realized.  What we need to succeed today is a culture of collaboration that makes this possible.

 

We have what it takes to go far - but it'll only happen when we are willing to do so together.

Ontario's 2013 Throne Speech

Below, in full, is Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's first Throne Speech.  I'm very comfortable posting it here at WAKATA - after all, it fits in perfectly with so many of the ingredients I've added to my blog pot.


The Way Forward

 

Mr. Speaker, members of the legislative assembly, men and women, young and old, across this great province of Ontario.

 

I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit.

 

Today it is my privilege as Her Majesty's representative to deliver the first Speech from the Throne drafted by this new government, as we mark the beginning of the second session of the 40th Parliament of Ontario.

 

If you will allow me a moment of reflection, I would like to speak of another first, a man whom, sadly, we have lost since I last addressed this legislature.

 

The Honourable Lincoln Alexander was the first black member of Parliament, the first black cabinet minister, the first black lieutenant governor of Ontario.

 

But when he passed away last October, his granddaughters remembered him simply as a true human being with flaws and perfections.

 

He was born and raised in Toronto, his heart belonged to Hamilton, but he served on behalf of his entire province, and his nation.

 

He was not hemmed in by the prejudice of others, nor the expectations of his time.

 

He demonstrated that every individual part of our being informs who we are but it does not define who we are.

 

And that if we believe in our own abilities, our potential has no limits.

 

As a man, he was more than the sum of his parts and now, as a memory, he is a symbol of the service we must endeavour to offer.

 

Your new government believes that Ontario is a place of endless possibilities.

 

Of flaws and perfections.

 

Where people have different backgrounds and different views, where they gaze upon different skylines, but share the same hopes.

 

Your new government sees a great province that brings together disparate elements and bonds them together as one.

 

And your new government believes the legislature should work the same way.

 

For the benefit of the entire province, your government intends to work with opposition parties, in a spirit of renewed cooperation, to get the people's business done.

 

It does not believe that we are irreparably divided.

 

Or that the challenges we face cannot be overcome.

 

Nor will it look at any one issue in isolation from another, because your new government believes that complex times require thoughtful, collaborative solutions.

 

And that we can only surmount each obstacle by acknowledging that they are all connected.

And that we are all connected.

 

So yes, your government will balance its books -- it will also challenge the people of Ontario to help the province innovate and grow.

 

And yes, your government will strive for economic prosperity -- it will also encourage a fair society, where all the people of Ontario have good jobs and strong communities.

 

And where each and every one of us is safe, and healthy and cared for.

 

Your government will create a better process to ensure that all its partners, including those within the public sector, are treated with respect.

 

But it will call upon these same partners to work with this new government so we can journey forward, boldly, as one.

 

Today, we turn a page in history, in some respects.

 

Another series of firsts: the first day of a reopened legislature, the first female premier.

 

We are not starting over, but we are dedicated anew.

 

A Steady Hand and a Bold Vision

The central objectives of your new government will be fiscal responsibility, economic growth and increased employment -- the bedrocks on which it will build.

 

It will ensure opportunity for all without letting anyone slip through the cracks.

 

And it will send a clear message that Ontario's finances are in steady hands, so that the confidence of all sectors can be raised.

 

Your new government will restrain program spending to reduce Ontario's debt-to-GDP ratio, while recommitting itself to eliminating the deficit by 2017-2018.

 

And after that, it will restrict overall spending increases to one per cent below GDP growth until the province's debt-to-GDP ratio returns to the pre-recession level of 27 per cent.

 

It will also introduce a balanced approach to balancing the budget so that all parties can work together to find savings without impacting the services on which people rely.

 

However, your new government understands that Ontario's true potential cannot be reached through austerity alone.

 

And so it will continue to implement recommendations found in the Drummond Report, including work to evaluate corporate tax compliance.

 

But it will also be driven by the quest for innovation and growth.

 

At the heart of this will be your new government's action on job creation, which will draw on the belief that an educated, skilled and diverse workforce is Ontario's greatest strength.

 

Your government looks to strengthen the earning potential of all men and women of this province - whether they live in cities or small towns, the north or the south - and enable everyone to have a good job and a secure paycheque.

 

It will empower its industries to expand and its individual citizens to excel.

 

Your government will coordinate its services with those of non-profit and private sectors so that recent graduates, new Canadians and the unemployed can find a practical path into the workforce.

 

To address the serious issue of youth unemployment, your government will join forces with high school educators, colleges, universities, training partners and employers to establish opportunities for young people to enhance their skills; find placements, internships and co-op programs; and gain valuable, real world experience.

 

Aboriginal communities must also have access to the tools and training they need to fully participate in economic development opportunities, including those related to our natural resources.

 

And so your government is working with Aboriginal communities to ensure that the benefits of resource development are shared and opportunities for education, training and employment are established.

 

Your government will ensure that all individuals can find their role in this economy.

 

And so it calls on the private sector to increase the number of people with disabilities in the Ontario workforce.

 

As a demonstration of its commitment to this goal, your government will shift the Accessibility Directorate from the Ministry of Community and Social Services to the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment.

 

Because men and women with disabilities deserve a level playing field.

 

A renewed partnership with business, educational institutions, not-for-profits and labour will be at the heart of your government's plans to build a modern, competitive and dynamic economy.

 

And so your new government will work with the opposition and small business to explore an increase in the Employer Health Tax exemption threshold.

 

It will look to stimulate productivity across all sectors, from automotive and agriculture to film, music, and digital media; from small business to start-ups and social entrepreneurs.

 

And your government will continue to assert Ontario's pride of place in the realms of manufacturing, financial services, tourism, forestry and natural resource development.

 

But it will also support the exploration of new economic terrain.

 

It will work with financial institutions and government agencies to ensure that small- and medium-sized enterprises have access to the capital they need to expand.

 

And as a demonstration of that commitment, your government will contribute $50 million to a new $300-million venture capital fund in partnership with its federal counterparts and the private sector.

 

Your government will also capitalize on its trade corridors, expanding them and making them attractive to global markets.

 

It will work with members of our diverse population to open up new opportunities and expand the network of our possibilities.

 

It will help facilitate the smooth transfer of goods through important hubs like Windsor, across the Detroit River International Crossing, and it will lead trade missions to our valuable partners abroad.

 

Your government will visit our friends in India and China, but also in Southeast Asia, eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America.

 

It will ensure that every part of the province has dependable, affordable sources of energy.

 

And because conservation is the cheapest source of energy available, Ontario will continue to be a leader in smart-grid technology and energy conservation, and see the creation of new-economy jobs through the deployment of leading energy efficiency technologies in our homes and our businesses.

 

It will also continue its work to end coal-fired energy generation, the single largest climate change initiative currently underway in North America.

 

As your government moves forward, Ontario's labour force will be treated fairly and with respect.

It will sit down with its partners across all sectors to build a sustainable model for wage negotiation, respectful of both collective bargaining and a fair and transparent interest arbitration process, so that the brightness of our shared future is not clouded by the indisputable economic realities of our time.

It will prove once again that Ontario is a great place to work and live, but also to visit, to invest in, to believe in.

 

It will celebrate our hard work, our ingenuity, our diversity, our arts and culture, and protect the beauty of our natural environment.

 

And it calls upon its legislative partners to join with the government in the pursuit of a modern economy, a path to productivity, and good jobs right here in Ontario.

 

Because the tools of progress must be forged in the fire of our collective will.

A New Sense of Community

 

Your government understands the importance of relationships in all their manifestations.

 

The relationship between us as citizens; but also the relationship between individual parts and the whole.

 

The ways in which our economy is supported by the roads we drive, and the services we continue to offer.

 

Your government understands that if Ontario is to prosper, then individual communities must prosper.

 

And that provinces must work together to advocate for their shared needs, and raise their voices as one to demand that a great nation must have the capacity to do great things.

 

Your government understands that infrastructure is the underpinning of our economy, and that if we continue to lag behind then we will never leap forward.

 

The people of this province are ready to have a serious conversation about the needs of their communities, whether those needs are better roads or stronger bridges, repaired underpasses or accelerated, integrated transit planning.

 

To build these things and facilitate Ontario's success, your government believes that smart infrastructure investment can no longer be mired in political rhetoric.

 

Just as the hard-working men and women of this province can no longer afford to waste their time stuck in traffic.

 

Or be isolated from one another, and the services they need, because their communities are remote, or their funding is unpredictable.

 

If we continue to argue about the tools this investment will require then we are deaf to the symphony of progress that echoes around us.

 

The new government is confident that the people of Ontario are willing to participate in a practical discussion of these costs if they can be guaranteed measurable results.

 

And those results will be found in the increase of our collective productivity, the reduction of our daily commute times and the reduced impact on our climate and natural environment.

 

But your government also realizes that these are not the hurdles of one city or one province, but a race against time for Canada as a whole.

 

Addressing them will require cooperation from all orders of government, and so your government will engage in conversation with its municipal and community partners.

 

And it will also reach out to its provincial and territorial colleagues to advocate for a national strategy on infrastructure and transit.

 

It will address the need for improvements to rural roads and bridges, suburban transit, and a solution to the gridlock that threatens

 

It will address the special transportation needs of Ontario's North and endeavour to improve vital access to the Ring of Fire, and improve the flow of people and goods along our trade corridors to the United States.

 

Because Ontario cannot evolve if it cannot move.

 

Your government intends to work with municipalities on other issues, too.

 

Because communities must be involved and connected to one another.

 

They must have a voice in their future and a say in their integrated, regional development.

 

So that local populations are involved from the beginning if there is going to be a gas plant or a casino or a wind plant or a quarry in their hometown.

 

Because our economy can benefit from these things, but only if we have willing hosts.

 

Ontario communities must also remain safe.

 

Because every child in this province should be able to walk home without fear, and no parent should face an unthinkable loss.

 

And so your government will explore how to improve collaboration along the front lines of community safety, allowing police and prosecutors to build on successful best practices across the justice system.

 

When it comes to the different regions of this province, your new government will not address your issues in isolation because you are not isolated.

 

Your new government will work with municipal leaders in every region of this province.

 

Because our rural and northern residents are unique, and their voices will be heard.

 

But that same promise is made to young families in condos downtown, to retirees in Ontario's wine country, to the people of the north and the south and the east and the west.

 

Because your government knows that its citizens are not defined by their location alone.

 

Because we have autoworkers who live on rural roads, and we have local food advocates who cycle to work in the city.

 

We have authors and artists and actors in Timmins and men and women who love the outdoors but live in the growing city of London.

 

We are all extensions of the same landscape, part of the same province; and each citizen will inform its government's perspective and its actions.

 

Your government knows that Ontario comprises many parts, and is one part of the Canadian whole.

And that while we are all different, we share the same goals.

A Fair Society

 

To climb to great heights, your government believes that everyone must have the same firm footing.

If we help people now, we will help ourselves immeasurably in the future, because the services provided by your government allow people to work, and prosper and contribute.

 

Following the recommendations of Frances Lankin and Munir Sheikh, your new government will work to help the unemployed find a job.

 

And to ensure that the challenging path they must navigate to free themselves from social assistance is not made unduly difficult, your government will enable them to keep more of what they earn through their hard work.

 

These are people whom all parties hope to empower, and your government encourages the legislature to work together on their behalf.

 

Your government will also ensure that our citizens have a safe, secure and affordable place to live.

The day-to-day interests of people across Ontario must be addressed, and your government will strive to protect their privacy and their pocketbooks.

 

It will help this province's nine million drivers by continuing to implement the recommendations of the Auto Insurance Anti-Fraud Task Force, protecting individuals against fraud and working to reduce insurance rates across Ontario.

 

And it will look to strengthen the rights of Ontario's consumers when it comes to door-to-door sales, debt settlement services, real estate transactions and mobile and smartphone contracts.

Because our marketplace must be fair, and the prices we pay transparent.

 

The happiness and health of Ontario residents must be enshrined, and so your government will also continue to build the strongest and most innovative health care system in the world, so that the hospitals and research institutions in places like Thunder Bay and Toronto keep setting international standards and saving innumerable lives.

 

Your government is committed to health promotion to combat smoking and obesity, and it believes strongly in patient-centred care and evidence-based health policy.

 

Along with all parties in the legislature, it understands the pressing need to expand access to home care in Ontario.

 

And so your government will continue to expand the support available to people in their homes, and to address the needs of men and women across Ontario currently waiting for the home care services they require.

 

Your government will also continue to expand access to mental health services and support efforts to reduce stigma for men and women coping with mental illness.

 

It will work with partners in all related sectors to coordinate the best response to these challenges because Ontario's minds and spirits must be healthy, too.

 

It will also move forward with a Seniors Strategy to ensure that Ontario can best respond to the needs of its aging population.

 

It will promote partnership between health care providers - from hospitals and long-term care homes, to community support services and front line medical providers through Community Health Links - so that the care of our loved ones and our most vulnerable citizens is constant and cohesive.

 

To ensure the best treatment for our children, our parents, grandparents and our friends, your government believes the research community must be supported in its work.

 

And it is therefore announcing renewed support for the Ontario Brain Institute through a funding partnership with the private sector.

 

Every dollar your government contributes will leverage four additional dollars from its partners by 2018.

 

A healthy community also requires strong doses of compassion and forethought.

 

And so your government will continue to prioritize education and inclusion.

 

It will keep building a comprehensive early learning and care system, including the successful extension of full-day kindergarten and child care.

 

It will show its respect for teachers, support staff, principals and school boards.

 

Because our young people will experience a world of which we can now only dream, and we must all work together to ensure they are equipped with the appropriate tools for their time.

 

They must be literate in the languages of tomorrow; encouraged to pursue the paths of their choosing and prepared for the challenges ahead.

 

We must teach them to work together and to believe in themselves.

 

We must emphasize critical thinking, creativity, teamwork and an entrepreneurial spirit.

 

We must enamour them to the possibilities of science, math and technology.

 

We must help them feel safe and take their ideas and their input seriously.

 

And so your government will create a permanent Premier's youth advisory council.

 

It will continue to offer the 30 Per Cent Off Ontario Tuition Grant to help more people get a postsecondary education.

 

And your government believes that First Nation, Metis and Inuit children must share in every opportunity, too.

 

That we must close the gap with their peers so that they can live and learn and play as they like.

 

And we must all acknowledge that their proud heritage does not preclude their full participation.

 

Your government will work with Aboriginal communities, but the federal government must also live up to its important obligations in this regard.

 

Your government will ensure that attention and respect are extended to all.

 

It will ensure that Ontario's Francophone community is recognized and celebrated for its culture and its contributions.

 

And so your government will expand the availability of French postsecondary programs in central and southwestern Ontario.

 

Our community of new Canadians will be shown that where they were born will not limit what they can achieve.

 

Ontario is home to citizens who speak many languages; who have brought their culture, their training and their aspirations to this province.

 

Your government sees Ontario's diverse population as an asset to be exalted.

 

It is not just a mosaic but a valuable work of art, from which we can glean great knowledge.

 

The people of this province may speak different languages. They may be young or old, healthy or ailing, rich or poor.

 

But the parties of this legislature should have their trust, and they deserve our fairness and our support.

The Way Forward

 

Your government believes that if we can hope to serve Ontario, then we must act together, as one.

The people of Ontario expect this of all members of the legislative assembly.

 

It is what they want and it is what they deserve.

 

Members of provincial parliament must be conduits for their constituents, so this legislature can hear all the voices of this province and represent all of its diverse needs.

 

All parties and each member will be encouraged to contribute to this process, to make their insights known.

 

Your new government hopes that ideas will be put forward with optimism and purpose, and that voices will not be raised solely for the pursuit or retention of power.

 

Your government is committed to finding real, creative solutions to the issues we face.

 

To do this, it will direct its efforts across these aisles, within its ministries, and in partnership with other provinces.

 

When Ontario hosts the Council of the Federation in Niagara-on-the-Lake this summer, it will work with our provincial partners to expedite the return of principled transfer arrangements with the federal government.

 

Closer to home, your government expects the talent and tenacity of its public servants to help propel this province to greatness.

 

It will not over-promise, nor will it be bowed into submission.

 

It will be respectful and direct, honest and decisive.

 

Your government, and your cabinet ministers, will be accountable to all the people of Ontario, and work to prevent mistakes before they occur.

 

And it will work with all parties in the legislature to review the decisions to relocate energy infrastructure in this province.

 

Your new government is committed to getting real work done on behalf of all the people of Ontario, and it calls upon members of the legislature to come together in support of that noble goal.

 

There are so many opportunities for progress, for all parties to join together.

 

There is common ground that transcends partisan politics, and it is found in the desire to make Ontario's economy stronger; to improve its transportation networks and give all the people of this province the same opportunities, purpose and pride.

 

Your government believes all things are possible.

 

Your government will not be hemmed in by expectations.

 

It will explore the endless geography of our shared potential.

 

Because we are one province, and together we can be more than the sum of our parts.

 

Your government will tackle its flaws and celebrate the perfections of its people.

 

Your government will bring together disparate elements and bond them together as one.

Both within these hallowed halls and across this glorious province.

 

Because we are people with different backgrounds and different views, we gaze upon different skylines but we all share the same hopes.

 

And your government will endeavour to serve for the benefit of all.

 

Thank you. Merci. Meegwetch.