MPP Arnott votes against Liberal budget motion

(Queen’s Park) – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott has voted against the Wynne Liberals’ Budget motion, saying he has no confidence whatsoever in the Liberal Government’s overall Budgetary policy.

“As a Member of the Official Opposition and fundamentally lacking confidence in this Liberal Government, I do not support their Budget,” Mr. Arnott said. “The next provincial election can’t come soon enough.”

The exact wording of the motion MPPs vote on after a provincial Budget is simple, straightforward, and reads as follows: “That this House approves in general the Budgetary policy of the Government.”

This means that the vote on the Budget motion is on the Government’s overall Budget agenda.

“While every‎ Budget includes spending on things like health care, schools, and community safety that we all support, the vote on the Budget motion is actually on their overall Budgetary framework,” Mr. Arnott added.

Not surprisingly, all of the Opposition MPPs in the P.C. and N.D.P. Caucuses, who were present in the House, voted against the Budget motion on May 16. All of the Liberal Government MPPs, who were in attendance, supported the Budget motion.

The Budget motion passed by a vote of 53-39.

In Ontario, the Budget motion ‎is considered to be a motion of confidence in the Government. Had the Budget motion been voted down, parliamentary tradition would have required the Wynne Government to resign, and an early Provincial election campaign would likely have followed.

The last Provincial election in Ontario was held on June 12, 2014.  The next election is scheduled for June 7, 2018.

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Ted Arnott, MPP

Phone: 416-325-3880

Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org