Liberals Vow To Give Workers New Day Off In February

It’s not just back to school and the end of summer that’s leaving many with a feeling of trepidation as the Labour Day weekend passes into history. Just about everyone in the province knows we’re about to be confronted with more than a month of promises, attacks and reams of blather, as the Ontario election campaign heats up.

And none of the parties was willing to take the long weekend off. In case you missed it, the latest pledge from the Liberal camp is a vow to create a provincial holiday in February. The vacation, which is expected to be called “Family Day”, would likely be held on the third Monday of the year’s shortest month. The Grit announcement came on the same day that union workers paraded downtown, complaining that the government wasn’t doing enough to protect their jobs. And it coincided with the official opening of Conservative leader John Tory’s campaign headquarters in the riding of Don Valley West. 

Tory isn’t against the idea of an extra day off in winter, but insists the timing is suspect. He calls it a cynical and blatant political ploy. And he urges voters not to be taken in by such an obvious appeal from a government he says has broken its promises countless times before. “Why did Mr. McGuinty wait until now to do this?” Tory demanded.

NDP leader Howard Hampton echoed those sentiments, agreeing that a February day off would be welcomed by workers, but wondered why the Liberals had four years to implement the concept – and never bothered until now.

The answer from the Grits was also purely political. They claim they wanted to put such a day off in place long ago, but with the deficit they inherited from the Mike Harris Tories, it simply wasn’t feasible. The government has since announced it’s sitting on a huge $2.3 billion surplus. And as always, the holiday vow comes with strings attached. It will only be implemented if the Liberals are returned to power on October 10 th. Current polls suggest they might be – but with only a minority government.

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