QUEEN’S PARK – Bold ideas and tough decisions are required to turn Ontario away from a path of reckless spending, but it won’t be easy since incoming Premier Kathleen Wynne is linked to $1 billion of taxpayers’ money on cancelled gas plants, Ontario PC MPP Rob Leone today said.

 “As 2011 campaign co-chair for the Liberals, Kathleen Wynne was involved in the decision to save five Liberal seats by canceling the Mississauga and Oakville gas plants,” Leone said. “With complete disregard for taxpayers, Wynne treated public funds as if they belonged to the Liberal Party, and now, taxpayers are left with the bill.”

 Leone said Wynne’s ties to the Mississauga gas plant cancellation reach farther than serving as campaign co-chair. “Not only did Wynne chair the campaign that cancelled the Mississauga gas plant, she was able to secure the support of Charles Sousa, one of the MPPs whom Wynne and the Liberal Party wasted $1 billion to save, which vaulted her to the Premier’s office.

 “It concerns me that Kathleen Wynne hasn’t even admitted there is a problem. In fact, she said that she wants to follow the same path that Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals have been taking Ontario down,” added Leone.

 “Wynne’s politically-motivated decision to cancel these two plants means that hundreds of millions of dollars will not go towards important public services like health care, education and job creation. This has hurt Ontario and taxpayers deserve the truth.”

Leone concluded, “This leaves one question that Wynne needs to answer – will she support our call for a legislative committee to study the issue immediately when the House comes back?