QUEEN’S PARK — Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner released the following statement today about the Premier’s campaign style announcement handing out millions for OPP Officers while ignoring parents’ calls for more teachers:
“This time using OPP Officers as a backdrop, the Premier continues to make campaign style stops as the clock ticks down on school openings.
If the Premier is able to find millions of dollars to hire more cops, why can’t he find the desperately needed funds to hire teachers and reduce class sizes?
Crime and poverty most often go hand in hand. We need to properly fund social, community and school systems to provide opportunity, not label the most vulnerable and hope that more police will solve our systemic problems.
Calling offenders, some we should remember are as young as 12 or 13, names like “crooks and…thugs”, shows the Premier doesn’t understand that we can’t arrest our way out of deep social problems like poverty, racism and underfunded social services.
Premier, we have real issues facing Ontario. It’s time to hop off your campaign bus and address them.”