Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield is suggesting the 34-day old strike at Caesars Windsor is starting to hurt the province's finances.
Hatfield wants to know how the Liberal government plans to make good on its budget promises when the casino is losing millions of dollars during the strike.
He brought it up during Question Period at the Ontario legislature Tuesday, asking the Liberal government again to do what it can to end the protracted labour dispute.
While Caesars operates and manages the Windsor casino, the facility is owned by the province through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and Hatfield says that means the Liberals have fiscal obligation to encourage a resolution.
"Caesars just cancelled all of its shows for the entire month of May," he told the legislature. "This government has an obligation to the taxpayers."
If his question was meant to needle the government into action, Labour Minister Kevin Flynn did not bite.
"We've got some of the best mediators working on this, Speaker. I would urge both sides to come back to the table," Flynn responded. "We know that the best agreements are the ones that are reached by the parties at the table."
Flynn acknowledged businesses in downtown Windsor are suffering while the usual casino patrons stay away, but he stressed the strike is one of just many labour disputes currently underway in Ontario and says involvement is a slippery slope.
"There's a lot of people that go to York University. A lot of students at York University, Mr Speaker that are being impacted by a strike," said Flynn shifting the conversation away from Caesars.
However, on Monday the Ontario government introduced legislation to end the two-month strike at the Toronto university.
