NDP MPPs in Windsor-Essex are cramming as they learn the ins and outs of new portfolios made public Friday.
Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield is the new NDP critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing while in Windsor West, Lisa Gretzky takes over the role of education critic. Taras Natyshak, MPP for the riding of Essex, is the new critic for Economic Development and Employment, Small Business and Infrastructure.
Natyshak is learning a lot about best practices around the world and Germany has caught his attention. "Areas like Germany, who have a high emphasis on post-secondary education and making it affordable, and also advanced manufacturing in terms of their productivity and innovation."
As for what he believes isn't working in Ontario, Natyshak points to public-private partnerships. "I would point all Ontarians to the auditor general's report of November of last year," he says. "The province has embarked on a focus of public-private partnerships when it comes to, specifically infrastructure. The auditor general cited an $8-billion waste of money."
Already representing a region with stubbornly high unemployment, Natyshak says his appointment is no accident. "We tend to be the canary in the coal mine that indicates how the province is doing economically."
