Liberal goody bag includes help for rural Ontarians 

 Cornwall Standard Freeholder 

12 September 2007 

By Greg Peerenboom 

The Liberals rolled out a package of goodies that rural Ontarians could savour, but the NDP wonders why it took so long for Premier Dalton McGuinty to get a sweet tooth.  

Among several new and rehashed promises, eastern Ontario will be getting a four-year $80-million development fund.  

Incumbent Liberal MPP Jim Brownell said the cash will help keep local textile plants, including St. Lawrence Textiles and Marimac Industries, competitive.  

It would seem, NDP candidate Lori Taylor said, the Liberals could have come up with the money sooner, considering that one textile plant, Gildan Activewear, closed its doors a couple of years ago.  

"We know these companies have been struggling for awhile," Taylor said.  "Why do something at the end of a four-year mandate? It's a question of timing."  

The $20-million-a-year fund does not have a duplicate program for other parts of Ontario.  That's an indication of lobbying he's done for the region, Brownell said.  

The Liberals are also increasing their provincewide Rural Economic Development Fund by 50 per cent.  "I could see double the activity that we can have (here)," Brownell said.