By Diane Gilhula
Sounding like heÂ?s running for premier, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Dalton McGuinty talked about safety issues when he was in town late last week.
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He said he is committed to safe highways and that includes a timely plan of action for the four-laning of Highway 69.
McGuinty, who was in Sudbury Thursday and Friday, said safe highways in all parts of Ontario would be a very high priority for a Liberal government.
Â?People shouldnÂ?t have to be afraid to travel on any highway in Ontario.Â?
Â?I think we become competitive in the 21st century by having good schools, enough doctors in our communities and safe highways.Â?
It is not only an economic issue, and an issue of public safety, but Â?itÂ?s also a moral issue,Â? he said.
Â?We will establish our priorities for voters, and clearly safe highways are going to be one of them, Â? he said adding, Â?We will begin to move forward once a Liberal government is elected in the province.Â?
McGuinty called the section of the highway between Parry Sound and Sudbury Â?an exceptionally dangerous highway.Â?
He admitted to having second thoughts about planning a family outing next week to Killarney. The Liberal leader, who lives in Ottawa, will be driving to Killarney in a van with his brother and their children.
McGuinty was in Azilda Friday to tour the Northern Ontario Police Academy for Advanced Training before heading to Thunder Bay. Thursday night he attended a barbecue campaign kick-off for Nickel Belt candidate Alex McCauley.
McCauley is the former chief of police in Sudbury and there were many officers at the Friday breakfast and tour.
McGuinty emphasized heÂ?ll lead a government thatÂ?s tough on crime, and tough on the causes of crime. Â?The rate of violent crimes is rising at an alarming rate in the province,Â? he said.
Â?Fighting crime not only means holding criminals accountable, it also means preventing crime before it occurs. That starts in our schools.
McGuinty highlighted his school safety plan as one of the ways heÂ?ll make Ontario communities safer.
That plan includes mandatory anti-bully programs, surveillance cameras at school entrances, and a school safety hotline to allow tips about threats to school safety.
He also supports values education in schools.
McGuinty said there have been several public safety initiatives introduced by Ontario Liberals that were adopted by the Tory government.
McGuinty, with the support of Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci, introduced the resolution in legislature demanding the immediate return of Clinton Suzack to a maximum security prison. That resolution was passed unanimously.
McGuinty also responded to several questions regarding a front page story in ThursdayÂ?s National Post. It stated "the coroner has concluded that Kimberley Rogers died of an overdose of antidepressant drugs."
He said he will wait for the results of the inquest before he comes to any conclusions about how she died.
McGuinty was firm when asked about welfare fraud.
"We have a responsibility to ensure that people who are receiving welfare are acting according to the terms of the law."
He said, however, he has never been fond of the notion of cutting people off completely."
"We are then turning a blind eye to how it is that they are going to have some means to an income."
