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Ontario Fire Fighters Endorse Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty
From left: IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger, Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty and OPFFA President Fred LeBlanc.
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June 13,
2007 -- Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, whose Liberal government recently
enacted presumptive cancer and heart legislation for the province’s 10,000 IAFF
members, has won the endorsement of the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters
Association (OPFFA) in advance of the October 10 provincial election.
The endorsement was adopted unanimously by approximately 150 delegates gathered
in Kingston, Ontario, for the OPFFA’s Annual Convention. IAFF General President
Harold Schaitberger greeted a jubilant McGuinty following the resolution’s
adoption.
The endorsement states that the OPFFA “demonstrates its support for Premier
McGuinty’s leadership on matters affecting Ontario’s professional fire fighters
and their families through the official endorsement of the Honorable Dalton
McGuinty as the premier for the Province of Ontario.”
OPFFA President Fred LeBlanc says the endorsement was well deserved. “The three
words I’ve been keying in on are leadership, respect and recognition,” he says.
“That is backed up by a strong legislative agenda, and in those terms the
premier set the bar very high and it certainly warranted our endorsement.”
Since the Liberals came to power under McGuinty in 2003, they have also passed
legislation that paves the way for improvements to fire fighter pensions,
created a monument to fallen fire fighters on the grounds of the Ontario
legislature in Toronto, developed a special provincial tribute to the families
of fallen fire fighters, passed legislation protecting fire fighters’ personal
car insurance rates from accidents while on duty and chose decisively to not
interfere with union rights in the area of secondary employment. McGuinty also
allowed the union to have input in the recent selection of a new Ontario fire
marshal, the province’s top fire official.
Schaitberger thanked McGuinty for what he’s done for Ontario’s professional fire
fighters and commented that it was a pleasure to meet a politician who followed
through on his promises, referring to the Premier’s commitment on presumptive
legislation made at the 48th Convention in Toronto last year.
In keeping with the IAFF’s philosophy of non-partisanship, the OPFFA’s
endorsement of Premier McGuinty does not constitute a blanket endorsement for
Liberal candidates across the province. Local affiliates are encouraged to
support any candidate from any political party they feel will best support fire
fighter issues in the provincial legislature. “Our emphasis has still been on
supporting those who support us. The premier has demonstrated his support for us
and our families,” LeBlanc says.
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