The Harris years of Ernie Eves Top 20 Facts

  • 9 years ago
Facts : 1 The Harris years Eves is a long time close friend of fellow northern Ontario MPP Mike Harris
Facts : 2 In 1995, after being elected on the Common Sense Revolution , a Reagan-style program of tax cuts and government cutbacks, Eves was appointed Harris Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier
Facts : 3 In Finance, Eves supervised significant cuts to taxes and public spending, particularly in the field of social assistance
Facts : 4 Provincial income taxes were cut by 30 %%% and welfare rates were reduced by 22 %%% , resulting in 500,000 people being cut from the Ontario welfare rolls
Facts : 5 The Harris government justified these measures as necessary to eliminate the provincial deficit
Facts : 6 After initially adopting a policy of restraint toward health care costs, Eves later budgets increased health spending
Facts : 7 He eventually succeeded in balancing the budget early in the government s second term
Facts : 8 As Minister of Finance, Eves also oversaw two controversial privatization initiatives: the long-term lease of the Bruce nuclear generating station to British Energy and the 99-year lease of Highway 407 to a consortium of mainly foreign investors
Facts : 9 Upon his retirement, Eves claimed that the impact of his 22 %%% reduction in welfare rates kept him up at night
Facts : 10 There have also been reports that Eves was conflicted about the risks of adding $ 22 billion to the provincial debt by cutting taxes before balancing the budget
Facts : 11 Some believe that Eves was responsible for restraining some of Harris more radical initiatives during their time in office
Facts : 12 Despite the close friendship and similar backgrounds and beliefs of Harris and Eves, the two have very different public personae
Facts : 13 While Harris tried to be the embodiment of a grass-roots politician, Eves was just the opposite
Facts : 14 He was always meticulously well-turned-out in expensive suits, with court-filings revealing he spent $ 25,000 a year on clothing, $ 5,000 a year on jewelry and cufflinks and $ 700 a month on dry cleaning
Facts : 15 Eves also sported a slicked-back hair style that reinforced his image as a slick politician
Facts : 16 Eves personal life in the last few years of the Harris government was tumultuous
Facts : 17 His son, Justin, was killed in a traffic accident in Parry Sound, and soon after his long-standing marriage broke down
Facts : 18 Eves began a relationship with a fellow cabinet colleague, Isabel Bassett, and he and

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