Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips says the provincial government has no plans to “deviate” from its controversial fiscal priorities but it will admit\u00a0mistakes when it makes them.<\/p>\n
In an interview on CBC Radio’s\u00a0Metro Morning<\/em>, Phillips said the government will continue to focus on three priorities detailed in its\u00a0budget: the problem of affordability; spending within its means; and making sure that money is available for health and education.<\/p>\n Phillips, Ontario’s former environment minister, replaced Vic Fedeli in the finance portfolio when Premier Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet on Friday.<\/p>\n “We have to do a great job of making sure that people understand what those priorities are and we need to communicate it,” Phillips said on Monday. “When we make a mistake, we’ll correct that mistake.”<\/p>\n Phillips noted that the province has reversed spending cuts when people have reacted negatively.<\/p>\n “We need to make sure we’re listening and hearing the reaction we are getting from people,” he said.”\u00a0We’ll keep\u00a0making those adjustments, but we won’t deviate from those three principles because that’s what promises such a positive future for Ontario. If we don’t do those three things, we will have a problem.”<\/p>\n Phillips added that he firmly believes that good communication starts with listening and he plans to focus on communication in his new role.<\/p>\n Despite being asked repeatedly what Fedeli did wrong, Philllips declined to comment on Fedeli’s performance as finance minister.<\/p>\n Fedeli has been shuffled to the ministry of economic development, job creation and trade, and he is now chair of cabinet. Phillips said he spend time with Fedeli on the weekend to review the many “hot issues” in the finance portfolio.<\/p>\n Ford said on Friday that “there’s no better salesperson” than Fedeli.<\/p>\n Phillips agreed. “What the premier said was absolutely right. Vic Fedeli will be the best salesperson this province could have, to get out there and to make the case for Ontario being open for business and for jobs. I think he’ll be just great at that,” he said.<\/p>\n Phillips also declined to comment on booing of Ford in Nathan Phillips Square last week during the rally and parade for the Toronto Raptors following their historic NBA championship win. He also declined to comment on what the booing may indicate.<\/p>\n “It’s not the first time a politician has been booed,” Phillips said.<\/p>\n “Any time that a government undertakes a major shift, a major change, then you are going to hear from people who are happy about it and you are going to hear from people who are unhappy about it.”<\/p>\n Phillips noted that thousands of people attended Ford Fest in Markham, Ont. on the weekend.<\/p>\n Asked about two patronage appointments that were rescinded by Ford following the resignation of Dean French, his chief of staff, on Friday, Phillips said Ford made the decision as soon as he understood the “biographical background” of the two people appointed.<\/p>\n According to a\u00a0Globe and Mail report,\u00a0Tyler Albrecht and Taylor Shields, who were appointed\u00a0as agents general\u00a0to New York and London, respectively, had ties to French.<\/p>\n “This isn’t a government that claims to be perfect,” Phillips\u00a0said. “That was the right action and I absolutely support that action.”<\/p>\n‘It’s not the first time a politician has been booed’<\/h2>\n