Cambridge MPP Rob Leone met with local job creators Friday to discuss ways to help 600,000 out of work Ontarians get back on track.

The roundtable, consisting of representatives from the Cambridge business community and the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, shared ideas as a part of CFIB’s Small Business Saturday and discussed the new PC Caucus white paper, Paths to Prosperity: An Agenda for Growth.

Released earlier this month, Paths to Prosperity puts forward 15 bold ideas to help businesses thrive and, in turn, bring jobs back to Ontario.

“I’m always excited to hear from local businesses and to talk about how to get Ontario back on track.” said Leone. “I wish I could take these ideas back to Queen’s Park, but unfortunately, the Liberal government felt it was more politically important to prorogue the Legislature.”

Work at the Ontario Legislature was halted Monday after Dalton McGuinty stepped down as Premier, and will remain closed until a successor is chosen. During this time, no legislation can be debated and all previous bills expire, including Leone’s Balanced Budget and Debt Limit Act, which was tabled last spring to deal with Ontario’s fiscal crisis.

Leone said this gives him more time to speak with job creators, and find out which tools they need to get the economy back on track. He says the PC caucus is exploring all avenues to ease the tax burden on the backbone of our economy, including reductions on corporate taxes, the HST and personal income tax.

“Whether it’s home builders, print shops or restaurants, businesses want a government that works with them, rather than standing in their way.” said Leone. “If we are going to get out of this massive hole that Dalton McGuinty has created, we have to start putting faith in the private sector.”