Social media users logged on to Reddit on Tuesday to take advantage of the opportunity to ask Premier Kathleen Wynne anything they wanted for an hour.
While the page received over 1,000 responses from Redditors, both of questions and comments, Wynne answered only 10. Some comments criticize the premier for avoiding the tough questions and providing scripted answers.
The top comment, from user Gladyoulikeit, said “next time, just update your Wikipedia page.”
Another comment said, “serious fail of an AMA Premier Wynne. Way to lose everyone’s votes in real time,” from a Redditor named EnemyAce.
Here are some highlights from the questions Wynne did answer:
Question: Let’s be blunt: we need jobs in Ontario. There are a number of factors (taxes, electricity costs, decline in secondary industry in North America) but the Opposition has outlined a plan to add “one million jobs” back to Ontario. While Hudak’s math may be a little…off…I would be interested in hearing your/the Liberal Party’s plan to bring jobs that pay a living wage back to Ontario – IAmTheRedWizards
Wynne: Creating jobs is an absolute priority. Unlike Mr. Hudak, I don’t believe you can create decent jobs by cutting services, programming and undermining unions. We have a six point Ontario Jobs Plan. We’re going to invest in infrastructure, skills development and youth jobs. Already, our Youth Jobs Strategy has provided opportunity to 7000 young people. We’re going to maintain a responsible approach to balancing the budget, support small business and invest in building our knowledge economy and play to our strengths in industries like aerospace, agriculture and high tech. Our plan is about partnering with business, communities and post-secondary institutions, so they have the support they need to succeed. I believe that government’s role is to build people up, not tear them down. If I help the people of Ontario to do their best, they will create jobs, grow the economy and show the world what we can do.
Question: There has been a lot of talk lately about expansion of the subway in Toronto, but nothing concerning the surrounding areas. Mississauga is a city with 700,000 people and will hit a million within the next 5 years, but we still don’t have a subway. What help could the City of Mississauga expect from the Province if the City pursued massive overhauls to the existing infrastructure? – PM2032
Wynne: Hazel, is that you?! I told you, I’ve got your back on this. Seriously, though, I know that we need to invest in transit across the GTHA, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa and beyond. We’ll bring a plan to invest in transit as part of our budget in the spring and we’ve already committed $35 Billion to infrastructure spending over the next 3 years.
Question: Good morning Premier Wynne, and thank you for asking our questions! I live in Toronto, and I drink beer and wine. I’m also interested in the liquor industry. I have a few friends who work for Steam Whistle in Toronto, and I’ve kept in touch – so to speak – with the burgeoning craft brewing scene here. My question is about your opposition to sales of beer and wine in grocery stores. Why, specifically, are you against allowing sales of beer and wine in convenience stores and grocery stores? Why is it fair to allow the Beer Store/The Brewers Retail to sell alcoholic beverages, but prevent local businesses from doing the same? – Malevole
Wynne: Last night I was at the Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery in Barrie. It’s a great business and I want these companies to thrive. At the same time, we need to make sure we make socially responsible decisions about the distribution of alcohol. We have a controlled distribution system in place in Ontario and it’s worked well. I understand that people want this to be more convenient, but my job is to weigh that against social issues like public health and the safety of minors. But we are in conversation with the Ontario Craft Brewers Association and we’re looking at ways to modernize beer distribution.
Question: What’s your favorite book and why? – TheBigLibrarian
Wynne: This is such a hard question! My favourite book for years was Margaret Laurence’s The Stone Angel. More recently I’ve read political biographies and really enjoyed Steve Paikin’s biography of John Robarts. The best thriller I’ve read in a while is Lynwood Barclay’s Never Look Away and right now I’m reading Louise Penny’s A Trick of the Light. One of my all time favourite books and one that I read in my youth was Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce.
Chelsea graduated from the Ryerson School of Journalism in 2014.