Toronto Star: September 19, 2007
Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief
Surrounding himself with schoolchildren for yet another campaign event, Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty is promising to promote literacy by buying more books for libraries.
McGuinty used the flagship Indigo book store on Bay St. to re-announce his election pledge to spend $120 million over four years for books and librarians in elementary schools.
“It will mean 1.7 million new books each year — more than 430 per school — and additional librarians in schools across Ontario,” he said this morning.
“Most importantly, it will mean high quality, up-to-date books in the hands of young learners, and that’s great news for their reading, writing and long-term prospects for success.”
Flanked by Indigo CEO Heather Reisman, who is selling the school boards the books at cost, the Liberal leader said his announcement “is the most significant investment in school libraries in a generation.”
After being read to by 7-year-old Bruce — who entertained the premier and his wife Terri with a spirited telling of Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel — McGuinty boasted that the Liberals deserve re-election on Oct. 10 because they have accomplished much to improve literacy in Ontario.
As he has done almost every day so far in the campaign that began Sept. 10, McGuinty ensured the TV and newspaper cameras captured him with children.
Usually, he’s been going to a school to highlight his opposition to Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory’s $400 million scheme to extend funding to other religious schools beyond just those in the Catholic system.
But polls suggest that controversial issue is neither helping McGuinty nor hurting Tory, so the Liberals are scrambling to shift the focus of the campaign
