McGuinty said yesterday the $5.6 billion deficit his Liberal government inherited from the Conservatives will have to be a factor in every decision in the months ahead and may cloud other promises that appeared crystal clear when they were made just weeks ago.

"More than anything else, my responsibility now is to act responsibly," McGuinty said when asked about a promise to shut down private, for-profit MRI and CT scan diagnostic clinics opened by the Conservatives amid controversy.

McGuinty said Ontarians want him to act in their best interest, even if it means not fulfilling the more than 200 campaign commitments the Liberals made.

He said that is the rationale behind the setting aside of two promises already, namely the cap on hydro rates and the commitment to stop development on the environmentally sensitive lands north of Toronto.

"That's why we can't allow hydro rates to remain capped, that's why we can't pretend that we don't have a $5.6 billion deficit.

"That's why I can't pretend that there will be no legal cost whatsoever connected with removal of 6,600 homes from the Oak Ridges Moraine, we're going to act responsibly."

The McGuinty government signalled this week it was looking to cut a deal with developers to halt construction of some of the 6,600 homes on the moraine, rather than fulfilling its much-touted promise to stop the project entirely. Source.

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