Is this as busy a period for you as it is for me?
Spring is that period of renewal. Everybody feels good because the trees and the grass are green and alive again and it seems that the burst of nature?s energy is a little infectious because businesses go into that ?high gear? push towards a typically less strenuous summer period. And so it is in public life. The Ontario Legislature is working to its new hours of 9am to 6pm Monday through Thursday and we?re ploughing through a range of government and private bills which, if and when passed, become law.
We?re also ensuring responsible government by holding the McGuinty Liberals to account for a variety if issues happening on its watch. Chief of these is a faltering economy here in Ontario and a health system that is awash in controversy ranging from the virus that is found in hospitals called C. Difficile which has killed over 2000 in Quebec to deaths in our long term care facilities related to insufficient time/money allocation per patient to our local concern, a new hospital for Vaughan.
As your MPP, I have been very active in debate. Check out some of the video clips accessible from the home page or subsequent pages to see replays of my debate participation and questions asked in the House. It?s not like talk radio used to be?you actually get an answer when you ask even if it isn?t usually the one you want!
The economy in Ontario is proving to be an ongoing and serious concern. We read daily of additional job losses in what have traditionally been safe, Ontario industries?notably, the automobile sector. My party advocates economic stimulus at times like these, chief of which would be much more competitive tax rates so that fewer businesses left and, better still, so that more felt attracted to our province. It doesn?t make me happy when I see headlines that suggest we could become a ?have not? province receiving the equivalent of n Newfoundland. True, there are factors that can be considered uncontrollable such as parity with the U.S. dollar. But notwithstanding that, we expect our provincial government to play a role rather than wringing its collective hands and having our Premier mouth old sayings like ?this too shall pass? or ?our hearts go out to the affected families?. Instead of addressing the issue head-on, the government agenda includes debating legislation limiting truck speeds to 105 km/hr?not a bad idea in itself but what does it matter if trucks leave our roads for lack of any raw or finished goods to transport? See the relationship?
On another note, Thornhill (through your MPP) had the honour of being represented as our party?s speaker at two auspicious events lately. One was Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Ontario Legislature and the other was the raising of the Israeli flag in front of the Queen?s Park Legislature Building on the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence.
Last, but by no means least, our Constituency Office at 7368 Yonge Street
(905-731-8462) is extremely busy. That means many of you have issues and we?re here to help. Regular office hours apply though we do have voicemail for issues you want to raise outside of regular time. I am at Queen?s Park 4 days a week and in Thornhill on Fridays. That will change as soon as the Legislature recesses in June. Meanwhile, my able staff can and will help and I am always available through them.