Peter in the Media

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Opposition continues to demand answers for G20 law

Posted By: Mark Carcasole

The heat on Premier Dalton McGuinty has been turned up.

A series of emails between Liberal staffers, recently revealed in the Ontario Ombudsman's G20 report show that the province tried to keep the details on the so-called "G20 secret law" quiet. One email even appears to stifle a press release from the Ministry of Community Safety that would have clarified the exact powers of police during the summit.

With those details now out in the open, the Progressive Conservatives are asking for more time to question the Liberals.

Shurman speaks out against hate speech

Sarah Boesveld - National Post

Academics are calling the Ontario government's condemnation of a university student thesis an attack on scholarly freedom, but those offended by the controversial paper insist they won't let "hate" hide behind the veil of academia.

Jenny Peto's 100-page thesis argues that today's Jews of European descent "enjoy white privilege" and maintain a victim identity by participating in "hegemonic" Holocaust remembrance programs such as the March of the Living, during which young Jewish people visit Poland and Israel. The University of Toronto accepted the defended thesis and awarded a master's degree to the 29-year-old, who is an activist associated with the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid group. She's also Jewish and a descendant of Holocaust survivors.

Shurman disgusted by U of T thesis

Daniel Dale - Toronto Star

Ontario citizenship and immigration minister Eric Hoskins said Tuesday that he was “greatly disturbed and in fact disgusted” to read about a University of Toronto master’s thesis that calls two Holocaust education programs “racist.”

The thesis criticizes the March of the Living, on which young Jews and Holocaust survivors travel to Poland and Israel, and the March of Remembrance and Hope, on which non-Jews and survivors go to Germany and Poland. It was written by Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid activist Jenny Peto, who is Jewish.

The thesis was discussed in the Legislature after it was debated in the Star. Hoskins was responding to Progressive Conservative MPP Steve Clark, who called the thesis “disgusting.” PC MPP Peter Shurman, whose Thornhill riding includes a large Jewish population, said the thesis was a hateful, poorly researched “piece of garbage.”

Government attempts to hide their indiscretions again

By Anthony Reinhart

Allegations of questionable spending, cronyism have dogged tourism agency

The Ontario government has rebuffed a request for the Auditor-General to investigate alleged improprieties at the Niagara Parks Commission.

Using their majority on the public accounts committee Wednesday, the Liberals voted down a motion from the New Democrats, who have been pressing the Liberals for an independent probe of the agency for the past week.

Grad student calls Holocaust education

McLeans.ca

Ontario immigration minister, Eric Hoskins is “disgusted” by a master’s thesis accepted by the University of Toronto that calls Holocaust education “racist.”

The thesis, submitted by graduate Jennifer Peto argues that the March of the Living and the March of Remembrance and Hope, both Holocaust education programs, perpetuate “Jewish victimhood” while obscuring “Jewish privilege,” denying “Jewish racism,” and promoting the “interests of the Israeli nation-state.” Her thesis is titled, “The Victimhood of the Powerful: White Jews, Zionism and the Racism of Hegemonic Holocaust Education.”

After the story was reported by the Toronto Star, it was debated in the Ontario legislature. Hoskin’s remarks, where he said he was “greatly disturbed and in fact disgusted” by the thesis followed comments by Progressive Conservative MPP, Peter Shurman who called Peto’s work a “piece of garbage.”

U of T provost Cheryl Misak was quoted in the Star urging a reminder that it was a student who wrote the paper. “I don’t know this student, but I certainly wouldn’t want to see this kind of scrutiny and unhappy attention on students in general,” she said.

Parks controversy like 'eHealth-style rot, Tories say

Niagara Falls Review - Staff Writer

There's "eHealth-style rot" at the Niagara Parks Commission, say provincial Conservative MPPs who invoked the image of one of Ontario's biggest scandals and compared the agency's chairwoman Fay Booker to the eHealth CEO fired by the government last year.

"Fay Booker is the Minister's hand-picked appointee who, within months of being on the job, handed out a sweetheart deal to friends at her former firm, approved a half-million dollar sole-source contract and tried to pay herself more," Conservative tourism critic Ted Arnott said during Question Period Thursday at Queen's Park.

Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman said "eHeatlh-style rot" is spreading throughout the agency.

Ontario MPPs reiterate support for Israel

Written by Dave Gordon

TORONTO – With just less than a year to go before the next Ontario provincial election, topics of importance to the Jewish community were discussed by PC Party leader Tim Hudak at a recent fundraiser.

Hudak addressed 1,000 supporters at Thornhill’s Le Parc ballroom Nov. 24, at the party’s annual Leader’s Dinner.

“I am very concerned about the growing tide of antisemitism on our campuses and other areas of the province. We must stamp that out in all its forms,” Hudak told the Jewish Tribune.

According to recent census numbers, nearly half of the population of the residents of Thornhill, on the northern border of Toronto, are Jewish, and it was also the site of the dinner last year.

“I was very proud to stand by my colleague [Thornhill MPP] Peter Shurman,” Hudak continued, “who brought forward a resolution in the legislature condemning Israeli Apartheid [Week]. That is a repugnant concept, and I’m very pleased Peter’s motion caused the other parties to back that motion.”

Shurman’s riding contains one of the largest Jewish communities in Canada.

During the interview Hudak added that his trip to Israel in 2005 helped him see Israel’s security concerns clearer.

“What caught my eye was Israel’s defending its right to exist; [as I was] standing on the border of Lebanon, and seeing Hezbollah flags flying just meters away. It was extraordinarily alarming. I’ll do everything I can as leader to defend the state of Israel.”

While on the dais, Hudak lambasted Premier Dalton McGuinty for allowing Ontario to become a ‘have not’ province on his watch, with the province “accepting handouts from the federal government while other provinces recover and grow.”

According to Hudak, the premier is on course to double Ontario’s debt by 2012.

Knocking off one by one the complaints of Ontarians, Hudak promised to rectify what he believes are stifling taxes, poor leadership, a lack of jobs and the stuttering economy and problems with health care.

He continued his party’s stance of getting tough on crime.

“We’re embarrassed that criminals are released back on the streets before officers can even finish the paperwork,” he said.

The PC Party of Ontario – which currently holds 26 of 107 seats in the Ontario legislature, second to the Liberals’ 71 – will need to more than double its seats in the next election 10 months hence for Hudak to become premier.

Peter Shurman, MPP - Thornhill stands up to current government's inaction on contraband tobacco

Watchdog group calls for five immediate changes to empower police and Boards of Health to curtail contraband tobacco

TORONTO, Nov. 24 /CNW/ - The National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT) issued its first Ontario Report Card on the provincial government's response to the flood of illegal tobacco into Ontario and delivered a failing grade to the McGuinty government. MPP Peter Shurman, along with NCACT members the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Canadian Convenience Stores Association spoke at Queen's Park today to deliver the critique.

The NCACT report card, which ranks the Ontario government across five categories, saw the government receive a number of failing marks and an overall grade of 'F' for its lack of meaningful action on containing Ontario's enormous black market in illegal cigarettes.

Category Grade

Public education F

Keeping cigarettes from youth A - Legal

F - Contraband

Resources for law enforcement F

Tax revenue collection F

Penalties and sentencing C

Overall Grade F

"There's really no way to explain the near complete absence of action by the McGuinty government on contraband cigarettes. With the exception of pointing fingers at Ottawa, the Ontario government has been closing its eyes to the problem. All the while kids, who shouldn't be smoking at all, continue to find easy access to cigarettes distributed by smugglers," said Peter Seemann, spokesperson for the Canadian Convenience Stores Association and NCACT member. "This is a serious problem for communities and it's a serious criminal problem for Ontario. At least 175 organized crime groups are using contraband smuggling to fund other criminal enterprises such as drug and weapons trafficking and the Ontario government seems to be pretending this is someone else's problem."

"The contraband cigarette problem in Ontario is a source of violent and organized crime and it deprives governments of the full taxes from the sale of a legal product," said Kevin Gaudet, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. "This is an incredible situation where the government is willingly allowing - at best - hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used to lower Ontario's deficit, flow to an enormous black market. It's simply unacceptable and speaks to this government's lack of fiscal responsibility."

"We know that between one-third and one-half of all cigarettes are consumed in Ontario are coming from the illegal tobacco market. That's killing the businesses of hard-working convenience store owners. And untested and unregulated, illegal cigarettes are ending up in the hands of our youth," said Peter Shurman, MPP. "The McGuinty Government has known about the seriousness of the contraband tobacco problem since 2008 when the Auditor took a close look it and told us Ontario was losing hundreds of millions of dollars to criminal thugs. This Government has taken no meaningful action to address this rampant criminal activity. And that's exactly what this is - it's not a tobacco problem - it's a law and order problem and the McGuinty Government has failed in its duty to keep Ontario safe."

The NCACT report card cites major areas where the Ontario government has failed to act on contraband including:

Failing to demonstrate a commitment to prevent kids from getting access to contraband cigarettes;

Allowing billions in tobacco tax dollars to be lost while organized crime groups profit at the government's expense;

Failing to work with the federal government to fully empower OPP officers to interdict contraband shipments on Ontario highways without authorization from the RCMP;

Failing to provide adequate criminal penalties to deter smugglers.

The NCACT is asking that Ontario take immediate action through legislative, regulatory and other means to enact five important measures:

Fully empower Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and municipal police officers to have the ability to search and seize contraband tobacco shipments. Currently OPP officers need authorization from the RCMP or Ministry of Revenue before they can act.

Allow municipal police forces to retain the proceeds from seized equipment, property and vehicles to fund local law enforcement.

Encourage Ontario's 36 Public Health Units and their governing Boards of Health to make education about contraband tobacco a priority.

Commit the Government of Ontario to a public education campaign, particularly one directed at youth, to warn them not only about smoking, but the illegality of contraband tobacco as well.

Stiffen penalties under the Tobacco Tax Act to include more serious criminal charges in addition to the fines that are currently levied for smuggling illegal tobacco.

More information about NCACT and electronic copies of the Ontario Government Report Card can be obtained at www.stopcontrabandtobacco.ca.

MPP Shurman, Thornhill, proud to be a part of largest multi-use facility groundbreaking ceremony

By Kim Zarzour

November 12, 2010

Shovels hit the ground this week marking the start of construction for the new World on Yonge project near Steeles Avenue and Yonge Street.

The project, by Liberty Development, is being billed as the largest single-phase residential, commercial and retail development in the Greater Toronto Area.

The 10-acre site will house a 20-storey office and hotel complex - York Region's tallest non-residential tower Â - along with retail space and residential condominiums.

"This project is extremely important to the development and growth of Thornhill and the Town of Markham," said Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman, who took part in Wednesday's ground-breaking ceremony with federal, provincial, regional and municipal leaders.

Liberty vice president and counsel, Marco Filice, said the transit-oriented, mixed-use community will be in keeping with federal, provincial and regional development objectives, as well as those of the local community.

The project "supports the federal government's commitment to expand and improve public transit options, including an extended subway line, in the GTA," he said, "and it amplifies efforts to intensify retail and commercial uses along Yonge Street."

World on Yonge, located at the corner of Yonge and Meadowview Avenue, will include a new park, retail space at ground level, a landscaped urban courtyard, 10 floors of office suites and more than 100 hotel units on the top nine floors.

There are four residential towers planned for the site; the first two towers are 85 per cent sold out, Mr. Filice said. Suites range from $287,000 to $686,000.

Mr. Shurman said the development is expected to create more than 1,200 post-construction jobs.

"Integrated transportation hubs within buildings are becoming the norm in many jurisdictions such as London, New York, Washington DC," he said. "Liberty Development is jumping the curve and coming out ahead of the game. I am proud that they have chosen the riding of Thornhill to construct this new landmark of the future."

The developers say they are pursuing green initiatives and energy-saving opportunities including energy and water conservation and green roof technologies.

Area residents' groups will be watching the development with caution as concerns remain over how the development will impact Thornhill's aging infrastructure.

"It's a huge development," said Marilyn Ginsberg, past chairperson of Grandview Area Residents Association. "The infrastructure in general is old and out of date and inadequate."

A little over half of Liberty's planned development at Yonge and Steeles has been approved, she said, with the remaining buildings, which would face Doncaster or Meadowview, on hold awaiting mass transit approval.

"We don't have a subway and there isn't even a subway on the backburner," she said. The residents group wants to ensure project completion does not get the go-ahead without public transit.

Galleria Supermarket, meanwhile, is moving its popular Korean grocery store to a new location across Yonge Street to make way for the Liberty development.

The 48,000-square-foot supermarket closed its doors at 7171 Yonge St. last week, according to Chris Younger, manager of business development. The company hopes to open its new store across the street at the old Chapters store location, 7040 Yonge St., by the end of the month.

The relocation process has been "interesting", Mr. Younger said, "but the new place is going to be a great store" and will benefit from the large development going in across the street.

Shurman honoured by Italian community

November 5, 2010

The Port Colborne Italian Canadian Cultural Centre was in full force when the Ontario legislature designated June as Italian Heritage month.

On Oct. 7, MPPs from all political parties at Queen’s Park passed the Italian Heritage Month Act, which would designate June as Italian Heritage Month in Ontario. The law recognizes the important economic, political, social and cultural achievements of Italian Canadians.

It’s also an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Ontario’s rich history.
Frank Notte, a member of the Italian Canadian Cultural Centre (ICCC) of Port Colborne was invited to Queen’s Park by Conservative MPP Peter Shurman to watch the debate and passing of the legislation. Shurman, along with Liberal MPP Mario Sergio and NDP MPP Rosario Marchese co-sponsored the legislation.

Notte presented Shurman with a plaque from the ICCC thanking him for his efforts to acknowledge the contributions of Italian
Canadians.

“I was deeply honoured to represent Port Colborne’s Italian community at Queen’s Park to witness June being designated as Italian Heritage Month,” said Notte. “We are grateful to MPP Peter Shurman and MPPs from all three political parties for officially recognizing the contributions made by Italian Canadians to help make Ontario and Canada a better place.”

Notte served on the Board of Directors of the ICCC from 2000 – 2003. During his tenure, he created the ICCC’s coat of arms, and helped oversee the largest renovation of the organization’s history.

Tony DiGiulio, President of the ICCC said June is an appropriate month to have designated as Italian Heritage Month.

“Every June, our membership celebrates the founding of the ICCC, which occurred on June 16, 1935,” DiGiulio said. “June 2 is also Italy’s national holiday – or Festa della Repubblica – that celebrates the founding of the post-World War II Italian republic.”

The ICCC, originally known as the Italian Mutual Benefit Society, was established on June 16, 1935. The organization was established to preserve Italian traditions, offer nominal financial support in times of need for its members and help new immigrants integrate into Canadian society. Today, the ICCC is one of Niagara’s premiere banquet facilities.