QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady has introduced legislation that, if passed, will protect Ontario’s farmland.
“Land use planning affects our daily lives and Ontario’s farmland and arable land is an essential resource for the sustainability and security of our food systems, environment and local economies,” Brady said. “Farmland and arable land is productive, valuable and essential but most importantly it is finite and non-renewable, which is vital to consider in the face of increasing pressure to develop housing in the province.”
With Ontario having 52 per cent of the country’s prime arable land, and much of that being adjacent to cities, Brady said protecting these lands should be paramount. Further, according to census data, Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland each day. Brady feels this is unsustainable. Constituents in Haldimand-Norfolk have also raised this same concern with the MPP since well before her election.
“As the government continues with its target to create 1.5 million new homes in Ontario, it is vital to put in place policies that will protect our farmers and their land, as well as the province’s food security, both now and in the future,” she said.
The bill requires the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to develop a strategic action plan that aims to protect Ontario’s farmland and arable land from development, aggregate mining and the effects of fluctuating commodity prices and the availability of vacant land. It also stipulates a stakeholder-led Farmland and Arable Land Advisory Committee be set up to advise the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. For the Silo, Jeff Helsdon.
The bill will be back before the Legislature for second reading debate on March 8.
For more information, contact MPP Bobbi Ann Brady directly at 519-428-0446 or 905-765-8413 or babrady-co@ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting.
13% of all adult Ontarians are public sector workers- accounting for over half of Ontario government spending
Let’s find alternatives to layoffs and program cuts. On May 16th, I introduced my Private Members Bill titled: An Act to address Ontario’s debt through alternatives to public sector layoffs and government program cuts while reducing the fiscal pressure on the people of Ontario who are having trouble paying their bills. This legislation offers options for tackling runaway spending that has us staring down the barrel of a $411.4 billion debt.
Servicing this debt impairs the ability of Ontario to function and has led to levels of taxation that restrict the ability of businesses to compete, and of individuals to survive financially.
There are over one million public sector employees in Ontario [ according to statistics in one recent study by the CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/content/178/11/1441.abstract , in 2007 the estimated adult population of Ontario was 7,996,653 which means 1/8 adult Ontarians or 13% of all adult Ontarians are a public sector employee, a staggering statistic CP ]- 70 per cent unionized compared to 15 per cent in the private sector. Labour costs account for over half of Ontario government spending. This spending sees public sector workers receiving higher compensation – wages, benefits, pensions… – than their private sector counterparts. The total amount paid to the public sector has jumped by 46 per cent since 2003.
My bill aims to take legislative steps address this trend, recognizing the Drummond report https://www.thesilo.ca/the-next-day-ontario-receives-drummond-commission-suggestions-on-public-service-reforms/ advice, “one recommendation that crosses all sectors is the need for prolonged moderation of growth in public-sector total compensation”. While the McGuinty team continues to dodge and weave through credit downgrades, flagging job numbers, and mounting debt, the truth is that unless the province gets its house in order, there will be no alternative but continued cuts to government programs and continued layoffs resulting in a lower level of service for all of us.
To limit the need for such extreme and harsh solutions, I feel the Government of Ontario needs to act immediately to limit compensation paid to employees in the public sector. At the same time, as spelled out in my bill, government must continue to recognize its legal duty to consult fully with those employees and their bargaining agents, and to negotiate with them constructively and in good faith.
My bill [if passed CP ] would amend the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1993 to:
1. indicate government’s responsibility and objectives to fully engage, consult and conduct genuine and constructive negotiations with public sector workers on legislative changes to collective bargaining and compensation
2. link the total compensation package to the rate of Ontario’s real GDP economic growth per capita
3. allow for public sector furlough i.e. days off without pay. It’s important to note that between 2007 and 2009, over half the states have imposed mandatory furlough for their public sector employees
4. allow change in public sector pensions to defined contribution from defined benefit. Here as well, at least forty states have enacted significant changes to their public sector pension plans
5. limit length of public sector collective agreements to one year, after which wages are frozen until a new contract is settled, until budget is balanced
6. introduce a comprehensive and transparent benchmarking system for compensation, which would include a costing of the full compensation package, including benefits, pensions and moving through seniority grids
7. mandate stricter criteria for compensation awards in researching private vs. public comparables – achieved through a provincial wage board.
I look forward to providing more details as we approach debate of my bill June 7th For The Silo by Toby Barrett, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP
