Pettapiece-2017-Wint

2017 WINTER UPDATE RANDY PETTAPIECE MPP – Perth-Wellington Constituency Office: 55 Lorne Avenue East, Unit 2 • Stratford, Ontario N5A 6S4 Tel. (519) 272-0660 • Toll-free: 1-800-461-9701 • Fax (519) 272-1064 E-mail: [email protected] www.pettapiece.ca what it will cost Cap and Trade: Gas: price at the pumps going up 4.3 cent a litre. Natural gas: costs going up $70 to $80 a year. For more information, see page 6. GREEN BRIDGE, GREAT DAY: Randy Pettapiece joined St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee, members of council and staff at the grand reopening of the Green Bridge on November 27. The project received almost $200,000 in provincial funding through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund. Photo courtesy of the St. Marys Journal Argus. STROKE CARE: Randy Pettapiece congratulated volunteers and staff at the Grand Opening of Stratford General Hospital’s Integrated Stroke Unit. From left: Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance CEO Andrew Williams; Randy Pettapiece; South West LHIN vice chair Lori Van Opstal; HPHA board chair Mary Atkinson; HPHA vice president Anne Campbell; HPHA program director Kathie Cuerden; HPHA District Stroke Centre manager Bonita Thompson; HPHA interim manager Kerri Hannon. Photo courtesy of Carl Page. A WORTHWHILE EXERCISE: Sandy Turner keeps an eye on two active local public servants, Randy Pettapiece and Town of Minto Mayor George Bridge, at the grand opening of the Minto Rural Health Centre. Photo courtesy of the Town of Minto. IN THIS ISSUE Protecting Firefighters ........................................... Page 2 Accountability ......................................................... Page 3 Cap and Trade ......................................................... Page 6 Hydro costs ............................................................. Page 7 PROTECTING FIREFIGHTERS: Randy Pettapiece is spearheading Health Care .............................................................. Page 8 a new fire safety initiative. His new bill would give firefighters better Survey ..................................................................... Page 11 information to stay safe and plan their attack. Read more on page 2. Photo courtesy of Scott Wishart, Stratford Beacon Herald. 1 RANDY PETTAPIECE, MPP - Perth-Wellington INTERNATIONAL PLOWING PROTECTING FIREFIGHTERS MATCH Pettapiece spearheading new fire Pettapiece recognizes IPM safety initiative organizers and volunteers Nearly six years ago, a devastating fire claimed the lives of North Perth Fire Following the 2016 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo Service members Ken Rea and Ray Walter. (IPM) in Wellington County, Randy Pettapiece spoke in the legislature to thank event organizers and volunteers. Randy Pettapiece is working on a new fire safety initiative to address one factor in that tragedy—firefighters had no way of knowing the building used His remarks read in part: truss and lightweight construction. “I am pleased to recognize the success of IPM 2016. “Lightweight- and truss-type construction is commonplace,” the “The Town of Minto, in the County of Wellington, was home to MPP explained. this year’s Plowing Match. Tens of thousands of people – “But unless it is identified, it can pose serious risk to responding firefighters. including MPPs of all parties – saw the importance of agriculture That’s why they need as much information as possible—as soon as they arrive and our rural communities. on scene—to assess the risk and plan their attack.” “This year’s theme was ‘A Fresh Taste of Farming.’ There were many highlights: the parade; the plowing competitions; the Pettapiece is working on a private member’s bill to make sure they have better Queen of the Furrow competition; and the zip line, to name just information. It would require most commercial and industrial buildings, as well a few. as apartment complexes of three or more units, to display an emblem alerting fire crews to truss and lightweight construction. “There was also plenty of food, including a Farmers’ Market, food demonstrations and samples. In 2012—thanks to the leadership of North Perth fire chief Ed Smith—the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs asked the government to make it mandatory “The Tented City covered over 100 acres and 500 exhibitors. for all lightweight-constructed buildings to be identified. “For pulling off such a successful event, many people deserve Pettapiece modeled his bill after a City of Stratford bylaw. It requires buildings our thanks: using truss and lightweight construction to post an emblem by their door. “Chairman Ron Faulkner and the IPM Executive; the Ontario Stratford firefighter Mike Lukachko championed that initiative. Plowmen’s Association; Anne and Earl Schneider, for welcoming us to their farm and hosting the IPM; other land owners who The MPP also worked closely on the bill with fire chiefs from across Perth- donated 1,200 acres; and finally, the countless volunteers, Wellington including chiefs Chris Harrow (Minto), John Paradis (Stratford), Bill whose work made this event possible.” Hunter (Perth East & West Perth) and Ed Smith (North Perth). “My bill is named after Ken Rea and Ray Walter, who lost their lives in service to their community,” said Pettapiece. “If passed, this bill will improve firefighter safety. It could very well save lives.” Similar legislation exists in U.S. states including New Jersey, New York, Illinois and Florida. Pettapiece plans to formally introduce his bill in the legislature in March. Debate on the bill is currently scheduled for April 6, 2017. IF PASSED, THIS BILL WILL “ IMPROVE FIREFIGHTER SAFETY. IT COULD VERY WELL SAVE LIVES. IPM EXCITEMENT: Randy and his colleagues at Queen’s “ Randy Pettapiece, MPP Park got caught “blue-handed” showing their support for the 2016 IPM held in the Town of Minto. Simcoe North MPP Patrick Brown, Randy Pettapiece and Chatham-Kent- Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, Randy Pettapiece and Essex MPP Rick Nicholls meet with the Kenora Fire Department. They North Huron fire chief David Sparling note the importance of discussed Randy’s proposed legislation to require buildings that use truss identifying lightweight construction. In November 2016 they and lightweight construction to post an emblem on their door. installed a decal at Thompson’s office. 2 RANDY PETTAPIECE, MPP - Perth-Wellington ACCOUNTABILITY • Household electricity bills are projected to increase 23 Auditor General’s report reveals percent from 2015 to 2020. incompetence, mismanagement • Rising eHealth costs have reached $8 billion. The Questionable government advertising, excessive wait times for hospital government still cannot say when they will have a functional beds, shoddy highway paving, and an ineffective cap-and-trade plan. electronic health records system, or what it will cost. These are just a few examples of mismanagement revealed in Ontario • Hospital emergency rooms have seen a 21 percent increase Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s annual report. Released in November, the in mental-health patients, but there are still no provincial 1,063-page report should come as a wake-up call to the government, standards for admission, treatment, and discharge. Randy Pettapiece believes. • Many hospital beds are being occupied unnecessarily by Here are just a few of the report’s findings: patients waiting for long-term care or home care. • Advertising increased by two-thirds — from $30 million to • An upside-down bridge was installed by a poorly performing nearly $50 million a year — since the government curtailed the contractor. The government later gave the company auditor’s power to censor ads deemed partisan. another contract. • Cap-and-trade will cost Ontario consumers and businesses • Substandard asphalt on provincial highways is leading to $8 billion in its first years of operation to achieve minimal expensive repairs only a few years after paving. greenhouse gas reductions. It will do much more to lower The auditor’s full report can be found online: www.auditor.on.ca. emissions in California than in Ontario. FINANCE UPDATE Deficits for years to come, watchdog says Ontario’s independent Financial Accountability Officer (FAO) reports that Ontario faces a $2.6-billion deficit in 2017-18, despite the government’s promises to balance the books. The FAO says the province “would be expected to remain in deficit over the next five years.” The present government more than doubled the debt to over $300 billion, and now runs a deficit of $5 billion. Interest on the debt costs taxpayers $1 billion every month. “We could have been investing that money in health care or local infrastructure,” Randy Pettapiece observed. “Years of overspending are making life more unaffordable.” Pettapiece pointed to just a few recent examples of waste: • $70 million spent on the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP), before scrapping the idea and signing on to an “enhanced” Canada Pension Plan (CPP) • $308 million spent on an abandoned plan to modernize the OLG • $12 million spent on consultants and advertising for the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) • Nearly $3 million spent on a polling contract to a favoured political strategist The full text of the Fall Economic Statement can be viewed at: www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/. FOCUS ON FINANCE: Ontario’s financial challenges were the topic of a public breakfast meeting Randy Pettapiece hosted in St. Marys. Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli was the guest speaker. www.pettapiece.ca 3 RANDY PETTAPIECE, MPP - Perth-Wellington Working for Perth-Wellington FAMILY FUN: The Flikkema family joins Randy Pettapiece and

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