The CFUW Debate

Four of Halton's provincial candidates came together at Milton District High School last Thursday to debate the issues and make another pitch for your vote.

Unlike some previous debates, this one had a sizable crowd attending, possibly because this would be the last candidates meeting with no admittance fee and the last one held in town. Or perhaps people just wanted to see if Progressive Conservative candidate Ted Chudleigh would appear.

Taking Attendance

An interesting pattern began emerging during the Federal Election this past spring. At forums, debates, and all-candidates meetings across the country, Conservative Party candidates were simply not showing up.

There was always some excuse, of course - although the over-use of the "prior commitment" was making some wonder if there was perhaps a new species of virus called "Prior Commitment" that had everyone sick in bed. And to be sure, some candidates may well have had a legitimate reason for not being able to attend.

It was the high percentage of Conservative candidates who were finding somewhere they would rather be that began to raise eyebrows, to the point where campaign spokesman Ryan Sparrow had to step in and quash rumours that Head Office was ordering them not to attend. He even issued a statement:

We provide support for candidates to participate in candidates debates, but we don't instruct them not to attend debates. Most candidates would prefer to meet with voters one on one though instead of debating their opponents in crowds of committed supporters of the different parties.

Fast forward five months, and the same pattern is beginning to emerge among Ontario Progressive Conservative candidates.

Dalton McGuinty at Burlington Rally (with video)

About 300 local Liberals was on hand to greet a special surprise guest at the offices of Burlington candidate Karmel Sakran on Thursday. The group included just about every candidate in the western GTA, as well as the now ubiquitous "Fire Fighters for McGuinty" in their yellow shirts and their big yellow bus.

Halton Liberals Off to the Races

Indira Naidoo-Harris and the Halton Liberals kicked off their campaign today with a good old fashioned open house and barbeque at their new campaign office on Main Street in Milton. They timed it nicely to coincide with both the end of the Farmers' Market and the beginning of the Steam Era Parade, so there were plenty of people on hand.

I must say, the office is much nicer than the last one I spent a campaign in. Housed in the former Joleens storefront on the south side of Main Street, it's got a ton of space and even has cubicles. Cubicles! Why, when I was working the phone banks for the '08 election we were all crammed cheek by jowl into a tiny windowless office with nothing but a headset and a breath mint between us.

But I digress.

Uproar over Uploading

The recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference presented a golden opportunity for Provincial candidates to make their pitch to just about every municipal government leader in the province. This hugely influential alliance of mayors, councillors and regional chairs was anxious to hear exactly what the party leaders had to offer Ontario's cities and towns, and they certainly got an earful.

Unfortunately, some candidates weren't telling them what they wanted to hear.

Forget Montreal - come to Canada 150 in Halton!

Reading the various blog posts and op-eds about this weekend's 'Canada at 150' think-fest in Montreal, one might be forgiven for thinking that the whole thing is just some expensive, elitist wank designed to give the appearance of policy input without actually listening to anyone.

Of course, none of the nay-sayers and poo-pooers have bothered to mention the other Canada 150 events going on this weekend: the local 'satellite' conferences.

When the Montreal Conference was first announced, it was indeed planned as an exclusive event - just like Kingston, Aylmer and all the others were. Which is exactly why several grassroots members pressured the party to broaden the scope by setting up local events across the country, like the one I'm helping to organize in Halton.

The idea was to decentralize the whole process by linking these smaller events into Montreal via the internet. We would watch the webcast of the proceedings in Montreal, discuss the issues with our own group of thinkers and activists, then feed our ideas and conclusions back to Montreal.

That's the ideal. In practice... well, we'll see. Some ridings are just hosting watching parties for the webcast, which is rather sad. Others aren't doing anything at all.

To them, all I can say is you can't complain that no one is listening if you don't speak up.

Our event in Halton is going to be a real local version of what's happening in Montreal. We have over a dozen panelists including local municipal councillors, representatives from environmental and multicultural organizations, community activists for accessibility and social housing, local media - all sorts of people, hardly any of whom are partisan Liberals.

We'll be monitoring the Montreal webcast and will put it up on the screen if their discussions look particularly interesting, but mostly it will be a discussion between our panelists and the 30-60 guests we're expecting. Then a summary and any conclusions we draw will all get fed back to Montreal.

Whether the party chooses to do anything with our input will remain to be seen. I'm not holding my breath, frankly. But even if we end up binned, I will still consider this a useful exercise. For one thing, organizing all this with only five people in the space of a month and a half has proven my theory that the fewer organizers you have, the more you get done. Having no budget helps too.

For another thing, we have made some great new connections with local leaders and community organizations that will last long after this conference is over.

Lastly, even if our party leadership doesn't listen, our local candidate will be there soaking it all in. And when she is elected as our MP, she will be taking all our input and all these ideas to caucus with her.

Seriously - come to Halton on Saturday. Sheridan College, Oakville, Room G404. We're there all day, and it won't cost you six hundred dollars. Although if you want to throw us a couple of bucks to cover sandwiches and photocopying, we'd really appreciate it.

Crossing the Line

I admit it. When I first saw the photo of Lisa Raitt on the cover of the Milton Champion last week, I laughed. And laughed, and laughed.

But then I started to think about it. And I stopped laughing, and I started to think like this person in the Letters to the Editor on Thursday:

DEAR EDITOR:

I’m writing in response to last Thursday’s article entitled ‘Raitt moved in MP shuffle.’

I found the choice of photo on the front page of my community paper very disturbing. The picture of Halton MP Lisa Raitt is horrible — unflattering to say the least. I think it was extremely rude and downright juvenile and malicious. I’m not sure who chose and/or approved that photo, but in my opinion it was a form of bullying. I almost felt that I was reading a gossip magazine.

In the three years that I have lived in Milton and read the Champion, I don’t ever recall seeing a photo of any member of our community that I thought one would be embarrassed by.

I don’t know much about politics and haven’t voted in 10 years, but I do feel that no one deserves to have a silly picture printed of them on the front page of their community paper.

Don't get me wrong. I think that Lisa Raitt is a terrible MP and an even worse Minister, and I was thrilled to bits when she was demoted to Minister of Labour. I've illustrated my blog posts with the Indecisive Lisa, the Pointy Lisa, even the 'I Almost Forgot My Binder Again' Lisa. And yeah, I've teased her a couple of times about the white suit.

But that photo crossed the line. It crossed the line because they didn't use it to illustrate a point about her political or ministerial performance, and it didn't just appear in some blog post read by a bunch of political wonks. This was on the front page of the Milton Champion. And the Burlington Post. And they just used it to make her look stupid.

Not cool.

I'm just a blogger. I have very few constraints on what I write aside from those I impose upon myself. I don't have any hard and fast rules beyond simple human decency, and sometimes I get carried away with my own wit and wander into the realm of spite. But I won't go after the family, I won't post the 'fat photo', and I do my level best to keep my criticism within the boundaries of political discourse. That's just the way I roll.

BTW, I was in the neighbourhood today, so I thought I'd stop by Raitt's constituency office and let her know what I thought of the photo. She wasn't there, and her staff had no idea when she would be back in the office.

I think that's worthy of criticism, even without a photo.

Raitt Shuffled to the Bottom of the Deck

Well, maybe not quite the bottom. I'm pretty sure her predecessor's job as 'Minister of Hockey Rinks' is considered a lesser role, but it's pretty close.

After all, what do you think Stephen Harper cares more about: workers... or oil?

Cabinet shuffle will see Raitt demoted, Ambrose get second shot

One of Stephen Harper’s youngest ministers is getting demoted in a cabinet shuffle Tuesday as Lisa Raitt will suffer the effects of a 2009 scandal where she was taped badmouthing colleagues.

Ms. Raitt, 41, is losing her job as Canada’s natural resources minister in a cabinet overhaul that’s bigger than the “tweak” initially signalled by Harper government aides. Ms. Raitt is expected to take on the junior Labour portfolio.

... Labour Minister Rona Ambrose, who was previously demoted for what was perceived as a weak performance in the Environment portfolio during Mr. Harper’s first mandate, was expected to receive a promotion, possibly to the Public Works portfolio vacated by Mr. Paradis.

Mr. Paradis appeared set to replace Ms. Raitt at Natural Resources, sources said.

... Ms. Raitt’s demotion suggests that although Mr. Harper defended her last year after an embarrassing controversy, he did not forget.

With the government under attack for the extended shutdown of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.’s Chalk River – which cut the supply of medical isotopes needed for tests and treatment to Canada and much of the world – her aide left a damaging tape on the desk of a reporter in which Ms. Raitt criticized a cabinet colleague, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, and then left confidential documents at the offices of CTV News.

Mr. Harper is now set to switch Ms. Raitt to a relatively minor post.

(P.S. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Stephen Harper values hockey rinks more than he values workers. Never mind then...)

Reaction to Raitt's Consultation Meetings

The reviews are in, and it ain't pretty.

The Milton Champion seemed to be the most positive. Maybe I set the tone with the softball question I asked:

Residents jam room for meeting
Suspension of Parliament hot topic at meeting hosted by Halton MP Lisa Raitt

... Asked how she’d be serving area residents during the federal government’s prorogation, Raitt said she will spend two days a week in Halton doing “one-on-one consultations” with her constituents and the rest of the time in Ottawa working on projects in preparation for the budget.

“It (time) will go by very fast for me,” said the local MP and Minister of Natural Resources, addressing nearly 100 residents who jammed into a small meeting room at the Milton Sports Centre (MSC) for the first of three meetings for the day.

Meetings were also scheduled in Oakville and Burlington Saturday.

“And no, I won’t be going to Vancouver for the Olympics. Have you seen how expensive the tickets are? I’ll be watching them at home with my family like everyone else.”

The recent decision to prorogue Parliament until early March was a hot-button issue during the 90-minute meeting.

One man said he felt the move displayed a sense of panic on the Conservatives’ part and questioned why there was no economic contingency plan in place when top economists have been saying for over a year now that Canada’s economy is in dire straights.

“I don’t believe it’s a panic move at all,” replied Raitt, who said the prorogation allows the government time to forge a follow-up strategy to its two-year Economic Action Plan, which she stressed is working.

The Oakville Beaver reported on a somewhat more spirited discussion:

Raitt told to get back to work in Ottawa
Prorogation blasted at town hall forum

The presents were ready for attendees: Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts and Canadian maple leaf lapel pins “compliments of” Halton MP Lisa Raitt.

But some of those who turned out to Raitt’s town hall forum Saturday afternoon in Oakville wanted to send the federal representative back to Ottawa with a gift as well — a message for her government to get back to work.

“I think Mr. (Stephen) Harper has been shocked by the reaction of the public,” said Mississauga resident Bob Stuart, referring to growing public criticism of the Prime Minister’s decision late last month to prorogue Parliament until March 3 instead of resuming the legislative session in late January, as originally scheduled.

...“The man (Harper) has become more of a dictator than Pierre Trudeau had ever done (sic),” said Paul Redvers, a Conservative voter in the last election. The Oakville resident said the government has broken campaign promises to cooperate more with other parties in Parliament and be more accountable to Canadians.

“Is your integrity so low you would rather stay on as a cabinet minister than confront Mr. Harper about proroguing government to avoid bad press?” Redvers asked Raitt.

Raitt denied the implication and said she has no fear of expressing local feedback to her caucus.

This was along with over a dozen letters and two editorials condemning prorogation.

And finally, the Burlington Post:

‘I’m as mad as hell about prorogation’: MP told at town hall

“I am mad as hell about prorogation,” said James Penton who was among approximately 50 people who attended the meeting at Tansley Wood Community Centre. Mass applause followed Penton’s outburst.

“It’s a shock and a national disgrace and you and your boss should give your head a shake,” Kevin O’Neill added to the chorus of discontent.

In defence of Harper’s decision to shut down the government until March 3 — the second time he has called a recess prematurely in the past year — Carol Joseph pointed out that the Liberals prorogued government four times when Jean Chretien was in power between 1993 and 2003.

“It’s hypocritical to scream at (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper...it’s not illegal or undemocratic to prorogue,” said Joseph.

Her lob rankled vocal objections from the crowd, prompting Raitt to demand civility. “Let her talk, this is a discussion,” said the MP.

In Matthew Powell’s mind, rationalizing the prorogation at a time when the country is at war in Afghanistan and unemployment is past the eight per cent mark, is frivolous.

“It’s not OK to say the other guy did it; it’s playground politics,” he said.

And that's the way it went in Halton.

I'm Running

In case you've been wondering why I haven't posted much lately, this might help solve the mystery:

A Fresh Start

My name is Jennifer Smith, and I am running for Milton Town Council, Ward 2. Welcome to my campaign blog!

Yes, it's true - I've really done it. The papers are filed, the bank account's set up, and now (of course) the blog. Next order of business: PayPal account for donations.

I'm going to need them.

ForestEthics Pays a Visit to Lisa Raitt

As a follow-up to their recent full page ad:

Hundreds of postcards sent to Raitt

Hundreds of Halton residents are calling on Halton MP Lisa Raitt to take a leadership role at the upcoming UN Climate Change Summit.

On Friday a dozen local citizens hand-delivered more than 830 postcards to Raitt’s constituency office in Milton urging her to take a stand on global warming and ensure clean energy for future generations.

The postcards were collected as part of ForestEthics’ ‘Your Vote, Their Future’ initiative, which encourages voters to push the federal government to tackle global warming.

“At doorsteps across Milton I’ve been hearing that people, in particular parents, are worried about what global warming could mean for them,” said Ian Carey, ForestEthics’ Halton outreach co-ordinator. “I have not heard a single person say they want more tar sands extracted and less action to tackle global warming, which is the current approach of the federal government.”

The UN Climate Change Summit will start this coming Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark.

With a Little Help From Our Friends

Not sure how I missed this one: a full page ad in Friday's Milton Champion denouncing Lisa Raitt and her recent U.S. 'Tar Sands Promotional Tour' - and it's not even one of ours!



Thanks, ForestEthics!

This Could Get Ugly

The Star's Linda Diebal is beginning a series of investigative articles today on Toronto's beleaguered Port Authority. Today's piece includes some pretty specific accusations by former TPA board chairs against former TPA president Lisa Raitt.

Raitt accused of expense abuse

Federal cabinet minister Lisa Raitt signed off on her own expenses on at least one occasion – more than $3,000 spent on a trip to London, England – when she was president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority.

Raitt signed on the line reserved for the board chair on the February 2008 claim, according to correspondence with the agency's auditor, Deloitte & Touche LLP, obtained by the Star.

"(The London trip) was not pre-approved and she signed off on it when I would not," Toronto lawyer Michele McCarthy, who was in her second term as chair in February 2008, said in an interview.

She says port authority policy requires the chair's signature, adding: "I was waiting for a justification of the expenses. ... Expenses are either right or wrong."

... Documents also show nobody signed off on $50,000 spent at Harbour Sixty Steakhouse in the port authority building, including a $9,000 lunch for about 50 people, and another for $1,000 at a Sept. 11 "internal management lunch."

Other expense claims appear to bear Raitt's signature, and two unsigned claims for February 2008 have notes attached: "Chair refused to sign. No reason given."

Raitt's tenure at the TPA has been the subject of no end of accusations of misconduct over the years, from constant attacks by the anti-Island Airport group CommunityAIR to attempts during the last election to raise the issue. Up until now, however, it's been nearly impossible to make anything stick because the specifics of Raitt's expenses have been a closely guarded secret, and because those making the accusations have had their own reasons for doing so.

The only reason these specifics are coming to light now is that four former TPA directors have been trying to get Auditor General Sheila Fraser to take a look at Raitt's expenses. An earlier, internal audit had uncovered these and other irregularities, but failed to conclude that anything was amiss. That wasn't good enough for these directors, so they took the documents to Fraser and to John Baird, asking them to investigate.

Fraser insists that the AG doesn't have a mandate to conduct such a specific investigation. Baird just refused to answer.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Canada's 'Buy American' Negotiations: The Devil's in the Details

Mayor Rick Bonnette of Halton Hills has become something of a local hero in my neck of the woods, ever since he started his 'mouse that roared' campaign against 'Buy American' provisions shutting Canadian companies out of bidding on U.S. stimulus projects.

It all started with one business owner complaining to Bonnette and the Halton Hills Town Council. Instead of patting him on the head and saying there was nothing they could do, Council took the unlikely step of starting a tiny trade war with the U.S. government by passing their own 'Buy Canadian' resolution on municipal contracts.

A similar resolution was later adopted and passed by the much larger Halton Regional Council, then endorsed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and finally taken up at the federal level where, it seems, they are now dropping the ball.

International Trade critic Scott Brison sheds some light on what is really going on with the government's efforts to gain a Canadian exemption for U.S. 'Buy American' provisions:

According to U.S. ambassador David Jacobson, Canada and the United States are using the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules for government contracts as the basis for these negotiations.

Currently, Canadian provinces and municipalities aren’t covered by such rules. Under the deal, this would change. And in exchange, Canada would get access to U.S. contracts under existing WTO rules.

This seems fair, until you read the fine print.

Buried in the WTO rules are more protectionist policies for the United States, including a separate Buy America clause and additional U.S. safeguards for a large number of U.S. projects and states in important areas such as transportation and construction. On top of this, American municipalities are completely protected under the WTO rules.

In other words, holding the U.S. feds to WTO rules doesn't change a thing because individual states and municipalities - which do most of the 'buying' for these projects - can still discriminate against Canadian suppliers.

I've never been a big fan of free trade agreements in any form, mostly because they are designed to protect business interests without any consideration for what benefits the society or its citizens. But on the rare occasions when such agreements work, they work because both sides are treated fairly, with equal rights and equal protections. Such has rarely been the case in the long history of U.S./Canadian trade deals, and from the looks of it, that isn't going to change any time soon.

I guess Mayor Bonnette is going to have to go back to throwing stones at Goliath.



(crossposted from Canada's World)

Lisa Raitt's Old Friends

Your daily schadenfreude:

Political event for Raitt organized from office of Toronto Port Authority
Oct 01, 2009 04:30 AM
Richard J. Brennan


OTTAWA–A political fundraiser for Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt was coordinated out of the office of the president of the Toronto Port Authority, a federal agency Raitt once headed, the Toronto Star has learned.

Critics say it is just further proof the port authority has been supplanted by Tory faithful and has become little more than a partisan arm of the Conservative government, but a port authority official says it was all a simple transgression.

Janet MacDonald, executive assistant to acting port authority president and CEO Alan Paul and who also served Raitt when she held the job, sent out invitations on port authority email inviting people to attend the Sept. 24, $250-a-head fundraiser at a downtown Toronto restaurant.

"Hope you are well. Would you please let me know if you plan on donating/purchasing ticket so I can keep tally and inform organizer of event," MacDonald said in the invitation.

MacDonald refused to talk to the Star.

No kidding. And now the NDP have called on the ethics commissioner to investigate.

Oh, and we may have yet another Lisa Raitt boo-boo to report once we check with Elections Canada. Stay tuned!

The Liberal Purity Test

Now that Deb Gillis has become our Liberal candidate here in Halton, many of those in the riding with long-held reservations about Garth Turner now apparently feel free to voice those opinions - rather loudly in some cases.

Fair enough. I know not everyone liked Garth, and there were legitimate criticisms to be made about how he conducted himself during the last campaign, although I remain convinced that his assets outweighed his flaws and that Lisa Raitt would have won regardless of who we had running against her.

There is, however, one rather disturbing criticism I've heard against Garth that is most often expressed in the form of praise for Deb:

"At least she's a Real Liberal!"

They are referring, of course, to the fact that Garth Turner had spent most of his political career as a Progressive Conservative and later a Conservative. But in some cases it also expresses a lingering resentment towards Gary Carr, another apostate who ran here federally as a Liberal after having served on the provincial level as a Progressive Conservative.

I find this upsetting for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it makes me wonder what these people would think of me if they took a look at my voting record over the years. But in more general terms, it makes me wonder what it is exactly that these people think a "Real Liberal" is.

Garth Turner has never made any secret about what he believes. Even as a Conservative he described himself as socially liberal, and has always embraced environmentalism as a cause. In fact, the first mailing I ever got from him as my MP - my Conservative MP - was a booklet on energy conservation and reducing waste and chemical use in the home.

His ideas on economics have always been far too conservative for my taste, but then again so were many of Paul Martin's. So are many of Michael Ignatieff's. So I can only conclude that the people dismissing Garth Turner as "not a Real Liberal" are talking about something other than his policy positions.

I think they're talking about tribalism.

It sounds funny, but when I hear someone boast about being a "life-long Liberal" and how they were a youth delegate for Trudeau and how their daddy was a party bigwig back in the day, I start to hear echoes of the people who describe themselves as "Real Canadians" - implying, of course, that certain others are not.

This sort of exclusivity is nothing new to partisan politics, and certainly not to the Liberal Party of Canada. I always loved that old joke about the heckler at the political rally boasting that "My grandfather was a Democrat, my father was a Democrat, and I'm a Democrat!", to which the candidate responds, "Well sir, if your grandfather was a jackass and your father was a jackass, what would that make you?"

"Why, a Republican of course!"

Reverse the parties or substitute your own, it's the same old joke. But it's such an old joke that one would have hoped that sort of attitude had died out a generation ago. And while political heredity isn't nearly as important as it once was to the electorate (although it's always a nice added bonus), there are some people who still believe that unswerving loyalty to a single political party over an entire lifetime or even multiple generations is actually a good thing.

Are these people really so immutable, so resolute in their convictions that they have never once changed their minds about anything? And what about the political parties themselves? Surely they have all so completely transformed themselves so many times over the past fifty, or twenty, or ten years, that they no longer even remotely resemble the party these people once campaigned for in their youth.

Personally, I admire people who have changed their minds about significant issues, or have abandoned a once-loved party because they no longer believe in what it stands for. To me, that sort of transformation requires far more humility, courage and strength of character than simply sticking with something because you always have.

In fact, many of the Liberals I admire the most came to it from another party. Bob Rae, Scott Brison, Ujjal Dosanjh, Belinda Stronach, David Orchard - and those are just the ones who made the switch after entering public life. Who knows how often Gerard Kennedy might have voted NDP in his youth, or what Frank Valeriote might have thought of the PCs before they were assimilated? And of course Trudeau famously supported the CCF before joining the Liberals.*

To our opponents (and apparently some of our supporters), that sort of intellectual and political flexibility is a sign of weakness and perhaps traitorous inclination. To me, it implies a willingness to truly respect other points of view, and to change one's mind if a better idea is presented or a convincing argument is made. I have always found that people with those qualities also tend to be better at cooperation, negotiation and collaborative problem solving, and are more accepting of diverse attitudes and opinions.

What could be more essentially Liberal than that?

*(NOTE: Before you say it - yes, I know Stephen Harper was a Liberal before he was a Conservative and a Reformer. Unlike him, however, the people I've mentioned incorporated many of their old political views into their new allegiance, whereas Harper quite consciously rejected everything associated with his former party over what was essentially a single issue.)

Come Meet Deborah Gillis!

Halton's Liberals are holding a Meet & Greet tonight at O’Finn’s Irish Temper, 136 Church Street in Oakville. C'mon down, meet our new candidate, hang out with some great people, and maybe even sign up as a volunteer!

Festivities start at 7:00 pm. See you there!


View Larger Map

Waiting for the Shovels in Halton

During the last election, Lisa Raitt dropped some not so subtle hints that having an MP who was "part of the government" would ultimately be advantageous to Halton in terms of getting.... stuff. Some might call that pork-barrelling, but hey - never look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

It took a while, but after the opposition convinced Stephen Harper that he had to do something - anything - to help stimulate our economy, the projects started to be identified and the funding announcements started to be made in all those Conservative ridings, of which Halton was now one.

Recently, however, questions have been raised about how few of these projects are actually underway and creating jobs. I even received a spreadsheet from Party Central detailing all of the projects that had been announced for Halton and what their status was. Of the projects that are actually within the Town of Milton, three were missing from the list and another two were listed as "unknown".

Enter Jennifer Smith, Girl Detective.

1) Milton Library and Arts Centre
Announced: June 12, 2009
Location: Southeast corner of Main and Thompson.
Status: Not started
This is phase one of a larger project that will eventually include a performing arts theatre, but for now is just going to be a library and gallery. The site is currently the home of Milton Hydro, which is still open and operating and waiting to find a new home. Apparently the arrangement was for them to be out of there within four months of the funding announcement, which gives them one more month.



2) Milton Sports Centre Expansion
Announced: June 12, 2009
Location: Derry Road at Santa Maria Blvd.
Status: Not started
As far as I am aware, this was planned and designed from when the sports centre was first built, so I don't know what the hold up is.



3) Tremaine Road Widening
Announced: June 12, 2009
Location: From Derry to Main
Status: Not started
This isn't even a hard one. No architectural designs, minimal environmental assessments - it's a road widening. The project was originally planned as part of the scheme for a new interchange at Tremaine and the 401, which will allow residents in the rapidly expanding western housing developments to access the highway without having to fight their way through the middle of town. Trouble is, the interchange still hasn't been approved, which means commuters will likely be using it to get to the west end of Main Street and tie up traffic there instead.




4) Tonelli Arena Refurbishment
Announced: July 15, 2009
Location: Laurier at Farmstead
Status: Not started
Actually, I haven't been inside to verify this, but when I drove by there today there were no trucks or signs of construction materials.

5) Nassagaweya Tennis Club
Announced: July 15, 2009
Location: Guelph Line, north of the 401
Status: Not started
The tennis clubhouse shares a dilapidated old building with the Town of Milton. The plan is to tear it down, build a new one, and 're-orient' the tennis courts to cut down on sun glare. The total cost of this project is going to be $3 million. The total membership of the Nassagaweya Tennis Club is 200. You do the math.





So what exactly is the hold-up? In most cases, it seems the municipalities have receives announcements and promises, but no formal agreements in writing, and most are unwilling to spend the money without those guarantees.

Municipalities were given just three weeks in April to propose projects they couldn't complete without help from the senior governments. They were also expected to pick up one-third of the tab.

Since then, politicians have turned out across the GTA for a spate of funding announcements.

But many regions and municipalities report they have not received any formal contribution agreements from the province, which is responsible for distributing the federal cash.

York, Halton, Durham and Peel regions say they are in limbo, along with the municipalities of Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville and Whitby.

(Which projects will be funded in Toronto are still under discussion.)

"Expecting municipalities to start projects without these signed agreements, in my opinion, ... puts us at risk because we don't really know the full rules of the program," said Patti Elliott-Spencer, Oakville's treasurer and director of finance.

On the bright side, at least one federal stimulus project in the region has been started: the replacement of the Oakville Transit Facility, where demolition started this month. Apparently Oakville's council decided to take the plunge despite the uncertainty. Hopefully they won't come to regret their trust in higher levels of government.

A Day in Milton with Deb Gillis

Anyone who lives in Milton will tell you that two of the biggest social and cultural events in town are the weekly Farmers' Market, and the annual Steam Era festival. Yesterday I got to help introduce our new Liberal candidate to both.

We had a lot of fun, and Deb got to meet a whole bunch of people - local leaders, merchants, farmers, and just plain folks. Deb seemed completely relaxed, and spent far more time listening than talking.

Imagine that.

Here are few shots of Deb watching the parade with former MPP Walt Elliott, who had kindly offered to serve as her guide at Steam Era.

Halton '09: Let the Games Begin!

Liberal candidate Deborah Gillis squares off against Lisa Raitt in today's Milton Champion over the seeming inevitability of a fall election.

Gillis:

Halton’s Liberal candidate Deborah Gillis, a non-profit executive appointed by Ignatieff, said an election is necessary because of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s lack of leadership on a number of important issues. As examples, she cited what she called the Conservative government’s management of the isotope crisis, assistance to Canadians “stranded abroad,” and lack of progress made on environmental issues.

“Liberals share the disappointment of Canadians on the lack of leadership on these issues,” said Gillis.

(I think they meant to say 'mis-management' of the isotope crisis.)

Raitt:

“Canadians neither want nor need an election that needlessly jeopardizes our fragile recovery,” current Halton Conservative MP Lisa Raitt stated in a written release Wednesday. “We are just beginning to see signs of a recovery on the horizon; a recovery that must not be put at risk by (Liberal leader) Michael Ignatieff’s political opportunism.”

Funny - the Japanese managed to have an election just recently without any noticeably ill effects on their economic recovery. The Germans are having an election in a few weeks, as are the Portuguese, the Norwegians and the Swiss - and those are just the European ones.

Tell you what. Let's just put democracy on hiatus until the recession is over, what do you say?

Meanwhile, if you would like to come and meet Deb Gillis, she's going to be in town taking in the Milton Farmers' Market tomorrow morning and checking out 'Steam Era' at the Fairgrounds in the afternoon. I'll be showing her the sights along with a bunch of other Halton Liberals, so don't be shy about coming up and introducing yourself.

Later this month we're having a Meet & Greet on September 10th at O'Finn's Irish Temper in Oakville starting at 7 pm. And then there's our fabulous Golf Tournament fundraiser on the 22nd at Hornby Glen.

Hope to see you there!