1447...Proud To Be A Liberal

Yasir Naqvi, personal friend of mine and Liberal MPP for Ottawa Centre, dropped this note in my box:

Friends,

As you know, the Legislative Assembly adjourned last Thursday, ending a very busy legislative session!

Here in Ottawa, I have been hard at work to ensure that Ottawa Centre continues to be a safe, healthy and green community to live, work and raise a family in. Over the last few months, we have:

• Invested over $25 million to create 345 new affordable housing units here in Ottawa Centre;
• Moved ahead with full-day learning for our 4 and 5 year-olds beginning this fall;
• Opened the new Regional Cancer Centre at the Ottawa Hospital; and
• Began implementing the Green Energy Act, paving the way for renewable energy co-ops in our community.

At Queen’s Park, we passed 15 Bills this past session. Here is a highlight of what we have accomplished:

Bill 168, Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009
Improves the occupational health and safety of workers by improving protections against workplace harassment and violence.

Bill 177, Student Achievement and School Board Governance Act, 2009
Amends the Education Act to make increasing student achievement the number one priority for local school boards.

Bill 179, Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009
Increases access to health care by giving nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other medical professionals the freedom to provide a wider range of health services.

Bill 185, Environmental Protection Amendment Act (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading), 2009
Gives the government the authority to set up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system within Ontario.

Bill 201, Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009
Gives the Integrity Commissioner the legal authority to review senior management expense claims made within Ontario’s 22 largest agencies and take appropriate action should irregularities be discovered.

Bill 203, Interprovincial Policing Act, 2009
Makes it easier to investigate crime that occurs across jurisdictions in Canada and enhance coordinated investigations.

Bill 210, Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act (Live-in Caregivers and Others), 2009
Provides added protection to foreign nationals who are live-in caregivers by providing them with greater access to information about their rights, while providing Ministry of Labour inspectors with greater authority to conduct proactive investigations.

Most importantly, we have passed Bill 218, the Ontario Tax Plan for More Jobs and Growth Act, 2009. This Act increases business investment, creates new jobs and raises incomes by providing individuals, families and businesses with more than $15 billion in tax cuts over three years.

Beginning January 1, your personal income tax rate will drop to 5.05%, resulting in an average income tax cut savings of 10% for most Ontarians. This is on top of the tax savings you will receive through the enhanced Ontario Child Benefit and the new Ontario Sales Tax Credit. When you factor in all of these savings, a single person making $35,000 will save $280; a single parent with one child making the same amount would save $702. For pensioners with incomes of $20,000, our seniors are now saving $170 a year.

These are important savings that will help families and individuals buy a home, save for the future, or perhaps go to school. It is money that is being reinvested where it is needed most: directly with Ontarians.

For more information about our tax changes, or any legislation that was recently passed, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. May 2010 bring you peace, health and happiness.

Take care,

Yasir

Yasir Naqvi MPP, Ottawa Centre
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Revenue

WFDS