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MPP for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek

I am sending along this newsletter to give you an update on my work over the past year here in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, as well as at the Ontario Legislature. It’s been a busy year with many rewarding and exciting experiences. Even after 10 years as your representative, I am lucky to have the opportunity to experience new things and meet new people on a daily basis. Never a dull moment!

That said, I also continue to advocate for the things that have always mattered most to our community: good public services, strong pension security, poverty reduction, workers’ rights, and more. Now more than ever these concepts need to be championed!

As always, I would like to remind everyone that I welcome your input on provincial and local issues. Please feel free to come by my constituency office at 289 Queenston Road. You can also give my office a call at 905-545-0114 or send us an email at pmiller-co@ndp.on.ca. My door is always open.

Sincerely,

Paul Miller MPP Hamilton East–Stoney Creek

Visit paulmiller.ca for more information!

Call my constituency office at: 1-905-545-0114 or send an email to pmiller-co@ndp.on.ca

Hours of Operation for my Constituency Office:Monday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Want to have your concerns heard at Queen’s Park?Call my Queen’s Park office at

1-416-325-0707

or send an email to pmiller-qp@ndp.on.ca.

Learn More:Website: www.paulmiller.ca

Phone: 1-905-545-0114

Email: pmiller-co@ndp.on.ca

Pension Security should not be conditional; it should be automatic! ...... page 2

Why are we still waiting on Bill 6? ........ page 3

Your Voice at Queen’s Park ........... pages 4 & 5

Affordable Housing ............................... page 6

10 years of Passing Bills ....................... page 7

Kid’s Korner .......................................... page 8

Dear Friends & Neighbours

Paul and members of Mountain Martial Arts take part in the Stoney Creek Santa Claus Parade

I am deeply concerned about the pension security of employees here in our community and across this province. The situation of pensioners today shows that much more work needs to be done to ensure every pensioner receives the benefits they were promised.

The Sears Retiree Association (SCRG) approached the provincial government several times to make proposals that would help protect their pensions. However, each time the SCRG presented their proposals, they were ignored.

On January 23, 2018, I sent a letter to the Premier urging her to meet with SCRG to discuss pressing concerns with their pension plan. It’s not too late for the Ontario government to work with the SCRG to find a solution

Pension Security should not be conditional; it should be automatic!

that protects the best interests of their members.

These retirees are only the most recent group of pensioners to have trouble. Many of us will remember vividly what happened to Hamilton’s steelworkers. Too many pension plans in Ontario are underfunded. Unfortunately, instead of learning from the problems, this government made it easier – not harder – for companies to underfund their pension plans.

The 2017 Ontario budget led to the introduction of Bill177 which reduced the funding requirements for applicable pension plans from 100% to 85%.

By eliminating the requirement that pension plans be 100% fully funded, pension shortfalls will continue to affect hard working pensioners into the future.

Those fifteen percentage points can represent billions of dollars in pension funding lost! This is unacceptable to me and is exactly why I voted against Bill 177 and wrote a letter to the Minister of Finance to express my disappointment in the government’s plan.

I have long advocated for sensible pension reform. I believe that it is important that our province commit to strong solvency funding requirements, a more robust Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund, and better protections for retirees if their employer fails. Pensions are not a responsibility that can be avoided; they are deferred wages. Pensioners deserve to receive the full benefits that they have worked their whole lives for!

Paul with individuals from ECO House in Hamilton Paul at City Hall with members of the Hamilton Ukrainian Communityl

Paul meets activists calling for a $15 an hour minimum wage

Rally to support Pensioners

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September 29th, 2016; more than a year and a half ago! That is how long Bill 6 was stalled by our provincial government. For those who don’t already know, Bill 6 – also known as the Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act – would have created an evidence-based research commission to advise the province on what social assistance rates need to be year-to-year and in each region. This is an important bill that would be a huge step toward alleviating poverty in Ontario.

Since the Legislature was prorogued in March, Bill 6 was reintroduced to become newly titled as Bill 30. I like to refer to this Bill as ‘Version 3.0’ because I have introduced it three times in the legislature and each previous time the government has prevented the bill from becoming law.

There are many organizations throughout our city and province that have called on this bill to be enacted. Among the strongest voices of support have been:

• Hamilton Roundtable on Poverty Reduction

• Hamilton Organization for Poverty Elimination

• Campaign for Adequate Welfare and Disability Benefits

• Advocacy Committee for Bill 6

• Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton

• Hamilton Food Share

• Speak Now Hamilton

• Council of Canadians, Hamilton Chapter,

• Hamilton City Council

• Hamilton Community Legal Clinic

• McMaster Community Poverty Initiative

These are only a few of the many voices rising up to urge the government to move this bill forward. I also want to make a special thank you to Cole Gately, Laura Cattari and Tom Cooper of the Hamilton Round Table on Poverty Reduction for putting together a video to raise awareness for Bill 6. I was honoured to be a part of the production, along with representatives from many of the organizations listed above. If we continue to raise our voices, I believe we can create the much needed change that our community and province deserve.

Why are we still waiting on Bill 6 (now Bill 30)?

No more hospital cuts!

Paul hosting a Town Hall to discuss issues with residents of Hamilton East–Stoney Creek

Paul at a Rally for Bill 33 to repair the Long-Term Care system in the Province of Ontario. Great to see many representatives from Steelworkers Local 1005, CUPE, OPSEU, Ontario Injured Worker’s Group and UFCW

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Rally for Bill 33

Paul commemorating Remembrance Day with Ahmadiyya Muslims Jama’at Canada

Your Voice at Queen’s Park: Paul Miller on the recordHydro Bills are out of Control Ontario Hansard MARCH 2, 2017- MPP MILLER: “Jeff lives in Hamilton and is behind on his hydro bill. … Jeff might have thought he was now safe from winter disconnections. But Jeff pays his hydro bill to a private company that sub-meters his apartment building…

Jeff allows ODSP to manage the payment of his bill, so he can handle it. But Jeff’s hydro bill has been going up so quickly over the last year that ODSP, through no fault of their own, can’t keep up. They pay a predetermined amount each month, based on Jeff’s typical hydro costs. But it hasn’t been enough because bills are going up so quickly. Each time they increase, the monthly payment falls behind. Jeff’s neighbours are in the same situation.

What will this government do to help people climb out from the hole that is being dug by this province…?”

Standing up for Steel WorkersOntario Hansard MARCH 27, 2017- MPP Miller: “It is vital to this province’s continued economic health that we preserve steel manufacturing both in northern On-tario, in Sault Ste. Marie, and in southern locations such as Hamilton and Nanticoke.

The restructuring of Stelco has entered a new phase with a proposed sale of the company being put to a vote of creditors in April. Some 20,000 workers, retir-ees and their families are deeply concerned…

The rights and interests of all Stelco workers and retir-ees must be protected. The promises of pensions and health benefits to Stelco retirees, earned through de-cades of labour, must be honoured. They want to know why this government is allowing the pension plan to be taken off the balance sheet in this proposed sale. Why is it not considered a liability of the company? This com-pany will have almost $300 million in cash at the end of May. Why have the post-employment benefits of retir-ees, so desperately needed, not been fully restored?”

Addressing homelessness and povertyOntario Hansard APRIL 12, 2017- MPP Miller: “The persistence of deep poverty in this province is a scan-dal. Low-income Ontarians are being crushed by hydro and rent increases. Working people can’t pull them-selves out of poverty because they do not earn a living wage, and Ontario’s desperately low social assistance rates leave families hungry, under-housed and sick. One in five children in my city of Hamilton live in poverty. Some 80% of Hamilton’s 20,000 food bank users are spending half or more of their monthly income on rent, up from 49% just one year ago. These people are at extreme risk of homelessness.

We need more social and affordable housing. We need a $15 minimum wage, and we need social assistance rates that meet peoples’ basic needs. This is what On-tarians need from this budget. The time to act is now.”

Pharmacare coverage should be accessible to every-one.”

We need a Diabetes Strategy in OntarioOntario Hansard DECEMBER 12, 2017- MPP Miller: “According to Diabetes Canada, in 2017, almost five mil-lion Ontarians have been living with diabetes or pre-dia-betes. Over the next 10 years, diabetes rates in Ontario are expected to increase by 44%.

However, since 2016, the Ontario government has not renewed the diabetes strategy that was once in place. This initiative improved access to essential services and supplies. It also included a registry to enable self-care. This was important to have in place.

As funding for diabetes treatment is reduced, the disease continues. I urge this government not to play politics with people’s health.”

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Your Voice at Queen’s Park: Paul Miller on the recordNeed for more Environmental Protection in HamiltonOntario Hansard SEPTEMBER 25, 2017- MPP Miller: Many times, over the years, I’ve witnessed that [envi-ronmental] regulations are fine, but they’re never en-forced. I’ll give you an example: the Ministry of Environ-ment, on landfills. They might go in there and inspect one truck out of 500 in a week, where it’s supposed to be non-hazardous and maybe hazardous stuff slips through. They have cut back. As the landfill continues to get older, they cut back on the visits; they cut back on the scrutiny. This is what has gone on throughout this province.

The regulations throughout this province: They’re there, but they’re never enforced. We don’t have enough inspectors, we don’t follow through and the fines are minuscule, to say the least. Companies that do serious polluting—we saw what happened in Niagara the other week. The Americans dumped in there. I’ve seen things in Hamilton Bay. The member from St. Catharines has seen things over the years; it’s outrageous, the things that have gone on. They get a little slap on the hand and then, two years later, they’re back at it.”

Hamilton Health Care Should be a FocusOntario Hansard MARCH 21, 2018- MPP Miller: Across the board, we see our communities’ nurse prac-titioners underpaid; a shortage of registered nurses in our hospitals; recruitment and training resources lack-ing; and hospitals bursting at the seams, with patients being shoved into every nook and cranny they can find.

It’s overwhelming to think of how long this has been going on. …. The effect has been a system that is fail-ing people left, right and centre.

In my hometown of Hamilton, we have been feeling the pinch. Ambulance blackouts and patient treatment in hospital hallways are becoming the norm. To make matters worse, this government has cut over $27 mil-lion to Hamilton hospitals this past year alone. Hamilton Health Sciences overall has been particularly hit hard by cuts of $120 million since 2011.

It’s absurd to suggest that the newest budget and the throne speech will magically erase all the horrors our fellow Ontarians have felt and are suffering.”

More support needed for Foster KidsOntario Hansard NOVEMBER 1, 2017- MPP Miller: “The reality is that the foster care system in my home town of Hamilton, and all over Ontario, needs to see change. There are many generous and dedicated people that give their time and effort to help foster children. I cannot thank them enough for their efforts.

But there is still a lot more that needs to be done to ensure that these foster children get the same opportu-nities that all other children of Ontario receive.”

Speaking for Injured WorkersOntario Hansard FEBRUARY 28, 2018 - MPP Mill-er: “Today I’m talking about the WSIB system. It is shockingly inadequate and continually leaves deserving individuals in difficult situations with limited support. In 2009, the WSIB lost $3 billion in value on the markets. At that time, I expressed my concern to this government and to the WSIB that changes needed to be made to cover the loss, or there could be dire consequences. Yet, despite continual warnings and advocacy from many, this government has done little.

I recently met with Carl and Peter from the injured work-ers’ support group in Hamilton, as well as representa-tives from IAVGO just today. From these conversations, it is clear that WSIB coverage has been dwindling. The WSIB has reduced the amount it spends on prescription drugs by one third annually. That’s more than $30 mil-lion a year on drug coverage alone—gone, Mr. Speaker, gone—not to mention severe cuts to direct health care services.

To make matters worse, the WSIB pulls some pretty underhanded tricks to get away with a lack of financial resources. Among the most serious of these is deem-ing. This is when the WSIB suggests that an employee who has sustained a permanent injury is capable of find-ing work, and even though they usually aren’t, and can’t, they cut them off. Often this determination is based on cost efficiency, not on a worker’s recovery. As a result, many are left in poverty. This is heartbreaking!”

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Recent events at a local apartment building illustrated the importance of providing affordable housing in our city. Long-time residents of the building suggested that they felt as if they were being forced out of the building. After having undergone a recent renovation, the owners of the building applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board in order to increase the rent by 4.8 per cent. They did this despite the fact that the provincial rent increase guideline for 2018 is 1.8 percent. This high markup would mean that those struggling to cover the already high rent in the building would literally be squeezed out of house and home. As it stands, affordable housing options are limited for those living in our area.

The reality is that paying for an apartment or town house in Hamilton and Stoney Creek is incredibly unaffordable for many. The average price of a house in Hamilton at the beginning of 2018 was $554,399. This is up significantly from the beginning of 2017 when it was $451,027. That’s up more than $100,000 in one year. Another set of statistics from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, indicate that housing prices have doubled over the last decade.

Despite the City of Hamilton Housing and Homelessness Action Plan, the cost of the average house or apartment remains far beyond what many could even dream to afford. However, there is a lot more that can be done to address this situation at a provincial level.

PUBLIC OR SOCIAL HOUSING: Social housing refers to housing developments that are subsidized – generally by government – to provide housing to those who may otherwise not be able to afford it,. The maintenance and expansion of social housing is essential to ensuring that safe, affordable housing is accessible for all.

Over the past few decades, the Ontario Government has begun to increasingly neglect social housing.  Despite the incredibly important role that this form of housing plays, many buildings are in a state of disrepair and waiting lists throughout Ontario continue to grow, far exceeding available spaces. The wait list in Hamilton is around 6,000 people according to the city website.

The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association has estimated that the current funding shortfall for repairs and maintenance of social housing is $2.6 billion across Ontario.

The fix for this is simple: as Andrea Horwath has said, government needs to come back to the table, and start investing in social housing construction and maintenance. And we need to compel the federal government to do the same, so that every Ontarian can find safe, affordable housing in their community.

Affordable Housing:The time for change is now!

INCLUSIONARY ZONING: Inclusionary zoning (IZ) is the tool that would allow municipalities to require that new residential housing developments include a certain number of affordable, subsidized spaces for low-income families. At the beginning of the year, the provincial government announced that it would allow for inclusionary zoning to be implemented. Sounds great right? Only if the legal framework is done right.

Unfortunately, the Ontario government went against expert advice, and passed IZ regulations that hurt the chances that municipalities will make use of the program. The regulations would leave municipalities paying up to 40 per cent of capital costs associated with the affordable units, rather than having developers cover the costs. Under this system, developers would still collect on the profits from the developments, while municipalities would have to bear the brunt of costs – drawing municipal resources from other programs or services.

This decision was very unpopular among poverty reduction advocates throughout the province. Over 60 organizations signed on to an open letter to the Minister of Housing criticizing the proposed regulations.

Government must stop bending to the desires of major developers who profit from our growing cities without helping our most vulnerable. Let’s give Ontario’s hard working families access to the affordable housing that they should have had all this time.

PROTECTING CURRENT TENANTS: In terms of the problem facing the people in that local apartment complex, there are immediate actions that can be taken to address the existing loopholes that allow landlords to raise prices beyond what should be legally permitted.

While the government has now closed the rent loophole that allowed uncontrolled rent increases in buildings newer than 1990, property management companies and landlords are still able to boost rent by astronomical levels each year.

But how?

It turns out that the Government legislation fixed one existing loophole but not another, leaving the door open for high rate hikes. This existing loop hole permits managers and property owners to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for the right to raise rent to recoup costs of various capital expenditures or tax increases.

The problem with this loophole is that it leaves existing tenants footing the bill for extravagant expenditures meant to draw in new tenants seeking more expensive accommodation. The effect is the immediate spike in rates followed by the elimination of affordable housing in favour of high priced rental units.

Paul meets with tenants demanding affordable, good quality housing

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Continues on page 7/

My colleague from Toronto-Danforth, MPP Peter Tabuns had introduced a Private Member’s Bill, the Real Rent Control Act, which was designed to tackle the rent loopholes that remain.

The Real Rent Control Act, among other things, would have:

• Strengthened the rules that regulate the landlord’s responsibility to properly maintain a residence.

• Created a mechanism for tenants to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board when a landlord has failed to comply with terms of the rental agreement.

• Given tenants more opportunity to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to contest the maximum amount of rent they may lawfully be charged.

This Bill would not have solved every issue, but it would have initiated much needed change in the rental sector. This is just one of the many necessary changes we should see. Rental affordability in Hamilton and Stoney Creek as well as across Ontario cannot come soon enough!

Paul with faculty and students on strike for a better college system

Taking part in Canada Day 150 festivities

Photo credit to Reena Deon’s Photography for this great shot!

Paul cleaning the windows of his constituency office.

7Continued from page 6/

10 Years of Passing Bills and Advocat-ing for YouAlthough Private Member’s Bills rarely become law, Paul’s strong advocacy has allowed him to have success passing multiple bills that he has sponsored and co-sponsored

These include:

Bill 8 - In 2012, Paul’s co-sponsored bill, the ‘Call Before You Dig Bill’ became law in Ontario. The bill made registration in the provincial One Call system mandatory for all owners of underground assets. This has meant when someone is planning to dig on their property the process to determine whether it is safe to do so is much easier. This bill allowed for the significant reduction in the repair costs of line strikes, which prior to the bill totalled about $39 million across Ontar-io. It also saved many lives.

Bill 125 - Paul co-sponsored the Lincoln Alexander’s Day Act, in 2012 to celebrate Hamiltonian Lincoln Alexander, Ontario’s first black Member of Parliament, Federal Cabinet Minister, and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Bill 17 - In 2015 Paul’s Bill 17, The Protecting Child Performers Act, created the first legislated protections for child perform-ers in Ontario’s live and recorded entertainment industry. This legislation made it so that child performers could be protected by law. This included a protection for a portion of minors’ income, a promise their education would not be compromised, as well as guarantees for parental supervi-sion, age-appropriate hours of work and breaks, and health and safety measures.

Helping Families Stay Together - Additionally, Paul’s ad-vocacy in 2011 led to changes in Government Legislation after devastating cuts were made to child support funding. The Government had terminated financial support offered to grandparents caring for their grandchildren. For those who

could not afford the extra costs, the government suggested that they could put their grandchildren in foster care. This was both a heartless and an expensive alternative. After rais-ing the issue in the legislature, the Government reversed its decision, which had already left many families fragmented.

Safety for Seniors - For many years Paul pressed the gov-ernment to adopt mandatory water sprinkler systems in Ontario’s long term care facilities and retirement homes. After continually bringing the issue to their attention the Gov-ernment conceded and adopted legislation that made water sprinklers mandatory in these facilities.

We are here to help!Community Office289 Queenston RoadHamilton, ON L8K 1H2Phone: 905-545-0114Fax: 905-545-9024Email: pmiller-co@ndp.on.ca

Queen’s Park OfficeRoom 169 Main Bldg. Queen’s Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A5Phone: 416-325-0707Fax: 416-325-0853Email: pmiller-qp@ndp.on.ca

Assistance and information are available to you for any provincial issue.

Some of the information and services our Constituency Assistants can help with include:

• Anniversary and Birthday Scrolls

• Recognition for Special Occasions

• Birth Certificates, including expedited service

• Education Issues

• Employment Issues

• Family Responsibility Office

• Landlord and Tenant Board

• Ontario Disability Support Program

• Ontario Works

• Seniors’ Issues

• Supportive Housing

• Transportation

• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

• Preparation of Petitions for the Ontario Legislature

• Ontario Government Publications, including power of attorney kits, plus other pamphlets

• Commissioner of Oaths (for affidavits)

Kid’s KornerCan you find these words:BillHamiltonOntarioQueensParkStoneyCreekCommunityLeaderOppositionSpeakerGovernmentMPPProvincialSteel

Exit Here

Enter Here

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Paul meeting with Medical Students at Queen’s Park Paul and local resident Bob McDougall Sr

Paul meeting with anti-poverty activists to discuss poverty reduction and his Private Member’s Bill - Bill 6, now re-introduced as Bill 30