Joyce Savoline - Your Burlington MPP

(Burlington) – Today in the Legislature, Joyce Savoline, MPP for Burlington and the Progressive Conservative Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing introduced her Private Members Bill – Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Damage Deposit), 2010.  Unfortunately the McGuinty Liberal majority government failed to recognize the importance of this Bill and blocked it. 

This Bill, if passed, would have helped to protect the quality and viability of rental housing in Ontario in addition to protecting both tenants and landlords.  The Bill would have allowed landlords to collect a damage deposit of a maximum of 25 per cent of one months rent.  The purpose of a damage deposit is to partially assist landlords, particularly small business landlords, in partially compensating for the cost of repair or replacement of property that was willfully or negligently damaged by a tenant, and or, specified person.  Damage deposits also help to provide an incentive to tenants to exercise care in their rental units, and in turn, ensure housing units are in good condition for future renters.

“I am disheartened that the McGuinty Liberals could not look past partisan politics and see the importance of this Bill,” says Savoline.  “My reason for bringing this Bill forward was to protect tenants and landlords, particularly small business landlords, in addition to Ontario’s rental housing stock.”  “In voting against this Bill the McGuinty Liberals have abdicated their responsibility to safeguard rental housing so that it remains available for those who rely on this vital sector.”

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For more information contact:

Joyce Savoline, MPP

(416) 325-5362

(Burlington) – Joyce Savoline, MPP for Burlington and the Progressive Conservative Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing issued the following statement today with respect to her political future:

“After serving the residents of Burlington at the local, regional and the provincial levels for the past 29 years, I have made the very difficult decision to not seek re-election this fall.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as your representative in our great city.
I have been serving the people of Burlington since 1982, when I first entered politics as a Local and Regional Councillor.  Following that, I served as Halton’s Regional Chairman for 12 years.  This position was appointed by Council in 1994 and 1997.  In the spirit of true democracy, I petitioned and received legislative approval to have Halton’s Chairman be publicly elected, beginning in the 2000 municipal election.  What an honour it was for me to become the first person to be directly elected to this position by the voters of Halton. After 12 years as Regional Chairman, in 2006, I made the decision to run for the position of MPP in Burlington.  I have great memories of my time in public office and it has been my privilege to represent this great community at the provincial legislature since February 2007.  I continue to be humbled and honoured by the trust and confidence that the people of Burlington have put in me over the last 29 years.   

I have had the opportunity to present issues at Queen’s Park that represented the needs and values of you, the Burlington residents.  I have spoken out strongly in favour of the government moving forward with the redevelopment and expansion project at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital.  I also had the opportunity to put forward motions asking the government to take immediate action on mandatory reporting of student on student violence and abuse and bullying in our schools, in order to try and help those children who are forced to feel or endure unsafe environments.  I put forth an amendment to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, had it passed, it would have included prohibiting the smoking of medicinal marijuana in public places.  I am also honoured to have been a part of influencing the government’s decision to remove the 16-cycle funding cap on the colorectal cancer drug Avastin.  This issue was raised by one of my constituents, and after bringing it to the attention of the Ontario Ombudsman I was delighted to hear that Mr. Marin recommended that the government should remove the cap.  The Minister of Health was responsive to this recommendation and the decision has been life altering for many patients with colorectal cancer.

This month, I am looking forward to debating my Private Member’s Bill, Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Damage Deposits), 2010.  This Bill, if passed, would allow landlords to require new tenants to pay a damage deposit of no greater than 25% of one month’s rent.  It is a Bill I feel would provide an incentive to tenants to ensure housing units are in good condition for future renters, and thereby helping to protect the quality of rental housing in Ontario.

The decision to leave Queen’s Park has been difficult and no doubt the part of my job that I will miss the most is meeting and working with constituents to create a better quality of life in our community and Ontario.

I am proud to be a member of the Progressive Conservative Caucus.  This is an outstanding group of people with a huge commitment to their constituents and Ontario, and I will miss them.  I am confident that on October 6^th, under the leadership of Tim Hudak and with the PC team, Ontarians will have a choice for change that makes better sense for Ontario families and businesses. 

I want to thank my family for their support for all the years that they have allowed me to do a job that I love so much.  No one in politics could do this job without the tremendous support and understanding of their families.   

I look forward to continuing my duties as MPP in Burlington until the day of the election and I want to thank you, my constituents, for having the trust in me to serve you for so many years.  To say it has been a tremendous honour doesn’t begin to express how I feel.” 

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For more information contact:

Joyce Savoline, MPP

(416) 325-5362

(Burlington) – MPP Joyce Savoline is questioning why it has taken so long to add money management to the education curriculum starting for Grade 4’s next fall.  Savoline had called on the government to begin teaching fiscal literacy in schools back in May 2008, however their overwhelming majority ignored the notion until now. 

“It is high time that the McGuinty Liberal’s took my advice about teaching fiscal literacy in our schools,” says Savoline.  “I have always been a strong proponent that the responsibility of financial literacy is as important to the success of an individual as many other aspects of a well-rounded curriculum.”

According to a survey conducted last summer by the 

Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 85 per cent of those contacted believe that schools should teach money management.  The McGuinty Liberal’s have just now indicated that the new money management curriculum would focus on helping students develop critical money-management skills, including; earning, spending, saving, budgeting, investing, credit and borrowing, as well as other issues.   

“Although I am thrilled to see the McGuinty Liberal’s move forward with my recommendation, I have some real concerns about this government’s ability to talk about fiscal management,” says Savoline.  “This is a government that has increased spending by 70 per cent, while at the same time still increased the provincial debt by an alarming $87.7 billion.”  “Is it too late for McGuinty and his colleagues to enroll in the class?” 

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For more information contact:

Joyce Savoline, MPP

(416) 325-5362

(Burlington) – As the last couple of weeks of 2010 round up, the Ontario PC Caucus is working hard to continue to carry the momentum into the 2011 election year and give Ontario families a clear choice for change in the next provincial election.

This legislative session saw the PC Caucus continue to focus on the priorities of Ontario families, based on our three priorities:  

defending the family budget, exposing the true cost of the McGuinty government’s energy experiments and rooting out government waste.  The McGuinty government on the other hand continued to jump from scandal to scandal and from backtrack to backtrack. 

“Over the past several months, we have seen the McGuinty government do very little but try to cover-up one mess after another,” says Savoline.  “Take for example, their cover-up of illegal G20 war measures and their backtrack on the secret eco-tax program.”

Ontario families are working harder and harder to make ends meet and the McGuinty government continues to show their inability to put a stop to the waste of hard earned Ontario tax dollars.  Whether Ontarians are paying for this government’s failed energy experiments or the long list of cost increases, there just doesn’t seem to be an end to this madness in sight.

“Just over a week ago, Ontario’s Auditor General revealed that employees at MPAC were able to expense a $955 dinner for 12 people to celebrate “year-end results,” golf clubs, Nintendo Wii’s and iPods,” says Savoline.  “This is so disrespectful to all the hardworking Ontario families and it must be stopped.  The time for change has come, and on October 6^th, 2011, Ontarians can make that change.”

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For more information contact:

Joyce Savoline, MPP

(416) 325-5362

(Burlington) – Ontarians will soon have the opportunity to voice their concerns at the pre-budget consultations held by the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. The Committee will begin consultations on January 24 in London and will end at Queen’s Park from January 31 to February 1.  

Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline is encouraging Ontarians to express their concerns to the McGuinty Liberal government either in person or in writing.

“The pre-budget consultations are a time for Ontarians to express how they want their hard earned tax money spent,” says Savoline.  “It’s an opportunity for new ideas to be heard and an opportunity to prioritize the needs of our community.”

The Committee will be sitting on the following days: 

January 24, 2011 – London

January 25, 2011 – Windsor

January 26, 2011 – Thunder Bay

January 27, 2011 – Timmins

January 28, 2011 – Ottawa

January 31 and February 1, 2011 – Toronto

If you wish to be considered to make an oral presentation please contact the Clerk of the Committee, Sylwia Przezdziecki, at 325-3515 or via fax at 416-325-3505, no later than 5pm on Monday January 17, 2011.  If you would prefer to provide a written submission please be advised that it must be filed with the Clerk no later than 5pm on Tuesday February 1, 2011.