LEGISLATURE SUPPORTS RUNCIMAN’S CALL FOR EASTERN ONTARIO SECRETARIAT
(Queen’s Park) – Leeds Grenville MPP Bob Runciman’s resolution, calling for the creation of an Eastern Ontario Secretariat operating within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, passed by a 38 to 0 vote in the legislature today.
Leading off the legislative debate, Runciman explained that creation of the Secretariat was modeled on the current Seniors Secretariat and should not result in additional bureaucratic staff, or cost to taxpayers.
“The staff complement could be met through secondments and transfers of policy analysts, economists and other appropriate staff currently lodged in ministries such as Finance, Natural Resources, Rural Affairs, and Tourism,” the veteran MPP explained.
Runciman, while pleased with the outcome of the vote, continued that passage was just a first step. “It’s now up to the McGuinty government to follow through on the expressed will of the Legislative Assembly, and I will press them to do just that,” Runciman concluded.
Eastern Ontario Secretariat Debate
Mr. Robert W. Runciman (Leeds–Grenville): I move that, in the opinion of this House, the Ontario government should establish an eastern Ontario secretariat as a special-purpose office that supports the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, with main responsibilities to provide analytical and evaluative support in the assessment of existing and new policies and programs impacting eastern Ontario.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Pursuant to standing order 96, Mr. Runciman, you have up to 10 minutes.
Mr. Runciman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity. I know that private members’ opportunities don’t come around too often; we’re fortunate if we have one or two during the life of a government.
When I tabled the resolution, I issued a press release essentially explaining a number of things that I hope to accomplish with respect to this and a number of the justifications for the resolution itself. Certainly eastern Ontario is facing significant problems, or at least certain parts and sections of eastern Ontario are facing real challenges. I felt that the secretariat itself, if indeed it is established, should fall under the Minister of Economic Development and Trade. I believe that’s the appropriate ministry to address regional concerns that are primarily economic or have linkages to economic well-being. A secretariat could provide a window into government for the residents of eastern Ontario and elected officials. It would also in my view ensure that existing and new policies and programs are assessed for their impact on eastern Ontario. It would give that part of a great province a minister to represent its interests around the cabinet table and in the Legislative Assembly.
Members who have been around here for a while know that I can be as partisan as anyone, but I want to assure you that this is not a partisan initiative. A lot of these concerns have been around for my time in this assembly—25-plus years now—and governments of all political stripes have served during that period of time: Liberals, NDP and Progressive Conservatives. In my first term in this place, I recall a bill being tabled by George Samis, who was then the member for Cornwall, calling for the creation of a ministry for eastern Ontario. I think that all of us have heard these concerns: the inability and frustrations surrounding access to government, and initiatives, policies and programs being developed at Queen’s Park without appropriate input or feedback from the residents, not just the elected officials, with impacts that are sometimes not favourable to that region. As I said, those concerns cover the waterfront with respect to the implications of involvement of all three political parties in this assemble.
We’ve heard various suggestions over the years as to how this could be addressed. What I have attempted to do is come forward with a proposal which I believe is cost effective, responsive and reasonable, and hopefully will gain the support of all members of the Legislature. What I’m talking about here of course is the establishment of a secretariat within government, lodged within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.
Some members may have questions regarding the boundaries of eastern Ontario. Effectively, we have utilized the boundaries which are accepted by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in terms of their definition of eastern Ontario. They have been endorsed by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and by AMO, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. These are essentially the currently recognized boundaries for initiatives undertaken by the provincial government with respect to eastern Ontario, and they are supported by municipal officials throughout the region and beyond.
I have based the concept on one of the current secretariats within government: the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat, which is lodged within the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration via the secretariat program. If you take a look at the estimates for 2005-06 for the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, the secretariat program, it cost around $2 million, with 22 employees within the secretariat itself and three staffers on the minister’s staff providing him with input. Does it have to be as large as the seniors’ secretariat? I don’t believe it would have to be. In terms of real costs to the government, I think they would be modest at best. If we’re looking at secondments from within government, for example, rural affairs and finance, we’re talking about policy analysts, we’re talking about economists, we’re talking about a range of experts—essentially policy analysts, analysis and evaluation, with some people who would obviously be acting as liaisons in terms of direct contact and providing that window into government for eastern Ontario residents.
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If you look at it from that perspective in terms of this initiative not creating some other significant bureaucracy within government or adding any burdensome additional costs to the taxpayers, I think it accomplishes those goals essentially through secondments and transfers, and attaching those salaries rather than being lodged in the Ministry of Finance, for example, or rural affairs being lodged within the secretariat. So I think it’s a reasonable, affordable and practical initiative, which hopefully all members will support.
I do want to talk about some of the challenges in eastern Ontario—and I can provide all of this information to anyone who wishes to have it—in terms of job losses over just the past year in the manufacturing sector. They have been significant within the boundaries, as I outlined earlier: close to 1,600 job losses in the manufacturing sector. A lot of these, of course, are impacting small, essentially rural communities.
I’ve had a few in my riding: Prescott’s Hathaway shirt manufacturer, which many of us know and, during our travels over the years, we have stopped in at the outlet store in Prescott and acquired great-quality products at reasonable prices. Prescott was the Canadian home of Hathaway shirts, and that is now lost and 53 jobs that were with it. There had been considerably more over the years but, as we know, because of the problems facing the textile industry in this country that had diminished to 53 jobs. Mahle Brockhaus in Gananoque, a recent closure, is moving to Mexico and the United States—90 jobs. Nestlé, which is in a neighbouring riding in Chesterville, again, a factory that had been in this part of the province for as long as most of us can remember—300 jobs. The Harrowsmith cheese factory, another historic operation—89 jobs. Hershey chocolate in Smiths Falls has not closed its doors, and hopefully that’s not on the horizon, but has reduced its operations by 50 jobs in the past year. Unilever in Belleville—100 jobs.
I was recently advised by my colleague from Barry’s Bay of another job loss in his riding: Smurfit in Pembroke—I think 139 jobs being lost in the city of Pembroke. Cornwall has been especially hard hit, certainly with the Domtar closure, which is the most significant, I believe. Gildan Activewear is another one, with 170 jobs. Satisfied Brake—180 jobs. Spartech—90 jobs.
These are the kinds of impacts that we’re seeing. For the most part, these are small communities, whether it’s Gananoque or Prescott or Chesterville, that are going to have an extremely difficult time in recovering from those job losses and those impacts. I think we have to do what we can to address it, and we’re limited because we know there are an awful lot of pressures outside of this country impacting the ability of manufacturers in this province to compete effectively and maintain their operations.
So I encourage all members to support this. This is not a partisan initiative and an attempt to be critical of anyone; I’m doing this in the best interests of my part of the province.
