Delivering Results for Ottawa and Ontario

Ottawa Accomplishments (2003 – 2010)

• Secured record capital and operating dollars for the City of Ottawa since 2004:
  • Capital: $1.12 billion
  • Operating: $332 million
• New Cancer Care Centre opening at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.
• New skills trade centre being built at Algonquin College and La Cité.
• $33 million secured to clean-up the Ottawa River.
• $154 in Provincial gas tax for OC Transpo.
• Over 1,080 new affordable housing units and rent supplements delivered for Ottawa.
• 101 new police officers hired through a 50/50 cost sharing program with the city.
• Provincial funding secured for the new Convention Centre.
• Secured FIFA under 20 soccer matches; 2 Ontario games; Genie Awards; 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship; and funding to support these initiatives.
• Secured funding for several major arts projects, such as Shenkman Arts Centre, GCTC, La Nouvelle Scène and Centrepointe Theatre.
• Secured $600 million for mass transit, up from $200 million.
• Uploads of Social Services and Court Security will save Ottawa over $122 million.

Municipal Affairs & Housing Minister (2007 – 2010)

• Signed a landmark agreement with the Association of Municipalities (AMO) that will see $1.5 billion in costs uploaded from municipalities to the province (Welfare, Ontario Disability Support, Ontario Drug Plan, and Court Security).
• Signed and implemented the largest Affordable Housing Program in Ontario history ($1.2 billion over 2 years).
• Created a permanent Rent Bank to help tenant facing eviction. (Over 21,500 evictions prevented across Ontario, with 1,643 in Ottawa)
• Updated and modernized the Municipal Elections Act to ensure greater fairness and transparency.
• Developed criteria to expand the Ontario Greenbelt.

Health Promotion Minister (2005 – 2007)

• First Minister of Health Promotion in Ontario’s history.
• Implemented the Smoke-Free Ontario Act – The country‘s most progressive and toughest anti-smoking legislation.
• Implemented the Quest for Gold lottery program that provides $10 million a year to Ontario amateur athletes.
• Adapted Ontario Healthy Eating Active Living Strategy as a way of combating childhood obesity.
• Created the Heather Crowe Award for smoke-free advocates.
• Developed Ontario Trails Strategy.
• Removed PST on smoke cessation products.
• Implemented Ontario First Injury Prevention Strategy.
• Implemented the Community Used Schools Program that allotted $20 million to schools to reduce or eliminate rental rates of school facilities for non-profit groups.
• Successfully launched Ontario Recreation Infrastructure Fund.
• Removal of PST on bicycles and helmets to encourage cycling.
• Funded a new program to equip schools and recreation centres with defibrillators

Consumer and Business Services Minister (2003 – 2005)

• Introduced Bring Your Own Wine program that is now available in hundreds of establishments across Ontario.
• Reformed the Ontario Film Review Board to make it compliant with court rulings.
• Introduced major changes to the Consumer Protection Act to strengthen consumer rights.
• Brought balance to the Ontario New Home Warranty Program Board by appointing consumer representatives to the Board.
• Instrumental in developing "Service Ontario" a one-stop service for consumer information and government services.