QUEEN’S PARK – It took nearly two months to arrive and lasted only two weeks, but Tim Hudak, MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook, made the most out of the recent short session in the Legislature. MPP Tim Hudak in the LegislatureHudak introduced two private member’s bills, read in nine petitions and asked a more than a dozen questions to the Premier and his cabinet ministers on such topics as: the flight of manufacturing jobs from Niagara and Hamilton, hundreds of millions of dollars potentially lost by the McGuinty government on high-risk investments, and nearly $1 billion owed to the province in back retail sales taxes. Hudak rekindled two important initiatives from the previous session by introducing private member’s bills to directly elect the Niagara regional chair and to provide real protection for Ontario homeowners, who will face massive property assessment increases in 2008. The aptly named Direct Election of the Niagara Regional Chair Act, which Hudak introduced on Dec. 12, would ensure the Regional Chair of Niagara would be directly elected by Niagara taxpayers beginning with the next municipal election. Currently, only the 30 members of the Niagara Regional Council, not the 427,421 Niagara residents, have a direct say over who will be selected as the Regional Chair. Hudak introduced his Private Member’s Bill, the Homestead Act, on Dec. 13. Among others, the four primary benefits on the Homestead Act include: • A cap on residential property assessment increases for tax purposes at five percent per year, as long as home ownership is maintained • The ability for Ontario home owners to make up to $100,000 in home repairs, alterations, improvements or additions over a four year period without facing an increase in their property assessment • Ensure that if there is an assessment appeal, the onus of justifying the increase lies with MPAC and not the individual landowner • Ensure MPAC maintains a record of the assessment based on its current value and provide a copy of the record to land owners within 24 hours at no charge “Working families, seniors and young people are facing higher taxes, higher home heating costs, increased user fees and escalating energy costs in Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario,” Hudak said. “Next year, they will face a triple whammy of property assessment increases that will be simply unaffordable to the beleaguered Ontario homeowner.” Hudak entered petitions – circulated throughout the riding in 2007 – on three important topics. Hudak’s petitions aim to bring in a mobile health card renewal clinic for the residents of Mount Hope and Binbrook; establish a Pope John Paul II Day in recognition of the deceased spiritual leader’s lifelong commitment to peace and the defence of human rights; and to create an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources-funded gypsy moth spraying program to assist municipalities in fighting the infestation. In addition to the petition, Hudak also tabled a notice of motion to call upon the Ministry of Natural Resources to create and fund a cost shared gypsy moth spraying program with interested municipalities and property owners. “Residents and land owners in Niagara and Hamilton have seen too much time pass with no action from Premier McGuinty to fight gypsy moth infestation,” Hudak said. “The Province needs to act immediately to stop even more damage to the local environment, particularly in Pelham, West Lincoln and Glanbrook.” The only piece of legislation debated throughout the short session was on Bill 8, an Act to regulate trans fat content in food and beverages sold in school cafeterias. Hudak said such a debate is all well and good, but questioned whether it was really the most appropriate initiative for the McGuinty government to launch their second term with. Hudak suggested that the McGuinty Liberals should be concentrating on reducing the number of portables in schools like Blessed Trinity, repairing deteriorating schools like Central Public School in Grimsby, or working to increase public safety in schools. “Guns and knives (are being brought into schools) and violence (is) happening across the province of Ontario,” Hudak said. “Never mind that; let's go after that bag of chips.” The short session in the Legislature adjourned on Dec. 14 after just two weeks. The House is not expected to resume until February 25, 2008. Hudak said the McGuinty government’s decision to only spend two weeks in the House over a five month period between the election and next March is a sure sign of a government in serious danger of going adrift.