Ontario Liberals get it right with Renovation Tax Credit and Local Food Promotion Acts for Ontario seniors and youth

Hearing of the final royal assent for Bill 2, Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit Act, 2012 by Minister of Finance and MPP for Windsor—Tecumseh Dwight Duncan and the moving of Bill 130, as an Act to enact the Local Food Act, 2012 by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and MPP for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale Ted Mcmeekin yesterday was good for the ears, however, watching Tory backbencher and MPP for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound Bill Walker talk against the first bill last month then vote against it earlier this week truly was not. Following up in the footsteps of Randy Hillier and Jim Wilson next door here, Walker as a principal debaters on the bill was right that, as of 2006, there were more than 45,000 people over the age of 55 in Counties of Bruce and Grey, accounting for one third of its total population, even higher by 20% in Grey and 11% in Bruce as of today, but he is wrong to say that seniors who could benefit from this tax credit, being $10,000 don’t need a tax credit worth up to $1,500 each year HST included, calculated as 15% of up to a combined maximum of $10,000 in eligible home renovation expenses that will help seniors stay safely in their healthy homes. Using the same old Liberal blame game boondoggles throughout his debate, Walker seemed to represent the Ontario Tories in Toronto moreso than our seniors here in the Counties of Bruce, Grey and the City of Owen Sound, stating that all the fiscal mismanagement under Mcguinty that led to the provincial $15.3-billion deficit and a $411-billion debt that doubled in eight years. could have been much better spent on reduction of hydro electricity hike, better health services and debt retirement.

But this is exactly where Bill gets it wrong, those 600,000 Ontarians out of work with another 25,000 added, could use this cash infusion back into the economy via this home renovation tax credit, moreso than any fiscal boondoggle that got back the opposition since 2003, allowing more jobs to be created from the ground on up built upon housing, especially in the riding with such a greyt loud and proud demographic segment group of seniors he supposedly represents.

So while he enjoys his and the Premier's day out at the international plowing match, I wonder if Walker thinks about just how many seniors in the riding have their retirement investments solidly based in the foundations of their real estate, being their own healthy home houses, family first farms and various other commercial, receational or vacant lands elsewhere, how voting against provincial legislation that promotes those retirement investments for seniors in his riding and how allowing his Tory counterparts in Ottawa create federal legislation that attacks the same retirement investment in real estate values for seniors in his riding actually hurts those he loves the most. Likewise, I am not sure Bill understands how important the ideas of agroecogy, food, oxygen and water sovereignty and the 100 mile, klick or kilometre market are for everyone, especially for the youth from Lake Huron to Georgian Bay, right down to Holland Marsh and through the Niagara Grapevines and into the Ontario Food Terminal, so I fear his innocent yet still blissful ignorance may hurt our good things growing, producing and consumption in Foodland Ontario, via local processing and distribution for global sales and marketing, if he votes against this bill too. Speaking from the personal as one who has returned this spring to renew my bonds fulltime with the family first farm just south of Keady in the centre, heart and soul of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, now enjoying its evergrowing bounty this fall harvest season from local trade, opportunities and enterprise, I ask him to look at its localmotive food revolution like merits, including the agrifoodstuff shift of $2.5 billion in economic activity and creation of 10,000 new jobs, which can help continue to strengthen our sector of the economy that contributing more than $33 billion to the economy each year and employing more than 700,000 Ontarians from Northern and rural communities across the province, though it may not be progressive enough, or right the past wrongs of the government, recognize it as the right step forward and try not to be a regressive part of the wrong step back.