Press Releases

Wilson thanks Minister Yurek for honouring commitment to review Ontario Tree Seed Plant closure

Throne Speech Lays Out Road Map for PCs Plan for the People

Government for the People outlines top priorities for the next four years

QUEEN’S PARK – Yesterday the newly formed Government for the People outlined its plan to deliver real change for Ontario. The Throne Speech identified key issues that Premier Ford intends to address, which include cleaning up the hydro mess left by the Liberals, protecting students, ending hallway medicine and restoring accountability to government.

"We have a clear mandate from the people," said Premier Doug Ford. "We are ending the deadlocked strike at York University so students can get back to school. We are striking the cap-and-trade carbon tax from the books. And we are cancelling unnecessary renewable energy projects to help lower your electricity bills."

After 15 years of Liberal waste and mismanagement, there are a number of pressing issues that need to be resolved. The Government for the People’s Throne Speech made it clear just how serious this government is about bringing relief to the people of Ontario and creating jobs and economic opportunity.

Minister Jim Wilson is honoured to serve the constituents of Simcoe-Grey as their MPP, and the province as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “I am honoured to be a part of the newly formed Government for the People. I want to thank the constituents of Simcoe–Grey for entrusting me once again to represent and advocate on their behalf. I will work hard to honour the commitments I made to you, both before and during the campaign,” said Minister Wilson.

“As Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, I have started to meet with stakeholders and I look forward to making Ontario open for business. I will work hand-in-hand with Ontario’s business community, job creators, and employees, to make Ontario the economic engine of Canada once again,” said Minister Wilson.

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Wilson thanks voters for support, looks forward to the next four years

(July 3, 2018) - I want to take this opportunity to thank you, the residents of Simcoe-Grey, for allowing me to continue to serve as your Member of Provincial Parliament at Queen’s Park. This is a tremendous honour and I promise to represent you as your voice in the 42^nd Parliament of Ontario.

My reelection would not have been possible without the wonderful support of my volunteers who did so much work on my behalf. I want to thank them for the excellent job they all did over the course of the campaign. Election campaigns require immense amounts of work including: hammering in signs, answering phone calls, knocking on doors and speaking to voters about the important issues facing the riding and the province as a whole.

I also want to congratulate my fellow candidates. Running as a candidate in an election is a tremendous challenge. It requires a deep commitment and a significant amount of time. Those that put their names forward for public office deserve praise and respect.

This is an exciting time for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. For the first time in 15 years, we will form a government under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford. I look forward to serving in this new government and I am excited about the future and the opportunities to do great work for all Ontarians. This will truly be a government for the people.

I am proud to be able to serve as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade in our new administration. It’s always a tremendous honour to be asked to serve in cabinet by the Premier and I look forward to this new challenge.

Our new government has an amazing amount of new and returning talent. The members of our caucus are very impressive and will do an outstanding job on behalf of the people. We are committed to returning trust and accountability to the government, lowering hydro prices, ending hallway health care, reducing gas taxes and making Ontario open for business again.

Locally, my priorities continue to be the redevelopment of Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston. It’s time for these critical projects to move forward. I am committed to reviewing the decision to close the Ontario Tree Seed Plant in Angus. It is also important to get new washrooms built and the waterfront cleaned up in Wasaga Beach. I will continue to advocate in favour of getting the four new hospice beds open at Campbell House Hospice in Collingwood.

Representing you as your MPP is a job that I love. There is a lot of exciting and interesting work ahead and I look forward to taking this journey with all of you by my side. Please, do not hesitate to contact me or my offices if I can help you, your family or your neighbours in any dealings you have with the Province of Ontario.

Once again, thank you for your many years of continued support. I am humbled by the confidence you have placed in me and I will continue to be your voice at Queen’s Park.

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(VIDEO) Wilson congratulates Matthews House Hospice and asks government about funding for Hospice Georgian Triangle

(May 7, 2018) Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson is pleased that Matthews House Hospice is receiving $1.2 million in capital funding from the province, and, in the Legislature last Thursday, praised the community for their hard work on the project. 

"I wanted to begin by congratulating the staff and many volunteers of Matthews House Hospice in Alliston. I was pleased to participate in a funding announcement made by the member for Barrie last week where the hospice received $1.2 million to go toward the construction of their new 10-bed facility. This hospice is also to receive operational funding for all 10 of their beds, once open."

Wilson also questioned the government on funding for Hospice Georgian Triangle in Collingwood. 

“Hospice Georgian Triangle in Collingwood, who received no capital funding at all from the province for their ten bed facility, only receives operational funding for six of their ten beds. In fact, their four remaining beds are not allowed to be used and have already sat idle for a year,” said Wilson.

Hospice Georgian Triangle has submitted a number of proposals to fund these beds, Wilson noted. Including: using the beds in collaboration with Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, using them as respite beds or funding the beds themselves.

“All of their requests have been turned down,” said Wilson. “I find it unconscionable four in demand beds are sitting idle at the direction of this government.”

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(VIDEO) Wilson disappointed Minister has done nothing to fix farmers’ compensation

(May 1, 2018) Today in question period, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson pressed the government on compensation for farmers facing livestock loses.

“My colleagues and I have been raising concerns with this government about the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program since it was created,” said Wilson. “The minister has said he would review and fix the program, but farmers in my riding and right across the province continue to tell us that they face huge livestock losses and that they’re receiving no compensation.”

One in five claims for predation kills are currently rejected by the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program.

“I ask the minister, when will he fix this program and give farmers the compensation they’re entitled to, and will that compensation be retroactive, as the program has not been working for the last year and a half?”

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Wilson presents $2.3 million grant to The Blue Mountains

Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson was in the Town of The Blue Mountains last week to present a $2.3 million cheque for the design and installation of a landfill leachate forcemain and pumping station. Jim was pleased to participate in the funding announcement and says the project will bring significant fiscal and environmental benefits to the community. Over the past two years, there have 25,000 litres of leachate (about 700 truckloads) taken from the landfill for treatment. When finished, this system will take those trucks off of local roads.

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(VIDEO) Wilson asks for approval of hospital developments

(April 30, 2018) Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson took a new approach in question period today when asking the government about when much needed planning grants will be approved for Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.

“Minister, as you know, for a great number of years, since the Liberals have been in office, my riding has been fighting for the redevelopment of two hospitals… your predecessor quite nicely gave us a bit of money for the planning process just about a month ago—$500,000 for each hospital—but as you know, each hospital has spent well over $1 million of their own money, front-line patient money, to go through the planning process,” said Wilson. “We don’t have approval yet. I was just wondering if over the last month there has been a change of heart at the ministry and you might see your way to approving these projects before the writ is dropped?”

Health Minister Helena Jaczek spoke generally about health care and could only say that she would look into the status of the grants again.

Wilson continued by asking if a funding announcement might be coming before the election is called next week.

“I think everyone would be very happy, including the Liberal candidate in my riding for this election, who is the Premier’s son-in-law. Maybe [Minister] if you want to keep your job over the next couple of weeks, you would announce these couple of hospitals.”

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Wilson wants planning powers returned to municipalities

(April 26, 2018) – Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson has reintroduced his Private Member’s Bill, the Restoring Planning Powers to Municipalities Act, 2016.

Wilson brought the bill back to the Ontario Legislature on April 26.

First introduced in 2013, the bill is part of Wilson’s effort to return to municipalities the authority to decide what renewable energy projects are built in their community, if any.

“In my riding of Simcoe-Grey, local residents, organizations and municipalities had to go to the Environmental Review Tribunal to defeat a proposal to build 500-foot wind turbines near two local airports,” said Wilson. “This process cost them $1.6 million. It never would have happened if local municipalities had planning approval over these kinds of projects.”

The bill aims to amend the Planning Act, reversing previous amendments made by the Green Energy Act in 2009 that exempt renewable energy undertakings from the municipal planning process. If the bill is enacted, it would restore municipal planning authority and allow local leaders to make decisions that were taken away from them by the Liberals Green Energy Act.

“Before the disastrous Green Energy Act, local communities relied on their local councils to make these decisions. These kinds of proposals were required to go through a full public process allowing comments, input and amendments,” said Wilson. “It is absolutely disgraceful that the Liberals usurped the authority of locally elected leaders in favour of bureaucrats in Toronto making these decisions.”

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(VIDEO) Wilson once again questions Liberals over executive compensation at Hydro One

(April 23, 2018) Today in Question Period, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson was pleased to once again question the government over executive compensation at Hydro One.

You can watch a video of the exchange or read Hansard below. 

Ontario Hansard - April 23, 2018

                                                                                Executive compensation

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is to the Minister of Energy. Yesterday Hydro One’s chair released a statement on their egregious $10-million severance package for their six-million-dollar man.

Did the Premier or minister instruct Hydro One to release that statement and did they coordinate the statement with Hydro One? Yes or no, Minister.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Again, the board is an entity that works on its own. I wasn’t aware that they were releasing that statement.

But when it comes to Hydro One’s governance agreement, Mr. Speaker, as I said, that’s also publicly available and we urge the Conservatives to read that.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jim Wilson: Mr. Speaker, that’s the fourth question today in which the minister has been asked what he knew about the $10-million severance package for the six-million-dollar man, when he knew it, and whether this was a coordinated effort between Hydro One and the government. I can’t believe, as a former energy minister, that your hydro company wouldn’t inform you back in November about such a significant change in the rules of the game over there at Hydro One.

Minister, last week the Premier walked out and you ran away from a scrum. I want to know what you’re hiding, why you would walk away from a scrum and why you’re not being forthright with the people of Ontario.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. The member will withdraw.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I once again was very happy to answer questions to the media and stay there for about 10 minutes. The only person I know who is doing the Doug-and-dash, as it’s starting to get known within media circles, is the leader of the Conservatives, who makes sure he answers one question and then disappears in the bus or actually makes the announcement that he’s going to fire the CEO and then leaves it to the member from Prince Edward–Hastings to answer those questions.

I don’t have a problem actually talking about our government’s record of making sure that we brought forward the fair hydro plan that reduced rates by 25%. I know that they sneakily snuck that into their—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Answer.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: Sneakily snuck; they’re new words.

They snuck it into the People’s Guarantee and then tossed it aside. You know what, Mr. Speaker?

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. I try not to become emotionally involved in any of these kinds of things. That one got me.

New question? Member from Essex.

Wilson pleased with $1.2 million grant for Matthews House Hospice

(April 20, 2018) Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson was pleased to hear that Matthews House Hospice in Alliston is receiving a $1.2 million capital grant to assist with finishing the construction. This is excellent news for the community. Congratulations to Vice President of the Capital Campaign Marv Chantler, hospice staff, the board, volunteers and the thousands of supporters who signed my petition that helped secure this funding.