Press Releases

Jim meets with constituents fighting for cystic fibrosis medication

(March 6, 2019) Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson was pleased to meet with Jamie Larocque and Sasha Haughian along with Beth and Madi Vanstone. Jamie and Sasha's two young sons suffer from cystic fibrosis and are fighting for drug coverage of new medications developed to treat the disease. Madi had a similar fight five years ago and is now doing a terrific job using what she learned to advocate for others going through the same thing.

(VIDEO) Wilson asks Ford Government when they will fund redevelopments of local hospitals

(March 7, 2019) On Wednesday in the Ontario Legislature, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson asked the Government when Collingwood General and Marine and Stevenson Memorial hospitals can expect approval for their long awaited redevelopment projects pointing out that they are well beyond the planning they have been compensated for.

"The hospitals have done everything asked of them by your ministry. In fact, they kind of feel like they're being run around right now," said Wilson. "Can you give me some indication today of when these hospitals will get approval... As you know, under the previous government, they were ignored for 15 years. My constituents have waited long enough, and they'd really like to hear some good news from this government.

The Health Minister made no promises, but she did acknowledge that the hospitals were ignored for a decade and a half under the previous Liberal Government. She also assured Wilson that they are not being ignored now.

Wilson continued to press the Health Minister pointing out expected population growth over the next 15 years. He also asked the Minister to tour the hospitals to see for herself the need for the projects. Again the Health Minister wouldn't speak to specifics or agree to the request.

"At this point it's pretty clear the hospitals are in a holding pattern waiting to be given the greenlight by the Ford Cabinet," said Wilson. "It's important Doug Ford and Christine Elliott continue to be reminded of the critical need for these projects, and this is exactly what I plan to do."

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MPP Jim Wilson visits Grade 5 classes at Collingwood and Nottawa schools

(March 5, 2019) – MPP Jim Wilson visited with Grade 5 students at St. Mary's School and Nottawa Elementary School on March 5.

Wilson stopped by both schools as part of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Outreach Program to speak about his role as MPP for Simcoe-Grey and answer questions from students. A total of 75 students between both schools participated in the program.

"I want to thank teachers Josephine Balloi and Roxi Shaw for inviting me to speak to the classes," said Wilson. "The students were very impressive and asked great questions."

Wilson encouraged students to get involved with student government and to consider applying to the Ontario Page Program. He said his interest in government began after receiving a similar visit from his predecessor George McCague.

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Wilson shares autism petition

(February 26, 2019) Last week, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson was pleased meet with local parents of children with autism. In the meeting he promised to share their petition asking the government to reassess recent changes made to the Ontario Autism Program.

The petition reads as follows: 

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

WHEREAS the PC Government of Ontario recently announced plans to overhaul the Ontario Autism Program, implementing a 2-tiered age and income based funding model, and effectively removing funding for any significant duration of comprehensive applied behavioral analysis (ABA) from all children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and;

WHEREAS in 2003 and again in 2016, previous age caps on comprehensive therapy were removed by former Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty and former Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne because the age cap was recognized to be unfair and discriminatory and;

WHEREAS ABA is not a therapy, but a science, upon which interventions including comprehensive treatment is founded and duration and intensity of treatment are the key components in predicting outcomes - not age, and;

WHEREAS accredited peer reviewed empirical evidence in the treatment of children with ASD has repeatedly shown that for some children with ASD, comprehensive ABA therapy is best practice and the ONLY suitable intervention, and;

WHEREAS wait lists for services have increased in length as a result of the 66% increase in costs to administer direct service compared to direct funding, as reported by the Auditor General in 2013, and with the direct service model being eliminated with the Ontario Autism Program reforms, the PC Government has a chance to build a needs-based system that will help every child reach their full potential, and;

WHEREAS it is unacceptable for the Premier of Ontario or his Government to drastically reduce essential supports for some of the province’s most vulnerable children without consideration of their individualized needs;

We, the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Government to immediately reassess the changes to the Ontario Autism Program and redesign the direct funding model to be administered with a needs-based approach in order to ensure that all children with ASD for whom continuous or comprehensive therapy has been prescribed by a qualified clinician are able to obtain these services in a timely manner regardless of their age or family income.”

You can sign the petition at Wilson’s offices in Alliston (180 Parsons Road) and Collingwood (50 Hume Street) or copies are available online at www.jimwilsonmpp.com/services/petitions. To be presented in the Ontario Legislature the petition requires original signatures.

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Update from Queen’s Park: MPP Jim Wilson

(February 21, 2019) Tuesday marked the first day the Ontario Legislature was back in session following the winter break. I was pleased to be there and participate in the lively proceedings.

As many of you may know, it has been a difficult few months for me on a personal level, and I first and foremost would like to take this opportunity to thank you, my constituents, for supporting me every step of the way.

Representing Simcoe-Grey is a job that I love and take very seriously; and, no matter where my seat is in the Legislature, it is a job I will do to the very best of my ability in our riding and at Queen's Park.

As your MPP I look forward to the challenging and rewarding work that lies ahead.

My focus continues to be on my constituents and furthering your concerns. I ask that you please continue contacting me and my offices if I can help you, your family or your neighbours in any dealings you have with the Province of Ontario.

My top priorities continue to be the redevelopments of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston. These projects are critical for the future health care needs of our community and I am working alongside both hospitals to strongly push these projects forward at Queen's Park.

Long-Term Care is also top of mind as our riding and the province desperately needs more beds. The Ford Government has committed to creating 15,000 long-term care beds within five years, and 30,000 in ten years. They recently announced 6,075 new beds, with some of those committed to our riding. I look forward to pushing for more beds to help relieve pressure on our hospitals.

Hospice is another issue. There is a need for 1,400 beds across the province. The government currently funds 500, including ten in Alliston and six in Collingwood. However, Collingwood is waiting on funding for an additional four beds that currently sit idle despite many applications for their use. This is completely unacceptable and it is an issue that I will continue to raise. I will also be fighting for a better overall hospice strategy as investments in hospice care are a proven cost-savings for the government.

I continue to receive calls from constituents about the Government's recent changes to autism funding. Under the previous Liberal Government 75 per cent of children in the Ontario Autism Program sat on waitlists for funding. The Ford Government intends to clear the waitlist and even out the funding. However, it is clear that a lot of families are uncertain about future services for their children. I want to hear from those families who believe there is a better solution. I will be sure to bring my constituents' concerns to the Government's attention.

While there are many other issues not included in this column, I hope this helps inform you of some of my immediate priorities and the work I will be undertaking on your behalf at Queen's Park.

To increase awareness on any issue I urge you to write me and the Government directly.

Jim Wilson is the Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Simcoe-Grey

Queen's Park Report - Wilson pleased with Premier’s visits to Simcoe-Grey to announce support for police and first responders

(October 17, 2018) - During the past two weeks, I was pleased to twice welcome Premier Doug Ford to Simcoe-Grey for two great announcements in support of our police and first responders across the province.

On October 16, I was happy to join Premier Doug Ford in The Blue Mountains for a speech at the Ontario Provincial Police Association Annual General meeting. The Premier’s speech focused on law enforcement’s role in the protection of public health and safety within the province’s tightly regulated private cannabis retail marketplace.

As you all know, the Trudeau government legalized cannabis across the country on October 17. During his speech, the Premier indicated his concern that the federal government is still unable to provide law enforcement with reliable equipment to test for drug-impaired driving.

“It’s been three years since the Prime Minister committed to legal cannabis, yet the federal government cannot give our police a reliable test for drug-impaired driving,” the Premier said. “I’m calling on the federal government to address this critical issue and get our police the tools needed to keep our roads safe.”

I want to ensure anybody with concerns about the federal government’s decision to legalize cannabis that our government is committed to public health, public safety and protecting youth. We are calling on the Federal Government to step up and provide the police with the tools they need to keep our communities safe.

In Ontario, there will be strict enforcement of federal and provincial rules and a zero-tolerance approach for any retailer who provides cannabis to a minor. We will align cannabis consumption rules with the Smoke Free Ontario Act, which outright bans smoking near schools, playgrounds, hospitals, child care facilities and indoors - among other areas.

Our municipalities will have a one-time window to opt out of permitting cannabis retail stores within their municipal boundaries and they can enact bylaws that further restrict smoking cannabis beyond provincial minimum standards in places like parks.

“When it comes to cannabis, we can assure all Ontarians that we’ve done our homework, we are working closely with our police and other partners and no matter what lies ahead, Ontario will be ready,” said Premier Ford.

On October 11, I was thrilled to welcome Premier Ford and the Honourable Michael Tibollo, Minister of Community Services and Correctional Services to Alliston for a very important and historic announcement.

At the Nottawasaga OPP Detachment, Premier Ford announced Ontario’s Government for the People will take immediate action to keep Ontarians safe and protect communities by replacing the province’s  crumbling Public Safety Radio Network, which front-line emergency responders rely on during emergencies.

“This modernization project is long overdue,” said Premier Ford. “Our frontline and emergency responders need to have reliable, modern tools and resources in place to do their jobs and we are going to make sure this life-saving system gets underway.”

I was very proud to have the Premier make this vital announcement in Simcoe-Grey in front of so many of our first-responders, who do amazing work every single day. They deserve to have reliable, modern tools and resources in place to do their jobs and our government is going to make sure this life-saving system gets underway.

Across Ontario, 38,000 front-line and emergency responders including OPP police officers, paramedics and hospital staff, forest firefighters, provincial highway maintenance staff, as well as enforcement and correctional officers can can count on the communications infrastructure, network and equipment they need when responding to emergencies.

We’re going to replace the network’s aging infrastructure with state-of-the-art radio equipment and consoles. The network is to be fully operational by 2023.

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Queen’s Park report: Government will continue working to restore trust and accountability in finances

(September 24, 2018) – Last week my friend and colleague, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli announced the results of the Independent Commission of Financial Inquiry into the previous government’s accounting practices.

The report shows the previous government left a $15 billion deficit and as Mr. Fedeli said: “the Commission report reveals a culture of waste embedded at the highest levels of the previous government. In an election year, they pursued a reckless spree of deficit-financed spending.”

We have also learned that contrary to what the previous government reported, they did not run a surplus in 2017-18, but rather ran up a hidden $3.7 billion deficit.

This report is the first step towards our Government For the People’s pledge to restore accountability and trust in government, respect taxpayers and get our fiscal house in order.

I am happy to say, that after a 15 years of reckless spending and mismanagement, all the people of Ontario have finally received a full, honest and clear picture of the province’s finances. I’m pleased to see that, for the first time in three years, the Auditor General has provided a clean audit opinion on the Public Accounts. This is significant step forward for our province.

This is a positive first step, but the overall numbers remain very troubling. Ontario is $338 billion in debt. That is the largest subnational debt of any province or state in the entire world. It is more than $24,000 for every Ontarian. Last year, we paid $11.9 billion in interest payments to service the public debt. Those payments are more than twice the operating budget of the former Ministry of Children and Youth Services and bigger than the entire operating budget of the City of Toronto.

In 12 out of 15 years, the previous Liberal government ran a deficit. From 2003 to 2018, the Liberals increased the province’s net debt by 160% or almost $200 billion.

As a result of this report, Premier Doug Ford will appoint a Select Committee to investigate how the province’s fiscal situation became so dire. The committee will have the power to call witnesses, compel documents and gather evidence. It’s time for the residents of Ontario to get the answers they deserve.

There is a lot of work to be done to clean up this mess. I can assure everybody the government takes its responsibility to achieve fiscal prudence and sustainable government services very seriously. We’re going to fix this problem and get Ontario’s finances back in good shape, which will help get our province back on the path to prosperity.

We remain committed to balancing the budget as quickly as possible. Now that we have a better understanding of the issues with the previous government’s accounting practices, the line-by-line review being conducted by EY Canada will help us determine a path forward to eliminate duplication and waste in government spending.

There is still a long road to travel, but for the first time in many years, I am confident we are on the right path.

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Wilson congratulates David and Clara Johnson on 60th wedding anniversary

"It was my pleasure to congratulate David and Clara Johnson on their 60^th wedding anniversary at their garden party celebration in Wasaga Beach last weekend. This is an incredible milestone and it was an honour to attend such a special occasion," said MPP Jim Wilson.

Wilson attends Essa Salmon Riverbank Derby

"I had a great time at the 16^th annual Essa Salmon Riverbank Derby on Sunday afternoon. I want to thank the organizers for the invitation and congratulations to all the anglers who participated in the competition," said MPP Jim Wilson.

Minister's Wilson and Yurek in Angus to discuss Ontario Tree Seed Plant

(August 29, 2018) Yesterday, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson and representatives from the office of Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry were in Angus to tour the Ontario Tree Seed Plant. Following the tour, MPP Wilson and Minister Jeff Yurek, who participated by teleconference, met with industry experts and local advocates to discuss options for the facility moving forward.