Motion To Bring Ernie Hardeman's Private Members Bill Forward Voted Down

Friday, 3 June 2016 14:23

A motion to bring the Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act forward was voted down.

A motion by MPP for Oxford Ernie Hardeman to try and get his bill concerning the Housing Services Corporation to a third reading as soon as possible was voted down.

He says with this bill he hopes to make some changes to the HSC that he feels would benefit the people waiting for social housing.

"People like Oxford County who provide public housing would be allowed to opt out and buy their insurance and fuel where ever they can buy it cheapest and so if the Housing Services Corporation is the cheapest they could keep buying it there, but if there's other better deal - which a lot of people have told me there are better deals beyond that."

The bill would also require all employees making over $100,000 a year to be listed on the Sunshine List, and allow the Auditor General to investigate the HSC.

Hardeman says if someone else came forward to champion the bill at committee it could still move forward.

"But the government house leader has to agree with things like that happening and since the government voted en masse to not support the resolution to bring it to committee now I'm concerned that they're not interested in solving the problem now, they're more interested in just letting it fester."

Hardeman fears if nothing happens soon, they'll be sent back to square one.

"I mean it's been sitting there for a whole year which is why we brought it up. The other thing of course is that there's been all kinds of rumours that the House might prorogue before we go back in the fall. And if they do that then this bill will die on the order paper and we'll have to start all over again.

The motion from Ernie Hardeman reads:

"That, in the opinion of this House, the Standing Committee on Social Policy should conduct public hearings on Bill 74, the Housing Services Corporation Accountability Act, and refer the bill back to the House as soon as possible, given that the Legislature unanimously gave this bill second reading over a year ago, and that the House should conduct 3rd reading without delay."