A yearly meeting of municipal leaders got a visit from Premier Doug Ford this morning.
In Ottawa, Ford emphasizes he’ll continue working with municipalities and repeated his campaign promises to serve the people of Ontario.
“We’re going to continue to listen to the people,” Ford promises, “We will work hard with you, because you are the closest to everyday needs of the people, and together we will make this province better than it has ever been before.”
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference also heard Ford promise his government will help communities protect consumers when pot becomes legal.
“We will empower you to get this right,” attendees heard. “We will be introducing legislation that, if passed, we will give each of you the ultimate say in whether you want physical cannabis retail stores in your communities.”
He also says the province has earmarked $40 million over two years to help prepare for legalized cannabis.
The Premier adds municipal councils across the province don’t have to worry about being downsized after Toronto’s city government was halved.
Ford notes the changes to Toronto, Peel, Niagara, and Muskoka were because of “unique” situations.
“What these four have in common is that the Liberals imposed these new elected regional chairs in 2016. The last thing any municipality needs is yet another layer of elected politicians. That’s not how you make better decisions.”
You can watch Ford’s entire address below. (Photo: Youtube.com)
I appreciate the opportunity to address attendees at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa this morning. We are committed to working with our municipal partners on shared priorities, including infrastructure, transit, and public safety. #AMOConf18 pic.twitter.com/tk7hFyJKds
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) August 20, 2018
