“All politics is local” is a well-known phrase in political circles. Who better to speak on the trends in their communities than local REALTORS®? These individuals are well connected to their communities — meeting with many people daily and helping them realize their dreams of home ownership. Last week, OREA’s Political Affairs Conference helped highlight the importance of being politically engaged locally and building strong relationships with elected officials at all levels of government and all political stripes.
Political leaders from all parties acknowledged the work of OREA’s Government Relations Committee volunteers and engaged REALTORS®. The honourable Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Consumer Services, reflected on her experience meeting with REALTOR® volunteers before and after becoming a cabinet minister; Progressive Conservative Party leader, Tim Hudak, reminisced on his parents’ first purchase of a home and even sent a shout-out to the REALTOR® who helped him and his wife, Deb, purchase their first home; lastly, leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario, Andrea Horwath, stressed the importance of keeping the dream of home ownership affordable to Ontarians.
One common theme ran through all the presentations and panels: the work that REALTORS® do is important to our province and their voices matter at Queen’s Park. Their advocacy efforts at the provincial legislature have not gone unnoticed. This is reflected by the high number of MPP meetings REALTORS® attended this year – more than half of all MPPs met with local delegates.
A big thank you to all delegates who took time out of their busy schedules to attend this year’s conference and make it a success. We hope you learned something new that will help you become a stronger and more engaged leader at your local boards and communities.
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