On February 5, OREA’s 2012 Government Relations Committee (GRC) held its last meeting. The committee consists of 13 politically active volunteer REALTORS® who help setting OREA’s Government Relations priorities. Volunteers help provide staff with the real life input on the issues facing Ontario’s real estate industry and OREA’s membership.
OREA’s Government Relations department thanks Chair Pat Verge for her skilful leadership in 2012 as well as all committee members for their tireless work. They are: Ron Abraham, Eugene Cheng, Brian Graham, Joseph Hough, Cail MacLean, Linda McCallum, Valerie Miles, Von Palmer, Robert Pfaff, Johnmark Roberts, Deborah Ross‑Abraham and Barb Sukkau.
OREA is currently accepting applications from the members wishing to volunteer on the committee in 2013. Please click here to apply online prior to the March 14 deadline and become a REALTOR® voice at Queen’s Park.
Over this past year, GRC has focused on four major issues that are impacting Ontario REALTORS®. Currently, OREA is:
- lobbying for an amendment of the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 to facilitate the use of electronic agreements of purchase and sale,
- fighting for a salesperson’s right to form personal real estate corporations,
- pushing for a province-wide registry for marijuana grow operations and
- working to prevent the spread of municipal land transfer taxes across Ontario
Thanks to the hard work of the committee and GR staff, OREA is ready to go full speed to continue advocating on behalf of Ontario’s 55,000 REALTORS® at Queen’s Park once the Ontario Legislature resumes on February 19. The new Premier-designate Kathleen Wynne, elected by the Ontario Liberal Party representatives on January 26, is expected to appoint her Cabinet on February 11.
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