OREA has identified three priorities issues the association will be focusing its efforts on at Queen’s Park during the upcoming session of parliament.
First and foremost, OREA will continue to work with the government to amend REBBA, 2002 to allow real estate salespeople to incorporate. Notably, OREA has written to the new Minister of Consumer Services (responsible for REBBA, 2002) requesting a meeting to discuss personal real estate corporations (PRECs) and other REBBA related issues.
While OREA has made some progress on PRECs, the new government has many priorities on the legislative agenda including their campaign commitments, so immediate action is not expected.
OREA’s proposal to amend the Assessment Act, 2001 to create a new tax class for brownfield properties “under remediation” will also be a focus of the association’s lobbying activities.
The proposal continues to garner support from a number of different industry groups. OREA’s strategy on this issue is to build a coalition of interested stakeholders who will add their collective voice in support of our brownfields proposal. Most recently, OREA acquired the support of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association and the Northern Ontario Association of Municipalities (NOMA). In addition, the Building Managers Association of Ontario (BOMA) is in the process of reviewing the proposal as is the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Finally, OREA will continue to lobby in favor the creation of a registry of former marijuana grow operations and clandestine laboratories. Prior to the provincial election, the Provincial Advisory Group (PAG) on Marijuana Grow Operations and Clandestine Laboratories, of which OREA is a member, made a recommendation to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services to create a registry of former marijuana grow operations.
At its last meeting, PAG’s co-chairs announced that the group’s recommendations were going through the government’s internal review process. There has been no additional update from the government or PAG on our proposal. PAG is expected to meet in the coming months.
The RCMP recently announced the creation of a national registry of former marijuana grow operations. Unfortunately, due to the limited jurisdictional coverage of the RCMP in Ontario the registry is of little use. OREA is hopeful that the provincial government will regard the RCMP registry as an impetus to forge ahead with their own registry.
To learn more about OREA’s key lobby issues visit the government relations section of our website.
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