OREA’s 2013 Political Affairs Conference is Just Around the Corner

In three short weeks, REALTORS® from across the province will gather in downtown Toronto for OREA’s annual Political Affairs Conference (PAC) to enhance their understanding of provincial issues, strengthen their relationship with their MPPs and exchange ideas on provincial issues that affect the real estate industry. This year the conference will be held on November 26-28.

This year has been particularly busy for OREA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC) and staff as Premier Wynne’s Liberals have focused on enhancing consumer protection and have launched consultations on issues that directly impact our industry, including: the Condominium Act Review, 1998; the first 5-year review of the Mortgage Brokers, Lenders and Administrators Act, 2006; and Bill 55, Stronger Protection for Ontario Consumers Act, 2013.

Thanks to the dedication of REALTOR® volunteers across the province, we have made some significant gains in the past 12 months. For example, the Government included an amendment to the Electronic Commerce Act (ECA), 2000 in the 2013 Ontario Budget. The amendment removes the exclusion of agreements of purchase and sale from the ECA. The amendment is currently pending proclamation.

Building on this momentum, OREA GR still has a lot of work to do. This year, we will focus our efforts on: preventing the spread of a municipal land transfer tax (MLTT) across Ontario; establishing a province-wide marijuana grow operation registry that will allow REALTORS® to do business better by helping them better inform their clients on a property’s history; allowing real estate salespeople to incorporate; and lastly, discouraging the government from enacting mandatory home energy audits of old and new housing stock at the time of sale.

OREA government relations look forward to seeing all our delegates in Toronto at the end of the month and continuing to foster our strong relationship with the Government of Ontario.