Welcome OREA’s New Director of Government Relations

OREA is happy to welcome Matthew Thornton as a newly appointed Director of Government Relations effective July 1^st, 2013. Mr. Thornton succeeds Jim Flood who will remain at OREA in an advisory capacity.

Mr. Flood led OREA’s Government Relations department for over 26 years. Under his skilful leadership, OREA lobbied successfully on a variety of issues that helped shape Ontario’s real estateindustry. Most notable achievements include: an exemption for real estate brokers from the Employment Standards Act; passage of the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 governing real estate profession; expansion of the land transfer tax rebate program; and stopping the mandatory home energy audits. Mr. Thornton is excited to be taking the lead of the department. He is especially thrilled to continue working with the Ontario government towards proclamation of amendment to the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, which will extend legal protections of the Act to include electronic real estate agreements of purchase and sale.

Mr. Thornton joined OREA’s government relations department in July 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario in addition to his Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. Mr. Thornton is also a graduate of the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme (OLIP).