Last week, Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal Party of Ontario won a majority government, with 58 seats at Queen’s Park. This means that the Liberal Party will have four to five years to fulfill its mandate in the provincial legislature.
At OREA, our government relations team was prepared to deal with any possible election outcome, including a Liberal majority. This preparation included dissecting each party’s position on issues that affect OREA and its 57,000 REALTORS®.
First and foremost, the Liberal Party committed to OREA’s government relations team during the election campaign that they had no plans to expand the Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT) to municipalities outside Toronto. This commitment was the central focus of our ‘Say No to the MLTT’ campaign and is a significant victory for OREA and its members.
When it comes to OREA’s other main issues, the position of the Liberal government is yet to be determined. Personal real estate corporations are an area of focus for OREA’s government relations team that is yet to be agreed upon by the Liberal Party. In addition, the Liberal Party helped pass, but has not yet brought into force, legislation allowing electronic signatures. Both of these issues will be key areas of focus for OREA in the near future.
Lastly, before the election, OREA had been working closely with the Ministry of Consumer Services on issues like reforming the Condominium Act and minimum qualifications for home inspectors. We look forward to working with the new Liberal government on these issues to provide the best possible outcome for Ontario’s REALTORS®.
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