Dear Neighbour,
It was great to see many of you who attended the New Year’s Levée that I hosted with our Member of Parliament Michael Coteau. Together we welcomed 2023 and my hope is that we will continue to stand together in Don Valley East celebrating our successes and tackling the challenges in our community. In our riding and across the Greater Toronto Area, we celebrate the rich, cultural diversity of the city we call home with January being Tamil Heritage Month and February which is Black History Month.
Staying connected with you is my top priority, and this has been expanded through my 2023 calendar which I hope you have all received. My website is currently being updated to be as helpful as possible and I look forward to making it responsive to your needs.
Legislative Update
Healthcare
The Legislature adjourned on December 8 and will remain in recess until February 21. Despite this, my team has been hard at work advocating on a number of policy issues important to all of us in Don Valley East.
Our healthcare crisis reached its peak when Doug Ford and Sylvia Jones unveiled a plan to have some surgical and diagnostic procedures done at independent health facilities (IHFs) that are not within the hospital setting. The main concerns I have about this plan is that it does not ensure that these facilities must be not-for-profit, guarantee patient safety, preserve health human resources and that they will be linked to hospitals. There is no reassurance for Ontarians that there will be no upcharges to prevent an economic burden on patients and their families. Evidence in Canada and internationally has shown that for profit healthcare delivers poor health outcomes for patients.
At the very core of patient care are dedicated healthcare workers whose jobs are being threatened by privatization. The risks with privatizing are beyond the quality of care being provided; and our public healthcare is not something that the province of Ontario should take for granted and make corporate decisions on. I initiated the “Patients Not Profits” petition so that together we can protect what we value most as Canadians. If you haven’t yet signed the petition, drop by the Constituency Office or you can download it here, sign it and mail it in to our address at the bottom of this newsletter.
Virtual Care
There have been significant difficulties in accessing virtual primary care with additional concerns that some people are being asked to pay out of pocket. I have had conversations with the Ontario Medical Association and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, while also speaking to the media about this very troubling issue. Here is an example of one of the articles I have been quoted in.
Have Your Say In The 2023 Ontario Budget
Pre-Budget Consultations are happening across the province, and the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will hold a public hearing in Toronto on Tuesday February 14, 2023. If you would like to participate in the hearings, visit this link for more information.
Community Safety
I have also heard from many of you about your concerns on community safety. I have been in touch with parents and municipal partners about how we can all work together to protect our schools and communities. I will also be raising this at the Legislature once it resumes later this month.
Greenbelt
I also want you to know that I am closely monitoring any developments regarding the slew of investigations into potential government misconduct in their handling of the Greenbelt. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and their Anti Racket Branch are currently deciding whether to launch a formal investigation, while the Integrity Commissioner and Auditor General have already begun investigations of their own. I will provide updates on these investigations as soon as I have them.
The Deadline to file your taxes is May 1, 2023 as this year April 30 is a Sunday
Don Valley East Update
Autism Meeting
In January, I hosted an Autism advocacy planning session with constituents and organizers. It was a hybrid virtual and in-person session, where family members of children living with Autism, some of whom have since become advocates, gathered to discuss their experiences navigating the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). The subject matter was heavy, but the experience was highly motivating. We drafted a petition which I will present to the Legislature, that aims at holding the OAP and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services accountable. It calls for higher operating standards, transparency and accountability among other things. Above all, we want practical solutions to urgent problems. I hope you will have the chance to sign this petition in the near future. We are currently discussing ways to mobilize the Autism community around the petition to help us circulate it far and wide. We will continue to meet and contemplate the many ways we can make an impact together. If you would like to be a part of future meetings, please reach out to my office at [email protected].
Youth Council
Dear Don Valley East,
I’m proud to say that the new Don Valley East Youth Council has hit the ground running. Indeed, while we were few just months ago, our group has rapidly expanded into a team of passionate youth dedicated to helping DVE.
Our inaugural event, “Healthcare in Crisis”, a forum on the state of our healthcare system was a great success. Featuring distinguished panelists with MPP Shamji as our host, we addressed a better path forward for healthcare in Ontario. Thank you to those who were able to join us – but even if you couldn’t, stay tuned, we’ll be hosting more events in months to come.
We’re also always looking for new members. I, personally, joined the Council to make a difference and assist MPP Shamji in serving Ontarians. If you are, or if you know any youth who want to affect change, I encourage them to apply at https://adilshamji.ca/youth/.
Thank you, Don Valley East, for your support over the last few months – we look forward to serving you in 2023 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Kaelem Moniz
Seniors Council
Building on the success of the Youth council, I am now looking forward to forming the Don Valley East Seniors Council. It will be a platform for our elderly residents to come together to share ideas, express their concerns and talk about issues that matter most to them. The Seniors Council will also host workshops and the first one is an intergenerational workshop with the Youth Council, who will teach the basics of technology platforms and social media. Also planned is an information session on fraud prevention to protect our Seniors.
Our first Seniors council meeting will be on Friday February the 17th at 7:00 PM. To join the Seniors Council, click here to sign up. The meeting will be held virtually, and you will receive a meeting link after you sign up.
I look forward to meeting with you.
Registration for CampTO at Broadlands Community Centre opens February 11, 2023. The summer camp is for 6-12 year-olds.
Non-Profit Appreciation Week – February 13-19, 2023
Don Valley East is home to many non-profit organizations that do incredible work in serving our community. We have access to a range of programs for small businesses, employment, skills training, seniors, immigrant resettlement, women, youth and health. I am calling on you to nominate a non-profit organization that has a made a significant impact in our community. The deadline to receive nominations is Friday February 10, 2023. The organization must:
- Be a non-profit or charity registered in Ontario
- Have an office located in Don Valley East
- Serve the community of Don Valley East (click here to see our riding boundaries)
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Finally, I have been hard at work preparing a number of Private Member Bills to introduce soon and I will look forward to sharing them with you as soon as they are finalized. Gearing up for the next parliamentary session which starts on February 21st, I remain committed to having your voice heard at Queen’s Park.
Sincerely,
Dr. Adil Shamji
Member of Provincial Parliament, Don Valley East
