PelhamToday received the following letter to the editor on the issue of the resignation of Ontario's housing minister.
Ontario is in need of a new Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister with the resignation of Steve Clark in the face of the ongoing Greenbelt revelations.
It will now be the task of Premier Ford and his circle to fill the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs post and when considering who will replace Steve Clark. Premier Ford should look no further than to Niagara West Progressive Conservative MPP, Sam Oosterhoff. Sam has my full endorsement for this cabinet post for the following reasons:
- Sam fought for the housing/homelessness funding after the state of emergency was declared which he promised he would do. He advocated for Niagara's largest investment in homelessness in history in response to Niagara's state of emergency for homeless and Grimsby's housing affordability state of emergency, respectively. Sam responded to our West Lincoln motion to correct the skewed provincial homelessness funding formula that was leaving Niagara shortchanged on homelessness services funding in our Region.
- Sam cannot stand dishonesty, corruption or incompetence; he will have zero tolerance for it. Whatever dirt is under the rug of the Housing and Municipal Affairs ministry, Sam will sweep out.
- Sam is a steady experienced hand and would bring new ideas to cabinet in tackling Ontario's Housing/Homeless emergency-crisis. Sam was first elected in 2016 and has served as Critic for Digital Government, Associate Critic for Research, Innovation and Science, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education and currently; Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Red Tape Reduction- making Sam well prepared and qualified for an elevation to a cabinet post.
- Sam works productively with local councils all throughout the Niagara Region to bring our grassroots interests to the appropriate decision makers at Queen's Park. Everything Sam has done since his re-election has shown great commitment to social issues affecting Niagara. Sam in all reality is one of Niagara's greatest homelessness/housing advocates! Sam also cares deeply about the safety and well-being of vulnerable residents living in our Region and Province.
- Lastly, Sam represents the generational shift that is going to occur in politics once the next federal election hits (which will boil down to all levels of government)- don't kid yourself- young people are furious at the government for their housing circumstances- a young person like Sam Oosterhoff understands the challenges we are facing- especially as it pertains to housing!
Premier Ford; if you would like to restore public trust in your government, in the Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministry and on the housing issue period...your best way of achieving that would be to appoint MPP Oosterhoff as Ontario's next Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Steven Roman Soos
Welland
