By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
March 23rd to June 2nd served as the bookends to a brief but busy legislative session at Queen’s Park. As your independent voice at the Legislature, I am proud of what we accomplished during those short weeks. Most importantly, these achievements are not mine alone – they are yours as well. Whether through emails, phone calls, meetings, community events or chance encounters, your input helped shape the questions I asked, the motions I tabled and the positions I took on your behalf.
On March 26th, the government kicked things off with its 2026 Ontario Budget. Overall, I wasn’t particularly tickled by it; I was looking for affordability measures to help you through these economically challenging times but there wasn’t much in the way of easing the pressure on household finances. But they did listen to those of you who signed my petition and others in opposition who had been calling for a reduction in the Small Business Tax Rate (SBTR). Our small businesses needed that shot in the arm and let’s hope Ford keeps reducing the SBTR.
On April Fool’s Day, knowing the Ford government was fooling no one with its posturing on the ineffective and costly federal gun buyback, I stood during Question Period demanding Premier Ford back up his tough talk with real action to protect law-abiding gun owners like Alberta and Saskatchewan. I also launched a petition urging the same thing. Almost two months later, seems like they heard me: the Ontario government joined the fight asking the Supreme Court to declare the gun program unconstitutional.
The Ontario government clearly heeded my 2024 and 2025 motions to cut teachers college to one year from two. This will save students tuition money and get qualified teachers into classrooms faster, which is currently a dire need.
I’ve been urging the government to limit foreign ownership of farmland, especially in my role on the government’s Finance Committee. This is also one of the main thrusts of my colleague Mike Schreiner’s and my Bill 21, Food belt Protection Act, 2025. Interestingly, the government introduced Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026 (POFIA) to limit foreign ownership of Ontario farmland. I recently attended a technical briefing on the bill where I was disappointed to learn that all the details on how they will restrict foreign ownership are yet to be developed. I am suspicious POFIA was tabled so that the government can dismiss Bill 21. Time will tell.
Another win was in May when the folks across the aisle heeded my 2024 and 2025 motions to increase the Ontario HST New Home Rebate to reflect 75 per cent of the HST based on the first one million dollars of a new build, rather than the $400,000 threshold. Buyers can now receive a combined federal-provincial rebate of up to $130,000 for new homes priced up to $1 million. For homes up to $1.5 million, the maximum rebate is $130,000, it then scales down for properties up to $1.85 million.
As for the proposed city of 40,000 at the Nanticoke industrial Park, the government is now seeking your thoughts on whether they should rubber stamp a Minister’s Zoning Order. The power is now in our hands because on June 3rd the government posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). You have until July 3rd to populate it with your thoughts. You can do so at https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/026-0451 I will go into more detail on this next week.
You and I have had some wins at Queen’s Park over the past couple of months. As I said at the start, your advice and guidance informed much of my output. I will keep listening and acting accordingly.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk