On June 3rd, I was elected to the Ontario Caucus of FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities). It took place in Calgary, Alberta at the FCM annual general meeting. I put together a strong platform of issues that I would push for Hamilton and Ontario. These issues include:

• Help Canadian cities participate in the global economy
• Ensure that the federal and provincial/territorial governments adequately fund social policy so that cities are not forced to over tax their citizens
• Make sure Ottawa understands the importance of employment in our cities. Press the federal government to commit to exploring other options for sharing taxes that grow with the economy
• Create a strategy on the development of metro economies
• Recognize the “have” and “have-not” communities and develop a program to meet their needs
• Ensure equal distribution of federal tax dollars

I will meet regularly with the Ontario Caucus to discuss issues that matter to the residents of Ward 8, Hamilton and Ontario in a province wide forum.