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12 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday November 4, 2009 Staying in Touch MPP John O'Toole have raised for future election campaigns. (They would still be allowed to use surpluses in 2010, but not in the future.) · Posting donation and expense records online through the electronic filing of candidates' financial records. " Requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls to reduce fraud. I remain concerned over the mail-in ballots that some municipalities use. As with all matters before the Ontario Legislature, your comments are always welcome. Government MPPs Block eHealth Probe MPPs from the McGuinty government used their majority to prevent top eHealth officials from speaking to an allparty committee of the Ontario Legislature. With the provincial government refusing to hold any form of public inquiry on the e-Health scandal, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts became the only forum for questionPension Reforms to be Introduced There is growing fear among seniors and retirees about the future of their pensions. That's why the federal government has taken action on pensions for federally regulated companies. It is encouraging to learn that the provincial government is also following up. However, at the time of this column being written, the details of Ontario's pension reforms are not known. Federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, has scheduled a First Ministers Meeting in Whitehorse in mid-December, where the retirement security will be discussed. Almost a year after the tabling of the Arthurs Report on pension reforms, the McGuinty government says it is moving ahead with legislation and policies on pensions. In my view, this is long overdue. No doubt, the spending scandals and efforts to sell Ontarians on the new sales tax have distracted the provincial government from bringing in pension reforms. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has told the media that Ontario will move ahead with the first phase of its pension reform in November and the second phase sometime in 2010. The Minister said Ontario's plans will look at provincially regulated pension funds to find ways to deal with the fact that the majority of people in Ontario don't have a pension plan. He said reforms will be largely based on recommendations of the Arthurs Report. I would be pleased to hear your comments on ways in which Ontarians with pensions can safeguard their investment and Ontarians with little or no pension can contribute to a more secure future. I may be reached at 905-697-1501 or 1-800-6612433 and by e-mail at john.otooleco@pc.ola.org. New Rules Proposed for Municipal Elections With Ontario's municipal election scheduled for the fall of 2010, the Province is proposing new rules for candidates. Under legislation tabled last week, contributors could continue to give up to $750 per candidate, but total donations would be capped at $5,000 within a single municipality. Other proposed changes include: · Moving municipal Election Day to the fourth Monday in October. · Barring councillors from using any surplus funds they ing former eHealth CEO Sarah Kramer and Board Chair, Dr. Alan Hudson. Both Sarah Kramer and Dr. Hudson have resigned from their eHealth posts. Last week, Liberal MPPs used their majority to prevent both eHealth officials from appearing before the committee to answer questions from opposition MPPs. These are clearly not the actions of a government that strives for accountability and transparency. Ontarians cannot help but wonder what else this government is trying to hide. Phase One of Full-Day Kindergarten Starts in 2010 In the New Year, parents will learn if their local school will offer full-day kindergarten for four and five-yearolds next September. The first phase of the program is expected to begin in the fall of 2010, costing $500 million. The program will not be available province-wide for upwards of five years. That's two elections away. While everyone understands the importance of children getting the best start in learning and in life, there are concerns over whether Ontario can afford the new kindergarten before it gets is financial house in O'TOOLE see page 13