This Week in Don Valley East
Newsletter from May 24th, 2024
Dear Neighbour,
I hope you've received my past printed newsletters in the mail providing updates on my advocacy at Queen's Park and right here in the riding. One of my goals is now to add more frequent communication by email, and so I'm excited for the chance to send this message to you today. I look forward to writing to you more often moving forward.
My Week at Queen's Park
Far too many of us don't have a family doctor, and it's getting harder than ever before to access healthcare. One of the biggest reasons for this is privatization. This week, I introduced a bill that, if passed, will make primary care fair by banning nurse practitioners from charging patients on their credit card, instead of OHIP card, for medically necessary care. You can read it here. Nurse practitioners can play such an important role in our healthcare system, and so my bill also sets up a framework for them to be brought into our public system. We received widespread coverage in the media and I think this will be one critical step to ensure everyone in Don Valley East - and across Ontario - can get the healthcare they deserve.
In other news at Queen's Park, I also had the pleasure of participating in a celebration of Armenian Heritage Month and in joining a rally to fight for better access to mental health and addictions care.
Working in Don Valley East
Over the last two weeks, I have had many opportunities to work directly in the community. There's been no shortage of meetings with constituents, and I had a special focus on affordable housing. That included a tour of some proposed affordable housing developments in the Don Mills & Eglinton area, and meeting with the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. I have been monitoring a growing increase in demovictions and renovictions in our riding, and have also been vocal in the Legislature that we must must protect tenants and clear backlogs with the Landlord & Tenant Board (amongst other things).
I've also spoken out against the unacceptable delays and lack of transparency around the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in our riding. I consider it outrageous that constituents in Don Valley East have been given no timeline for its completion and have no idea about how much it will ultimately cost, and yet more than half of all Metrolinx employees are on the sunshine list. This is wrong.
A Brief Note on the Premier's Recent Comments
It has been hard to see growing hate and division across our community that appears in different ways. Close to, and even within our riding, we have seen hateful acts such as attacks at synagogues, assaults on Sikh people and shootings at mosques. All of these are wrong and have no place in our province.
Many constituents were offended yesterday when the Premier of Ontario made an unfounded and divisive comment following an unacceptable shooting at a Jewish school, in which the Premier made a baseless claim that immigrants were responsible.
There is no mistaking that we face tough times but we are greater because of our diversity. Comments that are racist or xenophobic have no place and the Premier must apologize.
Samples of my Media Coverage This Week:
Liberal health critic's bill would ban private-pay nurse practitioner clinics - The Trillium
“Liberal health critic Adil Shamji wants the province to ban private-pay nurse practitioner clinics instead of waiting on the feds to do so. His private member's bill, to be tabled Wednesday afternoon, would do just that. The Keeping Primary Care Fair Act would also increase penalties for breaking the law.”
Metrolinx refuses to share progress and problems with Eglinton LRT - Toronto | Globalnews.ca
“This should be a matter of public interest, we have a government that once upon a time campaigned to be the most honest, transparent and accountable government that this province has ever seen,” Ontario Liberal MPP Adil Shamji told Global News. “It is just another source of frustration that Ontarians, and certainly the constituents in my riding of Don Valley East, are experiencing as they deal with the gridlock on Eglinton and wait for this public transit line.”
Conclusion
I certainly hope you've enjoyed this update. If you have any feedback about it or would like to make suggestions about how it can be better, please don't hesitate to let me know. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Adil