Local members of provincial parliament pulled up a seat around the Belleville Council table for a wide-ranging discussion on important topics impacting the Quinte region and beyond.
At a special meeting on Tuesday at Belleville City Hall, Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp and Hastings–Lennox and Addington MPP Ric Bresee had an opportunity to have direct dialogue with councillors regarding legislation and policy decisions affecting municipalities, particularly those related to planning and development.
Council talked with the provincial representatives about recent legislative changes and government programs connected to housing and homelessness, including funding levels and expectations related to homelessness supports, mental health services and primary care.
Key questions submitted from the public surrounded healthcare, with one describing the Health Care Connect system as ‘broken,’ where there have been several examples of residents lingering for years without getting access to a primary care provider.
Bresee acknowledged there are challenges with the system, including an increasing demand based around an aging population, but more doctors and nurses are coming and working in both Bay of Quinte and Hastings-Lennox and Addington than ever before.
Allsopp acknowledged the fact that residents are facing affordability issues and that municipalities shouldn’t have to shoulder the financial burden.
“We are making significant inroads in terms of connecting more people to primary care in the community and not just from a larger, promised, ‘something will happen’, we’re moving forward on it,” he told council.
Other questions surrounded policing budgets for speed cameras, city finances and conservation authority mergers.
After the meeting, Bresee stated the meeting was a worthwhile collaboration.
“We had good discussion about a wide variety of local issues which we will continue to advocate for with the province,” he stated.
“I look forward to continuing the great relationship we have with Belleville Council.”
Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis said it was a very productive meeting from council’s standpoint.
“Council had a great discussion about priorities and future priorities of the City of Belleville. It was overall very informative with lots of open discussion with both MPPs.”
Coun. Paul Carr said he was particularly satisfied to hear the MPPs answers on the healthcare sector.
“Many of the issues Council faces have provincial jurisdictional responsibilities and it was good to hear that both agreed that the City does not need to be funding primary care recruitment given the provincial initiatives underway,” he told InQuinte.ca.
“I was also pleased that both are supportive of the city’s North Riverfront Trail project under highway 401 to connect our community. More discussion and commitments are clearly necessary on homelessness prevention results and making City taxpayers whole following revenue losses with various Housing Bills.
The full meeting can be found at this link.
