NDP appoints David Miller to craft New Deal for municipalities

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, announced that former Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, will take on a new role as Special Advisor to the Leader on crafting a New Deal for municipalities.

“David is recognized across Ontario as a foremost advocate for local government,” said Stiles. “His deep knowledge of municipal and provincial relations in Ontario and ability to listen and bring people together around a common vision will be instrumental in helping us to prepare for an NDP government.”

“Every day in our cities and towns we see the result of Provincial downloading and interference - from decaying rural bridges, to struggling transit systems, to a lack of affordable housing,” said Miller. “We’ve got a once in a decade chance to fix that with Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP, and we need to take it”

“Time and time again, Doug Ford has proven to be an unreliable partner in Queen’s Park for municipalities,” said Miller. “Marit Stiles understands what communities need and she is willing to go to bat for them. I'm thrilled to support her in that work. We have a chance to make a change, and we need to take it.”

QUICK FACTS

• David Miller served as the Mayor of Toronto 2003 to 2007. As Mayor, Miller led the charge to negotiate a new deal between municipalities and the federal government.
• Miller has a track record for fiscal responsibility and a commitment to ensuring stable and reliable municipal services. He led bold housing initiatives and has been a tireless advocate for public transit, launching Transit City and securing critical funding to improve the TTC without putting the burden on riders.
• As Special Advisor to the Leader, Miller will be responsible for completing a review of the provincial municipal relationship, designed to end provincial interference in local matters; ensure consistent long-term funding and reverse the provincial downloading of programs and financial responsibilities that has so damaged our communities. 
• Miller will consult with Ontario’s local governments, Mayors, Municipal Associations and hold open consultations to discuss the most serious challenges and make recommendations directly to the Ontario NDP Leader.