Former mayor of Toronto, David Miller, has been appointed by the Ontario NDP to be a Special Advisor to the Leader on crafting a new deal for municipalities.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles made the announcement on Tuesday morning, saying he will consult with Ontario’s local governments, mayors, municipal associations and hold open consultations and make recommendations directly to Stiles.
“David is recognized across Ontario as a foremost advocate for local government,” said Stiles in a release. “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.”
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.
“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,” added 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”
Miller was elected Mayor of Toronto in 2003 as the first centre-left politician since amalgamation in 1998.
Miller’s time as mayor until 2007 interrupted 18 years of conservative mayoralties starting with his predecessor Mel Lastman, through to Rob Ford and John Tory.
As mayor, he also led the charge to negotiate a new deal between municipalities and the federal government.
With files from The Canadian Press