Ontario.

• Position: Legislative Reports

The House returned early from the winter recess and started its spring session on February 14, 2005.

John Tory, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Ontario won the by-election held in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey after the resignation of the incumbent member and former Premier, Ernie Eves. Mr. Tory won his seat on March 17, 2005 and took his seat in the House on March 29, 2005.

Elizabeth Witmer, MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo is Deputy Leader and Caucus Chair for the Progressive Conservatives. Two PC members, John Baird, MPP for Nepean-Carleton and Jim Flaherty, MPP for Whitby-Ajax, have announced their intention to run in the next federal election. NDP MPP Marilyn Churley, member for Toronto-Dan forth, has also announced she will seek nomination to run federally in her neighboring riding of Beaches-East York.

The House has been busy with legislation throughout the spring sitting. Legislation to create and control a Greenbelt Plan for development around the Golden Horseshoe area of southern Ontario received Royal Assent. The legislation intends to create and preserve more than a million acres of green space to permanently protect agricultural lands and green space while targeting growth and curbing urban sprawl.

The Ontario Heritage Amendment Act received Royal Assent. The Act, among other things, gives municipalities more tools and flexibility to prevent the destruction of heritage properties and increase protection for marine heritage and archaeological resources.

The Minister of Energy has introduced several pieces of legislation and initiatives intended to address the pressing concerns around the cost, availability and delivery of reliable electricity supplies to the province. With a commitment to close all coal fired generating stations by 2007 and a need to replace 25,000 megawatts of generating capacity within 20 years which represents 80% of the current generating capacity of the province, the legislative framework is being put in place to foster a culture of conservation, allow price to reflect the true cost of generation and delivery, and encourage private investment to participate to help address current and long term needs. A Conservation Bureau with a Chief Energy Conservation Officer has been established and the coal-fired Lakeview Generating Station, which was the biggest single source of air pollution in the Greater Toronto Area was closed at the end of April.

By a voice vote, the Legislature passed...