Fellow councillor Zeeshan Hamid posted a few days ago some disturbing information about possible changes to the electoral riding boundaries in our area. From time to time Elections Canada undergoes a review of electoral districts when new census data comes in. Given the fact that Milton is Canada’s fastest growing municipality, there were talks that Milton would become its own self sustaining riding.
THAT was the plan. But things changed quickly a week or so ago.
The most disturbing part of this whole thing is that the commission had originally put Milton in as its own riding with a small portion of Burlington to be included. As the commission headed to a close there were some last minute changes requested at a public meeting on the matter. What the last minute changes? Sources say that a former failed Liberal candidate was behind the request for the changes.
Instead of having one Milton riding, the suggestion was made to divide our town in two…essentially between “old” and “new” Milton. Some have wondered about the strategy behind such a move. Its due to a belief that a majority of “new” Miltonians are liberal supporters and by having “new” Milton separated from what has shown to be traditionally strong for the conservatives, it would help the chances for the liberals to have a winning seat in the next elections.
After these “suggestions” were made for the riding boundaries, the commission changed the original plans and essentially split up Milton into two riding’s. One with Halton Hills and the “northern” part of Milton essentially north of Derry Road and the other with Burlington and the southern portion of Milton.
You can read Zeeshans detailed post here as he sums it up nicely.
Just this past Monday, the Administration & Planning Committee unanimously passed a Notice of Motion saying in no uncertain terms “leave Milton alone.”
Here is a story by Julia Le from the Champion about that.
“Ward 6 Councillor Mike Cluett noted that the original proposal — which left Milton intact but included a significant rural portion and two urban residential neighbourhoods in Burlington in the district proposed to be called Milton — was generally accepted by all the political parties in the area.
He said no one, across all parties, likes the new boundaries proposed.
“It is a mess the way it is. I think Milton should remain as one,” said Cluett. “ We already have issues of old and new Milton, we shouldn’t be dividing it up.”
Needless to say this is important from a town point of view that Milton remains in one riding. By the time the next federal election is to take place, Miltons population will be roughly 120,000 people which is MORE than enough for a riding on its own. The commission didn’t seem to take into consideration Miltons continued growth.
Yesterday at the public meeting in Oakville, 7 of the 11 Milton councillors including myself, Mayor Gord Krantz, Zeeshan Hamid, Rick Di Lorenzo among others attended and listened carefully to the submissions made my delegates. Roughly 70% of those in attendance who spoke were against these new riding boundaries and called for the commission to go back to the original ones that had Milton as a whole.
We shall see what happens in the coming weeks as the commission deliberates this riding among other ones to bring forward their changes to the federal government. The commission is continuing to receive email submissions from residents until November 30th so please, if you do feel strongly about this, send an email to ontario@rfed-rcf.ca and let them know you want to Keep Milton As One.
You can follow developments with this on Twitter with the hashtag #KeepMiltonAsOne and let us know what you think.
These new changes aren’t good for Milton at all and we hope the commission goes back to the original boundaries for our riding so that Milton will have one voice as we continue to grow the “G.M.A. – Greater Milton Area (TM pending 🙂 )
I’ll see you at the doors.