Elections
Donna Tiqui-Shebib, Candidate for Hamilton Centre in Ontario Provincial Election 2014
Details page for this candidate.
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Candidate Details (top)
| Name | Donna Tiqui-Shebib |
|---|---|
| Election | Ontario Provincial Election 2014 |
| Area | Hamilton Centre |
| Party | Ontario Liberal Party |
| Votes | 0 |
| info@electdonna.ca | |
| Website | http://www.electdonna.ca/ |
| Home | |
| Business | 905.577.0880 |
| Fax | |
| Bio | Donna Tiqui-Shebib is passionate and committed to social justice issues. A lawyer focused in matrimonial, family, and immigration law, Donna was called to the bar in 2005 and set up her law practice in Hamilton, working with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in the city's core.
A graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor, Donna was a regular student caseworker at Community Legal Aid, a student lead clinic. In her last year of lawschool, she spent a semester working at Legal Assistance of Windsor, whose primary cases involved landlord and tenant disputes, social benefits and disability tribunal matters, and some administrative law matters. She is also a facilitator of Mandatory Information Program training at the Superior Court of Justice (Family), which presents both mental health and legal modules to offer alternative solutions to litigation for families suffering marital breakdown. Her immigration practice involves helping refugee claimants and processing applications based on humanitarian and compassionate reasons. Donna sits on the board of Miles for Smiles, an annual bike ride and silent auction put on by the legal community which benefits Notre Dame House and Brennan House through the Good Shepherd Centre. Donna and her husband Derrick have two sons, Gerry and Timmy. |
Responses to Questions (top)
| Question | Brief Response | Full Response |
|---|---|---|
| Do you support maintaining or expanding the protection of farmland and rural natural land from urban boundary expansions? | Yes | Absolutely. This is something we are very clear about in our platform. Hamiltonians are blessed to be surrounded by so much green space – from local farms, to the Bruce Trail. This is something I don’t take for granted. The Ontario Liberal government has introduced award-winning land-use planning legislation that encourages smart growth and protects green spaces for future generations.
If re-elected we plan to: * Protect more land by expanding the Greenbelt over the next six years; * Create a Farms Forever Program to help landowners protect agricultural land close to major urban centres; and * Explore opportunities to develop agriculture in the north, including making Crown land available to farmers who commit to bringing the land into agricultural production. |
| Do you support regional GO transit expansion, including all-day two-way GO train service to Hamilton? | Yes | This is something the Wynne Liberals have not only committed to, but have fully costed. Our $29 billion Moving Ontario Forward plan will invest in transit and transportation infrastructure projects across the province. Of this, $15 billion will be dedicated to GTHA projects, including Hamilton RT and the expansion of all-day, two-way GO service, including regional express services every 15 minutes, and electrification on all lines. |
| Do you accept the evidence of human-caused global warming? If so, what policy measures do you support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? If not, why not? | Yes | Yes, and as such, I believe that it is our responsibility to address the causes of global warming, in collaboration with industry, and through engaging citizens to do their part. Before the opposition precipitated the election, the Ministry of Environment was in the midst of consultations on developing a GHG reduction program. If given another mandate, an Ontario Liberal government will complete consultations with industry, environmental groups, and interested stakeholders to ensure that Ontario adopts an effective GHG emissions reduction program that strikes the right balance for affected sectors.
In addition, Ontario Liberals are the only party to speak to climate change, and commit to meeting our climate change targets in our platform this election. In the absence of meaningful action at the federal level, Ontario will continue to take the lead, building on our historic closure of dirty coal-fired power plants. We will meet our 2014 and 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emission targets through a variety of measures, including investing in better transit, ensuring new buildings are as energy efficient as possible, implementing new rules for clean bio-diesel that are the toughest in Canada, and helping big industry reduce their reliance on coal. |
| The Ontario School Funding Formula currently incentivizes local school boards to neglect and close neighbourhood schools. Do you support keeping neighbourhood schools open? If so, how? | Maybe | I understand the connection families have to their local schools. I also know that decisions about school closures are some of the most difficult faced by school boards. I want to stress though, that these decisions are made at the local level - by elected
school boards in response to demographic shifts, and that the only role the province has in the school closure process is to ensure the school board properly consults the community. The provincial government does, however, provide school boards with specific funding to support small, rural and underutilized schools for maintenance and operation. To help ensure that more viable schools are able to remain open, our party will develop and support school-community hubs to promote efficient use of public assets, build better ties between schools and municipalities and other community organizations. The Ontario Liberal Party wants our students to be in buildings that enhance learning. That's why we're providing over $11.6 billion in capital funding for school boards, including funding for over 610 new schools. $49 million is earmarked for Hamilton, and going towards two additions for the HWCDSB and two new schools for HWDSB. |
| Do you support Hamilton's plan to build an east-west light rail transit line with full provincial capital funding? If so, how will you ensure the project is funded? | Yes | The Ontario Liberal government has pledged to fund 100 per cent of base capital costs of bringing Rapid Transit to Hamilton. This is a really significant investment in our city, and one that I'm incredibly proud of. As someone who has built a business in the heart of downtown Hamilton, I personally support an east - west LRT line.
The provincial commitment is 100 per cent funding for whatever transit system our partners at City Hall ultimately decide. |
| Do you support allowing Ontario residents to appeal to the Ontario Ombudsman with respect to municipalities, universities, school boards, hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, police and children's aid societies (the MUSH sector)? | Yes | This past March, Kathleen Wynne brought forward the most sweeping piece of accountability legislation in a generation. This legislation expanded the powers of the Ontario Ombudsman, providing the Ombudsman with oversight over school boards, municipalities, and universities. The legislation also allowed for the creation of a province-wide patient ombudsman, and enhanced the power for the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. If re-elected, a Wynne government will re-introduce our accountability act. |
| Should the province play a role in encouraging safer streets that promote more active transportation like walking and cycling? | Yes | I think everyone has an important part to play to encourage safe transportation options like walking and cycling - from various levels of government, to drivers, to cyclists and pedestrians. For our part, the Ontario Liberals are committed to implementing CycleOn, the province's first-ever cycling strategy - something I think will benefit cycling advocacy groups such as Yes We
Cannon with their consultations with City Council. We will also provide funding to municipalities for up to 400 new kilometres of dedicated bike lanes, and we will build 135 kilometres of paved shoulders on provincial roads and highways. To support safer cycling, we will introduce legislation to mandate that vehicles give one metre of space to cyclists when passing. |
| Do you support the proposal to build a new mid-Peninsula highway? | No | Tim Hudak wants to build his unnecessary mid-peninsula highway - forgoing any care for environmental impact or necessity. The proposed highway would go through prime farmland that the province relies on for fresh, Ontario-grown produce. Based on previous PC
infrastructure decisions, it would likely end up being a private toll route. |
