Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norman Miller made the following statement:
It has been my honour to represent the residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka for the past 20 years. I am proud to have been a part of the Ford Government and the Ontario PC Caucus, both in government and in opposition.
After my Father’s funeral in 2000 I heard from many people about how he had helped them, most in a small but important way that they remembered years later. These stories made me realize how an MPP can impact the lives of their constituents and, when then MPP and Finance Minister Ernie Eves announced he was stepping down in early 2001, these stories inspired me to run for office.
It is hard to believe but that was almost 21 years ago. While those years have been rewarding, I have been considering what I want to do for the next few years. I look forward to spending more time with my family so I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election in the 2022 Ontario general election.
I am proud of my record, that of our Party and of our Government. In opposition I served as critic for many portfolios and as Opposition Whip for six years. I am proud to have fought for fiscal responsibility, particularly as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee during the hearings into the Ornge Air Ambulance scandal. I believe I have made a difference for our environment by using Private Members’ Bills to advocate for increased recycling and composting, ideas which various governments have then acted upon. I hope I have made Ontario safer for cyclists by successfully advocating for paved shoulders on secondary highways.
Most recently in government, I am pleased that after years of underfunding, we are finally providing fair funding to medium-sized hospitals like those in Parry Sound-Muskoka. I am honoured to have had two Private Members’ Bills passed. One requiring dock foam to be encapsulated to reduce pollution in our lakes and rivers. And one to attempt to decrease the cost of liability insurance for snow removal companies by requiring individuals who might wish to sue for a slip and fall to notify the property owner, tenant or snow removal company within 60 days of the fall.
I am also proud of how our government has faced the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the greatest challenges our society has seen in a generation or more. While I know some of the measures our government has taken were bitter medicine, I support these measures because they were necessary to control the pandemic. Those public health measures and high vaccination rates have so far kept the fourth wave under control in Ontario and allowed us to safely and cautiously reopen the province.
Thank you to the constituents of Parry Sound-Muskoka for the trust you have placed in me over the past 20 years. Thank you to Premier Ford and all my current and past colleagues in the PC Caucus, across the aisle and in the Legislative Assembly staff. It has been a pleasure to work with you. Thank you to all the staff who have supported me throughout the years. And finally, thank you to my wife Christine and our family for your support, understanding and encouragement.
I will continue to represent the residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka until the election next spring and I encourage constituents facing issues with provincial programs or policies to continue to contact my constituency offices.