The minister spoke about Bill 106

Dipika Damerla, the Liberal MPP for Cooksville-Mississauga East, hosted a Condominium Town Hall with the Hon. David Orazietti (Minister of Government and Consumer Services) on Sep. 30 in Mississauga.

The Mississauga News reported that the Ministry's report recieved mixed reviews from the owners who attended. I don't think that was an accurate portrait of the meeting.

I heard something different. David Orazietti claimed that a non-government agency would be able to deliver better service far cheaper than if it was a government agency.

I found this to be an interesting position. Not only was he taking a cheap shot at Ontario's public servants he appears not to have heard of the Ornge fiasco, Highway 407 and the questionable consumer protection provided by Tarion.

Mr.Orazietti claimed that the Condo Authority would cost condo owners only a dollar a month and that he was determined to meet that target. (Later in the meeting, he said that if the number of complaints exceeded the expected numbers, the costs may have to be raised.)

He also promised that the Condo Authority would be completely transparent and would subject to the Freedom of Information laws, the sunshine list and The Office of the Auditor General.

I was listening to the third Minister of Consumer Services in the last three years so I wonder if these assurances will be binding on all the future ministers we will have by the time all the regulations are proclaimed. We will have to see.

However, I saw that the majority of condo owners in attendance are expecting the government to deliver on their promise of a quick, cheap and effective agency that will solve their various condo disputes.

I am concerned that they are expecting far more than Bill 106 will deliver.

I was not the only one. Condo owner Michael Gress lauded the changes, but said he can't understand how this won't lead to a hike in maintenance fees.

"It goes without saying we are going to be paying more," he said. "But it sounds like it's going to be a lot easier to recover costs if there's a dispute. I had got go to court with my condo manager last year and it cost a fortune."


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