Toronto Mayor David Miller welcomed delegates to the CUPE national convention and thanked them for their commitment to public services, communities and neighbourhoods.
Miller asked CUPE members to use their voices to fight for more funding for municipalities across Canada.
“Across the country, an average of only six to eight cents of every tax dollar goes to cities”, said Miller. “We need this money for cities to preserve and invest in new public services so that our families can grow and succeed.”
Miller has spearheaded a campaign calling for one cent of the GST to be turned over to cities and towns to invest in public services. Supported by municipalities across the country, the campaign has also been endorsed by the Canadian senate and the premier of Ontario.
“After 20 years of cuts and more cuts, the tide is turning. People want us to provide affordable housing, rapid public transit, community centres and libraries for every single neighbourhood so that, no matter what their income, every family and child has access to these services,” said Miller. “We have chance for the first time in our country’s history to put our municipalities on a proper funding base so we can provide public services on a 24/7 basis. They are a bargain for our cities and our country.”
