Angely Pacis to champion people’s causes in Ontario

Angely Pacis to champion people’s causes in Ontario

Atty. Angely Pacis
(Photo: Ariel Ramos)

First Filipino PC MPP candidate in Ontario

By Mila Astorga-Garcia

TORONTO–Angely Pacis, the Ontario PC candidate for Mississauga-Centre, declared her pride for being a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, and her readiness to champion causes for the betterment of the people of Ontario, once elected as MPP in next year’s provincial elections.

She made this announcement at a press conference on Friday, Feb. 10 in Mississauga, Ontario. The event, the first ever organized by Team Pacis in coordination with the Information Office of the Progressive Conservative Party, to introduce Pacis to the Filipino-Canadian media, was also attended by the Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown. If elected, Pacis would be the first FiIipino MPP in the province of Ontario.

“I am proud to be a member of this (PC) team. I also want the Filipinos of Ontario to know that this party is the party that allowed and permitted an open nomination to have a Filipino break through the gap of not having a Filipino representative in mainstream parliament in mainstream politics,” Pacis said.

“I’m ready to take action and to advocate as hard as I possibly can for the betterment of your lives. I appreciate your coming today to hear our words and to make a personal connection with us,” Pacis said.

Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown and Angely Pacis (Photo: HG)

Brown, who delivered the main speech, cited two big issues the PC was working on at Queen’s Park Legislature: excessive hydro fees; and the issue of autism and the cuts to funding patients.

On hydro, Brown said “Ontario has one of the highest rates in North America” adversely affecting families and businesses alike.
“Families are struggling and businesses say we can’t afford to stay in Ontario,” Brown added. He took issue particularly with the Liberal government, under Premier Kathleen Wynne, signing contracts with foreign firms and giving away energy to the U.S.; the sale of Hydro One; and the excessively high salaries for Hydro executives.

Questions raised by media ranged from what the PC is doing regarding the plight of seniors in Ontario who are suffering from lack of affordable housing, health issues, lack of services and poverty, resulting in their inability to pay for caregivers to care for them, and to pay for expensive hospital fees; the issue of de-professionalization of foreign-trained professionals; and the caregiver issues, particularly, the employment requirement tying them to one employer, resulting in their vulnerability to abusive situations.

Brown said that the caregiver issue belongs to the federal government, although he said, some powers are devolved to the provincial government. He did not elaborate.

On the issue of de-professionalization, Brown said he will form a committee to study the issue to find steps to expedite the ability of foreign trained professionals to practice their profession. Part of the problem, he said, is that licensing bodies make it difficult for foreign trained professionals to get in, acting “like a Boys’ Club.” “So what I’m going to do in this Blue Ribbon panel will be to look into areas which are blocking accreditation… credential recognition is inadequate, unacceptable,” he said.

Pacis and Brown met the press at Max’s Restaurant. There was a lively discussion on hydro rates, senior’s issues and accreditation of foreign-trained professions.
(Photo: ARIEL RAMOS)

As for the lack of affordable housing and health services for seniors, Brown said that part of their job is to find the resources for these, blaming the Liberal government for the lack of it, due to rising energy costs, among other factors, that have “suffocated development.”

Regarding the accessibility of French language schools, Pacis responded that they are going to find a way to make sure that the funding is there to make them accessible in Ontario.

As for her commitment to advocate for her causes, Pacis provided The Philippine Reporter with a written statement that defines her advocacy in brief — the same campaign statement she used during her election as PC MPP nominee for Mississauga Centre.

The statement read: “Let me fight for you, for our communities and for our people at Queen’s Park. Let me be your representative. Let me champion causes important to the medical community, to educators, to those who are committed to fight global climate change, to those who want to grow our economy, and to those who want to support our vision for a cohesive and progressive Ontario. An Ontario that is governed with justice and for the common good. Let me pave the way for our youth and let me keep in mind how we can honour our seniors and our great contributors to our society. “

As a first action step, Pacis told media after the formal press conference, she would form a think tank for policy research that would look into the issues raised by the community and to find solutions for them. She said she would appreciate it if media would point her to some studies already done on these issues.

Pacis is a lawyer by profession. Her background includes both community and corporate involvement in legal matters.