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TORONTO<\/span> \u2014 <\/span>The <\/span>Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON)<\/span><\/a> has announced it is supporting the decision by Premier Doug Ford to seek a new mandate from voters Feb. 27.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe proposal announced by President Donald Trump to impose a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian exports to the U.S. and the dire state of housing supply in our province are both serious issues that threaten to undermine the economic health of Ontario and they need strong leadership in place to address them,\u201d says RESCON president Richard Lyall in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt such a crucial moment in the history of Ontario and Canada, our provincial leader must have the support and authority from the people to stand up and fight the tariff threat as well as address municipal and federal barriers to new housing getting approved and built.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n During RESCON\u2019s recent AGM, which occurred last week as news of Ford\u2019s potential election call was making waves, the premier noted the U.S. relies on Canadian energy and oil, minerals and potash, and that \u2013 instead of tariffs which would result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs \u2013 it would be better for the two countries to work together. But he highlighted he won\u2019t hesitate to reciprocate with our own tariffs and that he will stand \u201cshoulder to shoulder\u201d with the rest of Team Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n On housing, Ford told meeting attendees steps have been taken to advance more housing construction, such as removing the HST on purpose-built rentals, building density next to transit hubs, investing in housing-enabling infrastructure and updating the building code.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, he said there is still work to be done, a release reads. He pledged to help homebuilders to make homes more affordable for consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n A coalition of industry stakeholders and associations which includes RESCON is calling for a 75 per cent decrease in development charges, which would reduce them to the more reasonable level they were at in 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn light of the impending threats that we face from both tariffs and runaway taxation that is killing new residential construction, we need a dedicated leader that will fight for Canada and Ontario,\u201d adds Lyall. \u201cThe leader of our province must have a strong mandate to deal with these issues. Premier Doug Ford is a proven leader with a solid team and the right stuff in these unprecedented times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n