By Kaleigh Rogers, CBC News
Posted: Oct 10, 2012 2:55 PM ET
Last Updated: Oct 10, 2012 2:53 PM ET
Yes or no? Hamiltonians could get a chance to vote on for or against a casino in the city. (Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press) Andrea Horwath, NDP leader and MPP for Hamilton Centre, is urging the city of Hamilton to hold a referendum before it decides on a casino.
"This is where my family and friends all live. This is where I've made a life," she said at city hall Wednesday morning.
"You live and work here, too, with your families and your friends. We all have a real stake in our community and we all deserve a say in its future."
Her comments followed an announcement Wednesday of a motion being brought to Queen's Park that would see a freeze on changes to the OLG until communities can hold referenda on whether or not they support a casino in their area.
The referenda would be most affordable if held in conjunction with the next municipal election in 2014, which is what Horwath is proposing should be allowed.
While the motion would apply province wide, as a Hamilton native, Horwath has been outspoken about the city's casino debate. She said she wouldn't want to see a casino downtown.
"The idea of a downtown casino or a waterfront casino is not something, as the local MPP, that I think is the right thing to do for our community," she said.
"But that will be a decision made by Hamiltonians and made by the council."
Horwath said she's "disgusted" with the way the province has dealt with changes to the gaming sector so far.
The OLG announced in April their ongoing province-wide revamping will require municipalities to decide whether or not to support gaming in their community before a December deadline.
Since then, city councils across the province have been feeling the pinch as they attempt to decide what their constituents would want without holding a costly referendum.
Hamilton city councillor Sam Merulla received support from council when he proposed a referendum before deciding Hamilton's gambling fate, but the OLG insisted on a December decision deadline.
"Clearly, the OLG had no intention whatsoever of consulting with the City of Hamilton or any other city in Ontario," Merulla said.
"My motion (to hold a referendum) is still pending; it's been tabled, it's actually coming forward. Only the OLG has said to my motion, 'no, you can't have that.'"
Hamilton city council created a casino subcommittee, of which Merulla is a member, to tackle the decision of whether or not to support a casino in the city. But Merulla was confident council would support an election referendum if Horwath's motion is approved by the province.
The motion would also see changes like removing the slots at Flamboro Downs stalled until after the next municipal election. Horwath said this would allow time for a plan to replace them to be put into place.
Many members from the horse racing community have criticized the OLG's decision to pull its race track slots, saying it will irrevocably damage the industry.
"The problem with the way the OLG and the government did this is they just made a decision. They didn't provide any warning, any consultation. People were left scrambling," she said.
"The OLG wanted to control the process and the only way to control it is to rush it through before anybody knows what's happening. That's a shameful way of doing things."
The legislative assembly is currently on a weeklong break but Horwath's motion has been tabled and will be discussed in the coming weeks.
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