After 11 years of service in office, John Milloy, the Liberal MPP for Kitchener Centre, has announced that he will not be running for re-election.
“I’d like to explore some other opportunities,” Milloy told The Cord in an exclusive interview. “I also have a very young family and it’s getting tougher and tougher to maintain the Toronto, Queen’s Park, community life.”
Milloy is married and has two sons, ages eight and three, whom he believes have made “considerable sacrifices” to allow him to work in politics.
“I’m away a lot and I think it’s maybe time for a change that will allow me with more time for my family.”
Milloy is also the government house leader and was appointed minister of government services in May.
He has assumed a key position in the community since he was first elected in 2003 and has fought for a number of transformational local initiatives.
This includes the University of Waterloo’s pharmacy school, the Communitech Hub, the redevelopment of Grand River Hospital, Wilfrid Laurier’s incoming Global Innovation Exchange building and lobbying support for the Perimeter Institute, amongst others.
Milloy believes one of his greatest achievements was the arrival of GO trains in the Kitchener community.
“I was absolutely delighted to have GO trains finally come here,” he said. “I’m very supportive of the rapid transit program.”
For whoever assumes Milloy’s roles, they will be walking into a position where there is a lot of talk on regional growth and adaptation.
According to Milloy, many of K-W challenges are “around growth.”
“As the community continues to grow there will continue to be demands on infrastructures and some other related issues,” he said. “I think that’s something that representatives will have to deal with for years to come.”
Students and post-secondary institutions in the area have also been a major focus for Milloy.
In 2007, Milloy was named as minister of training, colleges and universities and in 2009 he was given additional responsibilities as Minister of Research and Innovation.
He has worked closely with students from both K-W’s universities and colleges.
“I’ve had such a great relationship with the students,” he said. “I had the privilege of being the minister of training, colleges and universities twice and I was able to bring a lot of that first-hand experience from our institutions to that role.”
Milloy wants to thank the students in the Region for their support throughout his years in office.
“I’ve always enjoyed them,” he said. “It was so great to hear first-hand from people with classroom experience.”
Milloy’s next step is yet to be determined. His announcement was very deliberate in timing, as a new provincial budget to be released in the coming months may trigger a spring election.
“I wanted to give notice to the community, to people who might want to run,” Milloy added.
What Milloy has learned during his many experiences in the political sphere is the importance of community involvement and a governmental presence. He believes it’s crucial.
“It’s been a big part of my job,” Milloy said. “At the end of the day what you have to be most proud of is the work that you’ve done and your community.”