Doppler<\/em> sat down with him to talk about his achievements, pet peeves, and how he plans to wind down after a political career spent mostly in the Opposition lobbying for this area at Queen\u2019s Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller said he does wish he had been part of the government at least 50 per cent of the time he served as this area\u2019s MPP, instead of in Opposition a majority of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying to get things passed when you\u2019re part of the Opposition is much more difficult. \u201cI think I was fairly effective in terms of I had very good relationships with lots of government members and other members in the Legislature, which I do believe helps when you\u2019re asking them to do something,\u201d said Miller. \u201cHowever, it is much easier when you\u2019re in government, there\u2019s no question about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To this day Miller regrets that John Tory lost the premiership to the Dalton McGuinty Liberals in 2007. \u201cI think if he\u2019d handled a few issues differently, I think he would\u2019ve been elected. If he hadn\u2019t brought up faith-based funding, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller was initially elected under Mike Harris in 2001. He spent between 2001 and 2003 in government and then the next 15 years as a member of the Opposition, and the last four years in government under Doug Ford. \u201cIt is good to experience Opposition, no question about it, and it\u2019s a different experience but I do believe you can do more for the riding and you can get more things done in government, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asked why he\u2019s retiring now, at age 66, Miller said: \u201cI just think it\u2019s an appropriate time to have someone else come in and bring in fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the job. I\u2019ve always felt no matter what job you\u2019re doing, after around 20 years is a good time, if it\u2019s possible, to switch and do something different, to make a change of some kind.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was no secret that Doug Ford was not Miller\u2019s candidate of choice during the last PC leadership nomination meeting in 2018, which saw Ford elected as party leader. Miller supported Caroline Mulroney, and Christine Elliott prior to that. \u201cI kind of wish in hindsight that I\u2019d supported Christine Elliott in the last bid, however, it\u2019s easy to second-guess things but it\u2019s true I didn\u2019t really know him very well and I was hoping that either Christine or Caroline were going to become leader,\u201d said Miller. \u201cBut I think he\u2019s done a good job and some very necessary legislation passed through in setting up the province for development post-COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he hands over the reins, Miller said he\u2019s glad that Fairvern Nursing Home will be redeveloped with more beds, that base operational funding has been increased for hospitals, and that there is movement on getting both the Bracebridge and Huntsville hospital sites redeveloped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moving forward, he said there are challenges and opportunities in the Parry Sound side of the riding. \u201cGraydon [Smith, who is running for this area as the provincial PC candidate in the upcoming June election] and I toured East and West Parry Sound and as I say it\u2019s kind of like Muskoka 20 years ago and I do believe there\u2019s room for changing the municipal structure to provide more opportunity for a regional view and for development, especially for the little villages. So on this side, you know, you have Burk\u2019s Falls, South River, Sundridge which are really tiny geographic areas and are limited in how they can develop because of that. I think it\u2019s time to look at some amalgamation in East and West Parry Sound,\u201d he said. \u201cGenerally speaking, it requires the provincial government to force it to make it happen and I think that would be beneficial for East and West Parry Sound.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller said there is movement on the housing front. \u201cWe saw the greatest housing starts in 30 years last year in 2021 and the greatest increase in purpose-built rental housing, which is probably more important, in the last 25 years happen last year,\u201d he said, adding that in the south side of Gravenhurst, 236 purpose-built rental housing units are being built\u2014the biggest single rental housing development in Muskoka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said balancing housing development with natural areas and ensuring new housing is aesthetically pleasing is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attracting more workers to the area will be as well, and that includes increasing immigration and skilled labourers, said Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During his time as this area\u2019s MPP, Miller managed to introduce 27 private member\u2019s bills\u2014some were passed into law. The last one, the Life Jackets for Life Act<\/em>, would make it mandatory for children 12 and under to wear life jackets in smaller recreational watercraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMost people think it\u2019s already the law right now, but it\u2019s not,\u201d noted Miller who hopes it will be reintroduced by whoever is elected on June 2 to represent this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other recent bills that did get passed into law included the Occupiers\u2019 Liability Amendment Act<\/em>, meant to address the high cost of insurance particularly for snowplow operators. It shortens the window for someone to bring an action against a business for damages or personal injury caused by snow or ice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe problem seemed to be so many slip and fall suits and the way the existing law was you could wait until two years and then sue someone. So, if you\u2019re a business, if you\u2019re\u2026 Tim Hortons for example, two years down the road you aren\u2019t likely to have the same employees, probably you don\u2019t have any video coverage so it\u2019s very difficult to defend yourself,\u201d said Miller. The law, which passed last year, changes the amount of time someone can bring a lawsuit forward from two years to 60 days, which Miller hopes will bring insurance costs down. He also hopes it will have the indirect effect of less salt on driveways and walkways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another bill introduced by Miller, which did become law, is requiring floating dock manufacturers to encase the type of Styrofoam used to make docks float. He said the material would disintegrate, float on lakes, and wind up along the shore and affect ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller also has the record of having the most interns under the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme<\/span><\/a>. Interns interview Members of Provincial Parliament and pick the ones they want to work with. Seventeen chose Miller. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s because I offered them a plane ride,\u201d quipped Miller who is a recreational pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of Miller\u2019s retirement, his staff compiled a book with all of the interns who had served with him and their retirement messages for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller was born in Newmarket but moved to the area at a young age with his family and spent most of his life in Bracebridge where the family ran Patterson Kaye Lodge. Growing up he often listened and watched his father, Frank Miller, interact with constituents and fellow politicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frank Miller served as Ontario’s premier for four short months and represented the Muskoka riding under Bill Davis. He served as Minister of Health and Minister of Natural Resources. He also served five years as the Treasurer of Ontario. After leaving provincial politics he served as Muskoka District chair. He died in Bracebridge in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was in government pretty much the entire time he was elected and he was a minister the great majority of time as well, so kind of a different experience. I certainly respect my father\u2019s work time there, probably more so having done the job. He was minister of health. That was his first ministry, so pretty challenging ministry, until he suffered a heart attack from the stress of the job which eventually killed him at age 73,\u201d said Miller, who thought his father\u2019s work as treasurer was the best job he had and the one he was most qualified for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had very different experiences. I\u2019m just very proud of what he did and I think he served the people very well,\u201d said Miller who admitted being a little soured by politics at the end of his father\u2019s career. \u201cThere was a bit of back-stabbing going on. I was a bit soured on the political experience so I do recall saying: \u2018why would anyone in their right mind want to be involved in politics?\u2019 Saying that out loud on a few occasions and I think it was at his funeral in 2000\u2026hundreds and hundreds of people were coming though and each telling unique stories about the difference he\u2019d made on whatever it was that made me think \u2018maybe I\u2019ll see if it\u2019s as bad as I think it\u2019s going to be\u2019 and for the great majority it has been very positive and I\u2019ve experienced things that I wouldn’t in any other way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the best part about the job is getting to know the riding and its people. He now lives in Parry Sound and credits his work as MPP, which enabled him to get to know the area of Parry Sound where he now lives with his wife on Georgian Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGeorgian Bay is spectacular and I kind of like the fact that it\u2019s a bit more open space and not as developed in terms of the waterfront\u2026 and there\u2019s a lot of Crown land so it can\u2019t be developed and it\u2019s big water\u2026 very rugged.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said while he\u2019s enjoyed his time as MPP, it is a job that\u2019s all-consuming. He\u2019s looking forward to spending more leisure time with his family which includes four grown children and four grandchildren. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of their daughters, who lives in England, will be getting married and they\u2019re also planning to host a party for her here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller\u2019s also thinking his wife might retire next January. She\u2019s a detective with the Bracebridge OPP. If she does retire, there may be a trip to New Zealand in their future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have relatives and friends in New Zealand and I was there once in 1979\/80 but it\u2019s so far away to go there, you need a month at least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a year, if he starts getting bored, Miller said he\u2019ll look into volunteering opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope I\u2019ve made a difference for the people of Parry Sound-Muskoka primarily, and it\u2019s been an honour and a privilege to have served. I\u2019m looking forward to a bit more freedom now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/20220509_112233-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/20220509_111924-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/20220509_112025-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/20220509_112039-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/20220509_112127-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2022\/05\/hRSXfUCu-20220509_112000-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nDon\u2019t miss out on Doppler!<\/h5>\n