. . . at Queen's Park, across Ontario and elsewhere.

* The Aggregate Resources Act review is hitting the road. After much fuss over Tory members' allegations that the Liberals and the NDP were avoiding travel for the long awaited review, the Standing Committee on General Government voted Wednesday to take the process to communities across the province.

While the House Leaders are still working out the exact specifics, the committee voted unanimously to hold public hearings in 12 communities: Windsor, London, Waterloo Region, Brampton, Barrie, Durham Region, Peterborough, Ottawa, Sudbury, Sault Saint Marie, Dryden and Manatoulin Island. The committee also committed to visiting current or proposed gravel pit operations in those areas.

* Usually groups make the trek to Queen’s Park to get the ear of politicians but the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s has turned that idea on its head. Instead MPPs will be fanning out across the province this week to job shadow nurses so they have a better idea of the scope of the work that they do.

Almost half of Ontario’s 107 MPPs will be taking part in the RNAO’s annual Take Your MPP to Work celebration. Health Minister Deb Matthews, for example, is to visit a patient cared for at home by St. Elizabeth Health Care in London on Friday.

“The event serves as an eye opener for politicians,” said RNAO President Rhonda Seidman-Carlson.

* Tory MPP Randy Hillier has introduced a private member’s bill that, if passed, would allow workers who opt not to join a union to specify that union dues they pay only goes toward collective bargaining. Hillier’s Bill 85 would also require unions to get written consent from workers if funds raised from dues are used for any other purpose.

* The Windsor casino is laying off more workers in the face of competition expected from two casinos that are set to open in nearby Ohio.

* London Mayor Joe Fontana’s spending in 2011 included $5,849 to rent a facility for a pep talk to city staff and $6,000 for a consultant who wrote a speech he delivered to the Chamber of Commerce.

Seen, heard, happening . . .

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