September 23, 2020

Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report September 23, 2020

Quotation of the day

“It’s jammed with items.”

Premier Doug Ford says he’s rolling out the PC’s “massive, massive” fall Covid response plan over a number of days so Ontarians can absorb it.

Today at Queen’s Park

Written by Sabrina Nanji

On the schedule The house reconvenes at 9 a.m. The government could call any of the following items for morning and afternoon debate:

● The motion allowing the Standing Committee on Government Agencies to retroactively study appointments that happened during the pandemic; ● Bill 202, Soldiers Aid Commission Act; ● Bill 204, Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act; and ● The remaining private members' bills that were fast-tracked for third reading: Bill 180, Somali Heritage Month Act and Bill 131, Tibetan Heritage Month Act.

Tuesday's debates and proceedings The government's motion shaking up the standing orders passed after question period (Ayes 34; Nays 17). The NDP, Liberals and Green voted against the motion because it eliminates reasoned amendments, which delay second reading of government bills by two days to allow MPPs and the public time to scrutinize it. Another change, giving the Independents two extra questions in question period, wasn't worth the trade-off for Green Leader Mike Schreiner.

Two private members' bills landed on the clerk's table:

● NDP MPP Jessica Bell introduced Bill 205, Protecting Renters from Illegal Evictions Act. Her bill would amend the Residential Tenancies Act with an eye to tightening up protections around renovictions.

● PC MPP Christina Mitas tabled Bill 206, Change of Name Amendment Act, to bar certain sex offenders from changing their name.

PC house leader Paul Calandra tabled a motion allowing the Standing Committee on Government Agencies to scrutinize appointments made between March and September, when it was on hiatus because of the pandemic.

Minister Todd Smith also kicked off second reading of Bill 202 in the afternoon.

First pillar in six-point fall Covid plan: a flu shot campaign The PCs are rolling out their heavily teased fall preparedness plan piecemeal, beginning with a booster shot to the seasonal flu shot campaign.

Premier Doug Ford said Ontario is putting up $70 million to procure 5.1 million influenza vaccines — about 700,000 more than were used last year. The idea is to maintain hospital capacity this fall when Ontario could be hit by a second Covid wave. (While some experts suggest the recent upswing in cases is the start of the next wave, provincial officials have been reluctant to call it because of various modelling data.)

As for the fall plan's remaining five "pillars," Ford said their complexity, "size and scope" is so big the government is introducing them over the coming days so that people can soak it all in properly.

"If we laid it all down at once, the message isn't going to get out to the people," he said.

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath scoffed at the suggestion, saying that announcing the plan in parts is "confusing" and the public needs the information to be able to protect themselves.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner wasn't buying Ford's excuse either. "It is ridiculous to suggest that the public cannot handle timely information about the pandemic and instead needs this drip-fed to them."

For now, details are scant, but the next few days will see more announcements about expanding testing and contact tracing efforts, quickly identifying and managing outbreaks, tamping down the surgery backlog, preparing for future flare-ups, and recruiting and retaining health-care workers while engaging caregivers.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said she expects the first shipments of the flu vaccine to come in next week.

There will also be a high-dose option available for seniors in pharmacies, and Elliott said the province will be supplying vaccines to long-term care homes and other congregate care settings. "This is a top priority to keep these very vulnerable citizens safe and healthy."

Meanwhile, the Ontario Long-Term Care Association and Advantage Ontario, which represent long-term care homes, have written to the premier warning they are not prepared to handle a second wave of Covid. Several advocacy groups have signed on and called for immediate government help to address staffing shortages and a lack of infection control and prevention measures.

Six more long-term care homes declared outbreaks Tuesday, pushing the total to 29. That number was just 19 as recently as Saturday.

OLP launches external review after allegations BIPOC candidates were deterred The Ontario Liberal Party is opening up its workplace discrimination policies in the wake of allegations it discouraged potential BIPOC candidates from seeking nominations.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said Tuesday a lot has changed since 2018, the last time the party's discrimination, harassment and violence prevention policy was updated.

"There's been a lot of things that have taken place right around North America and around the world that tell me, and I think tell any reasonable person, that it requires an update," Del Duca told reporters at Queen's Park.

The review will be conducted by a third party, and Del Duca said he told party president Brian Johns to "get moving on that as quickly as possible."

A day earlier, advocacy group Operation Black Vote Canada described the allegations as "troubling" and called on all provincial parties to conduct an internal review.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath boasted her party's longtime mandate to do outreach to underrepresented communities to ensure diverse candidates get on the NDP's slate. "When you do that kind of work, you actually get that kind of result," she said, adding she would be "happy" to share advice with other parties. She also noted her party is home to Ontario's first official Black caucus.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner also pumped up his party's efforts to recruit diverse candidates but acknowledged there is "more work to do" around inclusivity. (Operation Black Vote previously asked all of Canada's parties to look at their internal workings this summer after an anti-Black slur was hurled at federal Green leadership contender Annamie Paul.)

PC spokesperson Christina Wramhed said the party is committed to facilitating a fair nomination process and pumped up the current, "most diverse caucus we've ever had."

Today’s events

September 23 at 1 p.m. – Toronto Premier Doug Ford is expected to hold his daily press conference at Queen's Park.

Topics of conversation

● Ontario's daily Covid count creeped close to the 500-mark on Tuesday, with 478 new cases and three additional deaths after more than 34,000 swabs were processed. A whopping 51 new infections were reported in schools, while child-care centres saw another 15.

● Private firms are reportedly offering Covid tests to Ontarians who want to skip the line for around $400 a pop. Health Minister Christine Elliott said her ministry is examining the practice to see if it can continue, but Premier Doug Ford took a less hard stance: “I think it’s a free market society,” the premier told reporters Tuesday, adding that he encourages people to head to the province’s testing centres.

● They may not be kicking back with a margarita, as the premier might say, but the province's civil servants could be feeling just as good with fewer sick days amid the pandemic. Per the CBC, public servants called in sick for an average of four-and-a-half days between March and July in the past three years — but during the pandemic, that dropped to three days. Working remotely means they were less likely to catch a seasonal cold or flu, but also more likely to power through an illness from home.

● A coalition of three northern First Nations has filed a judicial review against the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for refusing to order an environmental assessment for a forestry management plan approved in their territory. ○ Earlier this year, the province established that an EA wasn’t required under the Environmental Bill of Rights (the decision was made before Bill 197 made changes to when EAs are required). ○ The Divisional Court will hear the challenge next March.

● Day One of Supreme Court hearings on Ontario's federal carbon-tax challenge saw the province's lawyers grilled about their contributions to the national climate change fight, while Ottawa's counsel faced tough questions from justices worried the legislation gives it too much discretion. The Canadian Press has the story.

Mini-shuffle at committee

● Government house leader Paul Calandra has rejigged the PCs committee benches for the second time this fall session: ○ MPP Rudy Cuzzetto will replace Kaleed Rasheed on the Standing Committee on Estimates; ○ Norm Miller will take up Cuzzetto's vacant spot on the government agencies committee; and ○ Daryl Kramp succeeds Miller on the public accounts committee.

Funding announcements ● Ontario is ringing in Franco-Ontarian Day earlier than Friday by doling out $500,000 to help francophone entrepreneurs and businesses recover from the pandemic. Half the cash will go toward creating the Francophone Business Network, an online platform for businesses to share best practices, while the rest will fund a promotional campaign.

Question period

NDP lead-off 'Politicking' in LTC ● Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath led Tuesday's debate following up on Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton's remarks from Monday, in which she chalked up the NDP's concerns about Covid in LTC to "politicking."

● Fullerton doubled down. "There is politicking going on on this issue," she said. She added that the government has sent Infection Prevention and Control teams to deal with ongoing outbreaks at two homes in Ottawa.

'Casper the ghost' ● For the second time since the house resumed last week, Premier Doug Ford fired personal shots at Horwath when she asked what the plan is to protect LTC from a second wave. "She's been invisible like Casper the ghost for the last six months," Ford charged. He added the government is working "around the clock" to implement infection control measures.

New Democrats also asked about long waits for Covid tests and hospital funding.

Independent questions ● Liberal MPP Amanda Simard asked about education funding; MPP Jim Wilson asked about funding for expensive cystic fibrosis treatment.

PC friendly questions Stan Cho, parliamentary assistant to the finance minister, made history by becoming the first PA to answer in question period. That was made possible by last year's changes to the standing

orders, which allow the premier to punt questions to his ministers or PAs without having to first stand and refer them. Because of the new Covid-cohorting system for MPPs, Finance Minister Rod Phillips wasn't in the house yesterday.

Queen's Park Today is written by Sabrina Nanji, reporting from the Queen's Park press gallery.

What did you think of this Daily Report? What else would you like to see here? Email [email protected] and let us know.