Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report April 17, 2019

Quotation of the day

“One teacher said the other day the most I ever get out of my union is a slice of pizza; they do nothing for me, nothing at all.”

Premier says he’ll do everything in his power to head off a possible teachers’ strike, ​ ​ including the possibility of back-to-work legislation, as contract talks loom large.

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule The House convenes at 9 a.m. The government could put forward either of the following pieces of business for morning and afternoon debate:

● The budget motion; or ● Bill 74, People’s Health Care Act. (The government could also call a third-reading vote.) ​

Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act, the budget implementation legislation, can’t be ​ called for second reading yet as the NDP tacked on a reasoned amendment.

Tuesday’s debates and proceedings MPPs debated the budget motion in the morning and Bill 74 in the afternoon. ​ ​

In the park Queen’s University is slated to host a lobby event and reception this evening.

The Overdose Prevention Society and advocates marched on Queen’s Park to call for action to address the growing opioid overdose crisis on Tuesday. The group made its way down University Avenue and staged a die-in demonstration outside the office of ’s chief ​ ​ medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams. ​ ​

Ford vows to head off possible teachers’ strike Doug Ford isn’t ruling out back-to-work legislation if there is a teachers’ strike, teeing ​ ​ up for what could be rocky contract talks later this month.

“Let’s cross that bridge if it happens,” Ford told reporters on a budget victory lap event in Markham. “I’m going to do everything in our power to make sure this doesn’t happen.”

He accused teachers’ unions of “declaring war” on his government “before the ink was even dry on election day.” Ford went on to say he thought the world of teachers and pointed out past strikes took place under governments of all partisan stripes.

“There is a pattern,” he said. ”They strike on every single government that’s in there … All the union wants to do is fight, and we don’t want to fight with them. We want to get the kids in the classroom in September.”

He also weighed in on what he considers a “great gig.”

“I think it’s a pretty good deal that they have right now. They get their three months’ holidays, they have the best benefit package in the entire country, the best pension in the entire country, the health plan … They do a great job, by the way, and I appreciate all the teachers — but guys, don’t pull the strike nonsense on the parents and on the poor students.”

Ford also said contracts will not expire at the end of summer. “Isn’t it amazing how the previous government and the union sets a date of August 31, right before the kids go back to school. I can tell you that’s never going to happen on our watch.”

Speaking to reporters later, Education Minister Lisa Thompson eased up on the premier’s ​ ​ earlier salvo. Thompson said she respects what the premier is saying but she looks forward to “good faith” discussions with education unions.

Negotiations could begin as early as April 29.

NDP Leader said she had hoped for a “respectful, thoughtful” discussion. ​ ​ “Unfortunately, we see the premier already demonizing teachers.”

The five major education worker unions signed a joint statement lambasting the PC’s planned ​ ​ changes to the education file, such as increased class sizes.

Ottawa says carbon pricing act doesn’t tread on provincial authority ’s carbon levy only applies to activity that causes pollution without respect to provincial boundaries, a lawyer representing the federal government argued at the Ontario Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

Ottawa is arguing that its carbon pricing act “intrudes minimally” on the provinces and ensures “a national system” to curb greenhouse gas emissions — countering Ontario’s claim that the

federal Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act is unconstitutional and “could regulate where you live” or “how often you drive your car.”

“The federal government hasn't said you must do this and you must not do that,” lawyer Sharlene Telles-Langdon told the five-judge panel on the second day of hearings for Ontario’s ​ reference case challenge.

Telles-Langdon said climate change is an “urgent threat to humanity” and “greenhouse gas emissions are not contained within geographic boundaries.”

“The federal power is directed toward a national measure — one that cannot be adopted by the provinces,” she said.

Ontario’s counsel has said the legislation violates Canada’s tradition of cooperative ​ federalism. The PC government has further noted Ontario reduced its emissions by 22 per cent ​ over 14 years, owed in large part to shuttering coal-fired gas plants (which mostly took place under the Liberals).

“Why not just leave them alone?” Justice James MacPherson asked Telles-Langdon. ​ ​

She replied, “It’s not just Ontario that we have to worry about. It’s Canada as a whole.”

When pressed by another judge whether Ottawa was “asking us to change the balance of power,” Telles-Langdon maintained “there’s no displacement of provincial powers.”

The court of appeal will also hear from over a dozen interveners.

Premier Doug Ford wrote on Twitter that he will have “another strong partner that will fight for ​ ​ ​ Canadian families against the job-killing federal carbon tax” after UCP Leader Jason ​ Kenney’s party won a majority in his province’s election Tuesday night, meaning Kenney will be ​ the western province’s next premier.

“We’ve already joined forces. I think the world of . He’s going to turn Alberta around,” Ford said earlier on Tuesday at a press availability, before giving a shout-out to his fellow first ministers in , and , which are all subject to the federal carbon pricing program and are challenging it in court.

Ford added he “absolutely” thinks the challenge will have an impact on the federal election in October.

Meanwhile, the carbon-pricing-friendly Canadians for Clean Prosperity organization released a fresh public-opinion survey that suggests just 27 per cent of Ontarians back the PC’s court ​ ​ challenge and 64 per cent oppose the anti-carbon-tax sticker on gas pumps campaign.

Today’s events

April 17 – Provincewide ​ ​ The Ontario Federation of Labour is holding a “day of action” against cuts to public services. ​ ​

April 17 at 9 a.m. – Newmarket ​ ​ Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark, his parliamentary assistant Christine ​ ​ ​ Hogarth, and Deputy Premier and local MPP will make an announcement at ​ ​ ​ the Old Town Hall.

April 17 at 9:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ ​ NDP MPP will be in the Queen’s Park media studio to talk about his ​ ​ forthcoming private member’s bill on restoring the auditor general’s oversight powers for government advertising. The NDP say it’s a re-tabling of the solicitor general’s two PMBs from ​ ​ ​ when she was in opposition.

April 17 at 10 a.m. – Mississauga ​ ​ Environment Minister Rod Phillips and Solicitor General will talk about the impact ​ ​ ​ ​ of the federal carbon tax at the OPP’s Port Credit detachment.

April 17 at 11:45 a.m. – Toronto ​ ​ NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will offer her response to the Ford government’s budget at a ​ ​ Canadian Club of Toronto luncheon speech.

April 17 at 2 p.m. – Toronto ​ ​ NDP MPP will hold a news conference with Grade 8 students from her riding ​ ​ who are calling for increased access to products like tampons. (Earlier this month, ’s NDP government proclaimed an Order in Council that would require all public schools to provide students with menstrual products by the end of the year.)

April 17 at 4:30 p.m. – Scarborough ​ ​ Liberal MPP will host a public discussion on changes to the autism program at ​ ​ the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club.

Topics of conversation

● French Language Services Commissioner François Boileau tabled his final annual ​ ​ ​ report on Tuesday, saying the elimination of his standalone office is a “step backward” ​ for the Franco-Ontarian community. ○ “With the elimination of the Office, the community is losing a pillar and its means of communicating with senior officials of the public service,” Boileau said.

○ His duties, which are being folded into Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé’s office ​ ​ and handled by a designated French-language deputy commissioner, “will not have the same latitude in setting priorities and taking early action to advance language rights.” ○ Boileau also said pulling the plug on funding for a French-language university was “equally detrimental.”

● Turfed-PC-turned-Independent MPP confirmed he will vote against Bill ​ ​ ​ 100, the budget implementation legislation. Hillier said on Facebook he couldn’t support ​ ​ ​ the provision that would make it harder to sue the government.

● Prime Minister is again blaming the provincial government for the slow ​ ​ ​ ​ trickling out of infrastructure cash. “We have a large amount of money ready to be invested in tangible infrastructure projects, like public transit,” Trudeau said at an announcement in Kitchener. “The provincial government under Doug Ford doesn’t want ​ ​ to partner with us to make those investments.”

● The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has formally launched a lawsuit against all ​ ​ three levels of government and Waterfront Toronto, over controversial plans for a high-tech neighbourhood on Toronto’s waterfront.

● Conservation authorities are calling the Ford government’s move to cleave payments for flood management in half “near-sighted,” the CBC reports. ​ ​

● An amataeur filmmaker has given the class of hustling GO Transit commuters known as “The Runners” the Planet Earth treatment in this mini-video. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ Meanwhile, Transportation Minister is reminding passengers about ​ ​ ​ ​ the new express GO train service on the Lakeshore East line starting today.

● Long-time Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan is launching a book next ​ ​ ​ ​ week entitled A Grander Vision, which is described as a “stirring, heartfelt manifesto ​ ​ about what workers can achieve with civil society allies for the good of all.”

Question period NDP lead-off ● Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath kicked off question period asking about the Peel ​ ​ school board declaring a 292-teacher surplus despite having no surpluses in the last five years, as well as the potential loss of 55 high school teachers in Peterborough, according to the local union. ​

● Education Minister Lisa Thompson stuck to her line that the NDP was fear-mongering. ​ ​ She called the surplus notices a routine exercise. “This is the time of year that, year in and year out, school boards across this province take a look at their rosters,” she said.

Special Services at Home funding ● Horwath asked about a mom of a child with autism who was watching from the public gallery, who receives support through the Special Services at Home program, but has not yet heard if her family will still get funding. ○ City News previously reported funding for the program, which provides benefits ​ ​ for children with autism and other physical and developmental disabilities, had been frozen since January 2018.

● Children and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod reiterated funding will remain in ​ ​ place, but wasn’t specific. “If they are currently receiving support from SSAH, they’re going to continue to receive that. If there is a dual diagnosis, which I expect that there is, I am encouraging them on May 1 to be part of our online survey.”

Merging ambulance services ● Horwath wanted the government to confirm plans to merge 59 local emergency services into just 10, which was hinted at in the budget and later confirmed by a CBC report. The ​ ​ PCs are also consolidating the current 35 public health units into 10.

● Health Minister Christine Elliott defended the move, saying it would streamline services ​ ​ and better connect patients to appropriate care. “They will then be able to connect that patient with the services that they need, whether it’s in hospital, whether it’s in the community,” she said.

The NDP also asked about anti-federal-carbon-tax sticker scofflaws, to which Energy Minister replied that “stores across the province” will also soon “have new stickers on ​ their products and their services” that will reflect the cost of the federal carbon levy.

Independent questions Palliative care ● Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser asked whether the government would flow cash to ​ ​ support advanced palliative care planning that was allocated in the 2018 Liberal budget. ○ “When I look at this year’s budget, I see that alcohol, beer or wine is mentioned about 50 times, and the words palliative care and end-of-life aren’t mentioned at all. What I do know is we don’t all drink, but we’re all going to die,” Fraser said.

● Elliott said the government will invest in palliative services but didn’t offer any details. ○ “There is a big commitment to making sure that we can also provide palliative care at home. The home care workers are very keen to do that. They want to make sure that they can help people spend their last days at home if they’re able

to, and many families can do that. Some cannot, but for the ones that can, we want to make sure that the home care workers have that additional training to be able to provide those services,” the health minister said.

Legal aid cuts ● Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde wanted to know why the government is slashing ​ ​ funding (by 29 per cent in 2021) to Legal Aid Ontario, which provides support to Ontarians who can’t afford legal services and support. She also asked about capping compensation for victims of crime.

● Attorney General reiterated she’s asked Ottawa to provide more ​ ​ funding for legal aid, particularly for refugee and immigration services at the federal level, and said the government is working to ensure victims of crime are compensated for pain and suffering quicker. ○ Legal Aid Ontario CEO David Field has said the agency had stopped accepting ​ ​ new refugee and immigration clients.

PC friendly questions The government asked itself about reforming auto insurance, tying funding for colleges and universities to performance outcomes, taking Infrastructure Ontario international, the licence plate makeover and the $28.5-billion Toronto-area transit plan.

News releases — governmental

Ministry of the Solicitor General ● The government detailed recent changes to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act aimed at ​ ​ speeding up timelines and increasing penalties for non-compliance.

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

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