The People of Ontario Have the Right to Know the True Cost of Electricity and What Subsidies Are Being Applied to Their Bill.”

Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report March 22, 2019

Quotation of the day

“The people of Ontario have the right to know the true cost of electricity and what subsidies are being applied to their bill.”

Energy Minister Greg Rickford announces new changes to make hydro bills (and the government subsidies laden within them) more transparent.

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule The House is adjourned until Monday at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday’s debates and proceedings In the morning, MPPs continued second-reading debate on Bill 74, The People's Health Care Act. This was the seventh day of debate on the legislation that would centralize the province’s existing health-care agencies under the moniker Ontario Health and axe the province’s 14 LHINS in favour of new “heath teams.”

The bill passed second reading after question period and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.

In the afternoon, Energy Minister Greg Rickford introduced Bill 87, the Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, which the government said will lay the “groundwork” for its promised 12 per cent cut to hydro bills (more on that below).

Three bills were debated during the afternoon’s private members’ business:

● NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa’s Bill 76, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, passed second reading by a unanimous vote. It heads to the Standing Committee on General Government.

● PC MPP P arm Gill’s B ill 42, Ending Discrimination in Automobile Insurance Act, also passed by a unanimous vote. The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will consider it next.

● PC MPP R oss Romano’s B ill 79, Algoma University Amendment Act, passed second reading by voice vote and was referred to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly.

MPPs then debated B ill 81, Supply Act, a procedural bill that authorizes the public service’s annual expenditures. Debate was short and sweet. It will be voted on at second reading Monday.

Premier watch Premier D oug Ford w as in Woodstock Thursday morning to participate in a roundtable on agriculture and agri-food issues with Environment Minister R od Phillips and Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman.

Ford railed against the former Liberal government’s green energy projects, which were unpopular in rural Ontario; trashed the federal government’s carbon tax; pledged to boost natural gas and rural broadband expansions; and spoke favourably about reducing the number of politicians in regional governments, especially in Niagara. (The government is currently consulting on regional government changes; Municipal Affairs Minister S teve Clark has said the government has no “preconceived outcome” for the review.)

NDP says integrity commissioner’s report did not exonerate premier, reiterates call for public inquiry into Taverner hiring The official Opposition says Premier D oug Ford is wrong to claim the integrity commissioner’s report clearing him of breaking the law during R on Taverner’s hiring process is a “complete vindication.”

“While the premier spent yesterday pointing to page one of that report, it’s not clear that he read the other 99 pages,” NDP Leader A ndrea Horwath said during question period.

Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake determined Ford did not breach the M embers’ Integrity Act and stayed arms-length during Taverner’s hiring process, but warned the process was “troubling” and “flawed” because Ford’s chief of staff D ean French made it clear he was “rooting” for Taverner’s appointment.

Horwath said it is “absolutely necessary” that a public inquiry into the “disgusting” process is held, not only because Wake’s report indicated some emails he requested during the investigation were not provided, but also so recommendations for how future appointments should be handled can be generated.

A public inquiry would also uncover whether ex-secretary of cabinet S teve Orsini violated his duty as a public servant by corresponding with French to help shepherd Taverner through the process, according to the NDP leader.

“It raises questions about the role of the secretary of cabinet in the process. It absolutely does,” Horwath told reporters. “It was not an independent process, and that’s why Steve Orsini, in my estimation, based on the timing, ending up resigning. Because at some point he was going to be implicated in all of this.”

In his report, Wake called on the legislature to establish a formal, independent process for future OPP commissioner hires. Community Safety Minister S ylvia Jones w ould not commit to following through on the recommendation when asked by reporters.

Jones would also not explain why the government insisted since last December that Taverner’s hiring came out of an independent process that was determined by a three-person panel, when the report makes it clear it did not.

“The point is OPP commissioners have always been appointed through orders in council. It has always been the prerogative of the premier and the cabinet,” Jones said.

Horwath said the NDP will bring forward “recommendations” on how the M embers’ Integrity Act can be improved so this process cannot be repeated. “Why is the legislation such that …. behaviours that are so inappropriate going on in this process couldn’t be pinned on the premier even though it was obvious … that Dean French and Doug Ford, together, recommended Taverner for the job,” Horwath said.

MacLeod backtracks on autism changes, promises more cash and consultations The province weakened its tough stand on the new autism funding program Thursday, promising to scrap its proposed income-based funding system and to reopen consultations on how to provide autism treatment services to children with the most complex needs.

Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod gave “full credit” for the “enhancements” to her parliamentary secretary A my Fee (and noted Premier Ford agreed parents needed more flexibility.)

Under the “enhanced” program, families with children with autism under the age of six will still receive $20,000 annually and those with children six and over will receive $5,000 per annum — however, the funding will no longer be connected to a family’s income.

Under MacLeod’s original proposal only families with a household income of under $55,000 would have qualified for the full amount of cash.

Funding will still not coincide with individual children’s needs, but the government said it will “take new input” over the next few months on how to improve treatment for children who need it most.

“Parents were right when they said that autism is a spectrum and that there are different needs for children on the spectrum,” MacLeod said.

The government’s goal remains to clear the province’s 23,000-child long waitlist for services. MacLeod continues to blame the autism snag on the former Liberal government, who she contends was denying services to 75 per cent of children in need.

Parents will have more choice on how to spend the funding they receive from the government; speech language pathology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy will now qualify as eligible autism services, in addition to IBI therapy.

Meanwhile, families whose children already receive autism treatment will no longer have their services cut on April 1 — the status quo will be extended for another six months.

NDP MPP M onique Taylor said the funding caps are still too low, meaning families will continue to struggle and children will continue to go without services.

She also said MacLeod’s new proposal fails to address the “chaos” incited by the government’s earlier changes, noting that autism service providers have already laid off therapists and families have already made financial decisions such as selling their homes and cars.

“They don’t know what they’re doing,” Taylor said of the PC government. “They should have done the work before they made the announcement and put the policy in place. They put families in chaos for the last month-and-a-half for no reason.”

PC MPP Jeremy Roberts, who has a brother with autism and previously refused to stand and clap during question period when the PCs touted their autism plan, called MacLeod’s announcement “wonderful.” Roberts denied facing any discipline or retribution from the premier’s office for not toeing the line.

The current year’s autism services budget is now $331 million, per MacLeod, a number she says will grow after the upcoming consultations. According to the government, Ontario will now spend the most per capita on autism in North America.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said Thursday’s announcement will simply delay the “autism crisis” heading for schools by six months.

“It’s time to finally fix this energy mess”: Rickford Energy Minister G reg Rickford announced a fleet of energy system reforms Thursday that he said lay the groundwork for a future of lower, more transparent hydro bills.

There are three pillars to Rickford’s announcement: changes and cuts to energy conservation programs, a reform of the Ontario Energy Board, and a shift to how the ex-Liberal government’s fair hydro plan is paid off.

Firstly, the energy minister announced he passed three orders in council to centralize conservation programs that incentivize residential and small business consumers to cut their electricity use. Eight existing programs will be scrapped; eight others will be uploaded to the IESO and paid for out of the taxbase, instead of by ratepayers.

“The proposed changes will have no effect on the environment,” according to the government, because “today's customers understand the value of conservation and require fewer initiatives to realize reductions on their electricity bills.”

Meanwhile, the province’s largest emitters, such as mining operations and automotive plants, will see their hydro bills reduced by up to $15,000 per month by the change. The province is also cancelling $150 million in “wasteful bonus payments” that were regularly paid to local distribution companies for their conservation efforts.

(These changes, which are effective immediately, were met with dismay by the Electricity Distributors Association, which says local hydro utilities have led the charge in getting Ontarians to conserve energy.)

Secondly, Rickford announced steps to reform the OEB’s governance structure based on recommendations from the OEB Modernization Review Panel, which was established by the Liberals last spring. Rickford said the panel heard from stakeholders that the OEB is “broken,” citing an expensive application process with long turnaround times, the costs of which ultimately trickle down to consumers.

Following the passage of B ill 87, the Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, the OEB will get its own CEO and board of directors. The board’s chair will be “ultimately accountable” to the Ministry of Energy. New commissioners will also be hired to adjudicate “matters within the OEB’s jurisdiction,” which include determining what rates hydro utilities can charge their customers.

Lastly, B ill 87 w ill change the fair hydro plan’s borrowing scheme so that ratepayers can see the actual cost of the energy they consume. Beginning November 1, 2019, the controversial global adjustment fee and the existing eight per cent hydro rebate set up by ex-premier K athleen Wynne w ill be wiped from bills. Instead, they will appear as a single line-item rebate.

“The people of Ontario have the right to know the true cost of electricity and what subsidies are being applied to their bill,” Rickford said. “The games of smoke and mirrors, accounting tricks and disputes, are over.”

As recommended by the auditor general, the fair hydro trust will be transitioned from the IESO to the province’s general debt load, which Rickford said will save billions in debt payments.

The energy minister said the goal is to transition to “a cut model, not a subsidy model.”

Rickford said these steps begin the process of stabilizing the cost of electricity and put the PC government on the path to achieving a 12 per cent reduction in hydro bills, as promised during the election campaign.

NDP energy critic P eter Tabuns characterized the announcement as “a new coat” on the Liberal’s fair hydro plan and criticized the cuts to conservation programs for middle-class families.

Today’s events

March 22 at 9 a.m. – Toronto At the Manby Transformer Station, representatives from Hydro One will provide a technical briefing on the utility’s 2020-2022 transmission rate application to the Ontario Energy Board. If approved, the rate application would increase monthly bills by an average of 77 cents.

March 22 at 10 a.m. – M arkham Deputy Premier and Health Minister C hristine Elliott will make an announcement alongside Seniors Affairs Minister R aymond Cho, and PC MPPs Effie Triantafilopoulos and P aul Calandra at the Yee Hong Ho Lai Oi Wan Centre for seniors.

March 22 at 10 a.m. – Toronto NDP MPP R ima Berns-McGown w ill be in the media studio to talk about her upcoming PMB proposing a day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia.

March 22 at 11:15 a.m. – O ttawa Premier D oug Ford and Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek w ill make an announcement about the Ottawa LRT at OC Transpo’s Belfast maintenance yard.

Topics of conversation

● An email from Thames Valley District School Board obtained by Q ueen’s Park Today said the Ministry of Education has provided the board with “limited information and

direction” about the pending changes to class sizes and warned its teaching staff of “challenging times.”

● During an appearance in Mississauga Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeated his criticisms of Premier D oug Ford and his cabinet for not working with Ottawa to funnel federal infrastructure funding to Ontario’s municipalities. ○ “Unfortunately, we are in a situation where the current provincial government in Ontario has not wanted to partner on investing in infrastructure, particularly in our cities,” Trudeau said. “They have moved forward somewhat on rural projects, but have indicated they do not want to flow any money to the cities in Ontario from the federal government. And that is a real disappointment because we have put forward billions of dollars.” ○ This is the reason Trudeau gave for his spring budget’s doubling of the municipal infrastructure transfer fund.

Question period

NDP lead-off Integrity commissioner report ● NDP Leader A ndrea Horwath kicked off question period by asking about the investigation into R on Taverner’s hiring process. Horwath questioned why Premier Doug Ford claimed for months that he had “zero influence” over the appointment, when the watchdog’s report proves otherwise. ○ She said just because Ford’s role in the hiring “technically wasn’t illegal,” Ontarians still “deserve and expect a higher ethical standard.”

● Ford was not in question period; Community Safety Minister S ylvia Jones took questions in his absence. She accused the NDP of running a “political hatchet job” on Taverner and the premier, who she said has been “100 per cent vindicated.” ○ “I think the integrity commissioner did his job. Now I wish the NDP would do theirs and stop dragging OPP officers and our officers through the mud,” Jones said.

Autism changes ● Horwath also asked about the change to the autism funding model: “Is the government finally ready to admit that their scheme was wrong, failed parents and failed children with autism?”

● Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod began her response by thanking parliamentary secretary A my Fee and Premier Ford for their commitment to eliminating waitlists.

○ MacLeod then accused NDP MPPs of not supporting the new consultation process “because all they want to do is professionally protest and rile parents up, and that is irresponsible.”

The NDP also asked about the government’s plan to increase class sizes and the fate of the Investing in Women’s Futures Program.

Independent question

● Liberal MPP N athalie Des Rosiers asked the government to confirm whether every $1,600 ticket to an upcoming fireside chat with PC MPPs S teve Clark, K inga Surma and Jeff Yurek w ill be paid for by the person who actually attends the event, not by a third party. ○ Des Rosiers pumped her PMB B ill 85, Election Fundraising Transparency Act, which would require political donors to certify their contribution.

● Clark appeared not to know about the event in question, saying, “I’m not particularly sure what this member is talking about in terms of a particular ticketed event. If she wants to send me the information, I’d be more than happy to peruse it at my convenience.” ○ He encouraged all members to do their “due diligence” when hosting events.

PC friendly questions Tories asked themselves about autism funding changes; the controversial “streamlining” of the Hurontario LRT route by eliminating a loop that would have gone around Mississauga’s Square One mall; new money to make municipal governments more efficient; and the classroom cellphone ban.

Appointments and employments

● Ken Hughes w as appointed to the newly created role of special advisor for the Beverage Alcohol Review. ○ Hughes will provide the finance minister with advice “on how the government can modernize Ontario's beverage alcohol system to give consumers more choice and convenience, while giving businesses more opportunities.” ○ Hughes served as Alberta’s minister of municipal affairs and minister of energy between 2012 and 2014. He is also an entrepreneur. ○ “We look forward to working with him on designing our plan to expand the sale of alcohol into corner, grocery and big box stores,” Finance Minister V ic Fedeli said in a statement.

News releases — governmental

Ministry of Transportation

● Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek announced boat and snowmobile dealers will no longer be required to purchase individual service plates for each vehicle they move. ○ Yurek chalked the change up to “cutting red tape” and said it will help grow Ontario’s multi-million dollar boating and snowmobile industries.

Funding announcements

● Finance Minister V ic Fedeli announced $10 million in new annual funding for Ontario’s horse-breeding industry. ○ The funding for breeders will flow through Ontario Racing and will replace the Ministry of Agriculture’s Enhanced Horse Improvement Program. ○ Additionally, new funding from the OLG for racetrack operators comes online on April 1. The agreement includes up to $105 million per year for racetrack operators for up to 19 years.

Lobbyist registrations

If you are looking for further information on any lobbying registry, it is all public and easily searchable here.

Consultants who registered as lobbyists from March 15, 2019 – March 21, 2019

● Adam Yahn, Summa Strategies Canada o Clients: Convenience Industry Council of Canada

● Alanna Sokic, Global Public Affairs Inc. o Clients: Kindred Partners Inc.; Truss Limited Partnership

● Alexandra Spence, Global Public Affairs Inc. o Clients: Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario (MLPAO)

● Aleck Dadson, Imran Amin, John Penner, StrategyCorp Inc. o Clients: Planet Energy (Ontario) Corp

● Carly Luis, Leslie Noble, StrategyCorp Inc. o Clients: Colleges Ontario; Planet Energy (Ontario) Corp

● Garry Keller, StrategyCorp Inc. o Clients: Colleges Ontario; Vivid Seats

● Kelly Baker, StrategyCorp Inc. o Clients: Children’s Treatment Centre Foundation of Chatham-Kent

● Alexandra Adamo, Stosic & Associates o Clients: Functionability Rehabilitation Services; Baxter International

● Amir Remtulla, Amir Remtulla Inc. o Clients: First Capital Realty

● Andrew House, Daniel Brock, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP o Clients: H2GO Canada Inc.

● Lindsay Aagaard, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP o Clients: Merck Canada Inc.

● Alex Chreston, Crestview Strategy o Clients: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers

● Ashton Arsenault, Kate Moseley-Williams, Crestview Strategy o Clients: CAAT Pension Plan

● Daniel Moulton, Crestview Strategy o Clients: Intact Financial Corporation

● Gabriela Gonzalez, Crestview Strategy o Clients: Canadian Solar Industries Association/L’Association des Industries Solaires du Canada

● Ginny Movat, Crestview Strategy o Clients: Capital Power Corporation

● Beverly Brooks, Brooks Communications o Clients: Canada Life Settlements Inc.

● Bob Oliver, Tech-K.O., Inc. o Clients: H2GO Canada Inc.

● Brett McDermott, 2Traverse o Clients: Cocov Destinations

● Brain Facey, Fraser Malcolm, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP o Clients: Labatt Brewing Company Limited

● Jonathan Kahn, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP o Clients: River Valley Developments

● Chris Benedetti, Sussex Strategy Group o Clients: Longyuan Canada Renewables Ltd.

● Robyn Gray, Sussex Strategy Group o Clients: EDF Renewables; Electricity Distributors Association

● Colin Andersen, Colin Andersen Consulting Services o Clients: CBT Associates - Beacon

● Dan Mader, Loyalist Public Affairs o Clients: Redeemer University College

● Jill Wilson, Loyalist Public Affairs o Clients: First Gulf Corporation, Redeemer University College; Uber Canada, Inc

● Nicholas Pozhke, Loyalist Public Affairs o Clients: All Seniors Care Living Centres Ltd.; First Gulf Corporation

● Devan Sommerville, Stephanie Gawur, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. o Clients: First Capital Realty Inc.

● Francesca Grosso, Grosso McCarthy Inc. o Clients: Canadian Healthcare Management Information Services

● Michael McCarthy, Grosso McCarthy Inc. o Clients: Medavie Blue Cross

● Jean-Guy Fréchette, Solstice Public Affairs o Clients: Association des directions et des directions adjointes des écoles Franco-ontariennes (ADFO); Centre Francophone de Toronto

● Jeffrey Bangs, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: Town of South Bruce Peninsula; SYKES Assistance Services Corporation; Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA); Coach Canada

● Jerry Khouri, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: IRC Building Sciences Group; Lexmark Canada; Hamilton International Airport; SYKES Assistance Services Corporation

● Jim Burnett, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: Town of South Bruce Peninsula; Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA); SYKES Assistance Services Corporation

● Leanna Karremans, Megan Flynn, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA)

● Ron Ross, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: Geo. Bezdan Sales Ltd.

● Peter Curtis, Pathway Group Inc. o Clients: Hamilton Port Authority; Young People’s Theatre; SYKES Assistance Services Corporation

● Keith Adams, Keith Adams, P.E. o Clients: Air Products Canada, Ltd.

● Keith Serry, Conseil Keith Serry Inc. / Keith Serry Counsel Inc. o Clients: STEMCELL Technologies Canada Inc.

● Kevin Cochran, 8621209 Canada Inc. o Clients: Enriched Academy

● Kevin Richardson, Heartland Solutions Group, Inc. o Clients: Zebra Technologies Corporation

● Laura Greer, Hill+Knowlton Strategies o Clients: Alzheimer Society of Ontario

● Marissa Steiner, Hill+Knowlton Strategies o Clients: Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario; Prostate Cancer Canada; TerrAscend; Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario; CSA Group

● Mary Langley, Hill+Knowlton Strategies o Clients: Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario

● Melissa Lantsman, Hill+Knowlton Strategies o Clients: Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario

● Lindsay Maskell, Lindsay Maskell o Clients: Iron Workers Local 736; Iron Workers Local 700

● Michael Diamond, Upstream Strategy Group o Clients: Welded Tube of Canada Group; One Niagara Now

● Michael Richmond, McMillan LLP o Clients: wpd White Pines Wind Incorporated

● Patrick Harris, Rubicon Strategy Inc. o Clients: Canadian Online Gaming Alliance; Allvision; DraftKings, One Niagara Now

● Rick Hayward, Brendain Incorporated o Clients: Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp.

● Robert Stephens, Public Relations Post Inc. o Clients: Canadian Council of Independent Laboratories

● Rymal Smith, Change Energy Services Inc. o Clients: H2GO Canada Inc.

● Serge Buy, Flagship Solutions o Clients: Florida Department of Citrus

● Stephen McKersie, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP (formerly Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP) o Clients: Molson Canada 2005

● Terrance Oakey, One Persuasion Inc o Clients: Merit Ontario

● William Pristanski, Prospectus Associates o Clients: Walmart Canada

● Yaron Gersh, The CCS Group (formerly Connect Consulting Solutions) o Clients: Chronic Pain – Ontario Medical Association

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from March 15, 2019 – March 21, 2019

● Medtronic of Canada Ltd. ● Consumer Health Products Canada ● Loblaw Companies Limited ● Canadian Bankers Association ● Sidewalk Labs Employees, L.L.C. ● Unifor ● Ontario Forest Industries Association – Home of CLA Grading and Inspection ● Ontario Nurses’ Association ● Cisco Systems Canada Co. ● Stem, Inc. ● Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario ● Shaw Communications

● OPTrust ● Canadian Red Cross ● Imperial Oil Limited ● Toyota Canada Inc. ● CropLife Canada ● Phoenix Rising Center ● Canada’s National Brewers ● Cystic Fibrosis Canada ● Futurpreneur Canada (formerly Canadian Youth Business Foundation) ● The Financial Advisors Association of Canada (Advocis) ● Coach Canada ● OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc. (formerly Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc.) ● United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union ● Ontario Waste Management Association ● Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada ● Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians ● Allagma Technologies Inc.

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

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