Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report November 8, 2019

Quotation of the day

“The no-name party.”

In question period Premier takes a shot at the Liberal caucus, which doesn’t ​ ​ have recognized party status in the house.

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule MPPs are heading back to their ridings for a constituency week break; the house is adjourned until Monday, November 18.

Thursday’s debates and proceedings Bill 136, the PAWS Act, was up for second reading in the morning. ​ ​ ​

A vote on the government’s time allocation motion on Bill 132, Better for People, Smarter for ​ ​ Business Act, passed after question period. The bill also passed second reading.

Bill 132 is now off to the general government committee, which will hold travelling public ​ hearings from November 19 to 29 in London, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, Kenora and . It must be sent back to the house for third-reading debate by December 4.

Liberal MPP ’s (non-binding) motion calling on the legislature to affirm religious ​ ​ freedoms passed with all-party support. Coteau says his motion is in response to Quebec’s ​ ​ controversial Bill 21, which bans public servants from wearing religious symbols on duty, but the ​ ​ text doesn’t actually mention the bill.

NDP Leader plans to up the ante with a motion of her own, specifically calling ​ ​ on Quebec Premier François Legault to abandon Bill 21. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

One bill was referred to committee and another has dropped off the order paper following the afternoon’s private members’ business:

● NDP MPP ’s Bill 125, Making Northern Highways Safer Act, ​ ​ ​ ​ which tightens requirements for snow removal on northern highways, was killed at second reading.

● PC MPP ’s Bill 112, Lupus Awareness Day Act, is now off to be studied by ​ ​ ​ ​ the Standing Committee on General Government.

● PC MPP ’s motion calling on the government to educate high school ​ ​ students on CPR and defibrillator techniques also passed.

Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, passed a ​ third-reading vote in the afternoon.

Unions warn of legal challenge over Bill 124 Unions are warning the Ford government may wind up in court over the move to cap public sector pay hikes to an average one per cent annually for the next three years.

Bill 124 got a mini makeover at clause-by-clause consideration this week and cleared third ​ reading on Thursday, thanks to a government time allocation motion.

At Monday’s public committee hearing, a slew of labour groups argued the legislation infringes on employees’ collective bargaining rights.

OPSEU vice-president and treasurer Eduardo Almeida told MPPs studying the bill that it would ​ ​ see the same fate as the Liberal-era Bill 115, which froze some teachers’ wages and limited ​ ​ their ability to strike. Bill 115 was later tossed out by the Supreme Court, leaving the ​ ​ government on the hook to compensate the unions.

“I promise you: The same will happen with Bill 124. So stop wasting our time. Stop wasting our ​ ​ money. Stop this terrible bill in its tracks,” Almeida said.

CUPE president Fred Hahn echoed the sentiment, saying he participated in a conference call ​ ​ arranged by the Ontario Federation of Labour with union leaders “who were all unanimous.”

“If this bill is passed, we will act together to bring a constitutional challenge to the courts as soon as possible, just as we did when the Liberals used legislation to interfere in free collective bargaining,” Hahn said.

On the flip side was Jasmine Pickel of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the sole non-union ​ ​ representative to weigh in at Monday’s public hearing.

Unlike the witnesses that followed, Pickel lauded the government for reining in compensation. CTF has previously called for a wage freeze in future contract negotiations for government employees until the province’s books are back in the black.

“Although we believe Bill 124 should have gone further in light of the province’s dire financial ​ ​ situation, it’s nonetheless refreshing to see a government take steps in the right direction to curb out-of-control government employee raises,” Pickel said.

Bill 124 was tweaked during clause-by-clause consideration at committee this week. ​

Among other changes, the legislation now clarifies that certain pension plan entitlements provided in exchange for an increase in member-required contributions would not be considered an increase to salary rates or compensation.

The text surrounding the entities to which the bill does not apply was also tightened up, including Indigenous communities and band councils, police governing authorities, municipalities and local boards they preside over.

PCs to tweak standing orders for the second time since taking office The NDP released the PC’s proposed fleet of changes to the standing-order playbook, which governs parliamentary procedure and decorum.

While the Opposition says the government’s goal is to make it easier to ram legislation through due process, House Leader says the changes are about making the house ​ ​ “work better” and will give Independent MPPs more speaking opportunities.

Some of the changes would automatically allow the government to call more than one stage of a bill in a day, so legislation could be introduced on a Monday and passed into law by Wednesday, according to NDP House Leader . ​ ​

“As it is, Doug Ford has done his best to prevent the people of Ontario from having any ​ ​ opportunity to weigh in on changes that impact them,” Bisson said in a statement this week. “Now the system that prevents much consultation is about to go from bad to worse.”

The NDP's complaint about truncating debate in the legislature and during public committee hearings is nothing new. Since coming to office last June the PCs have time allocated most of their bills, something the Grits also did often — and is a breeze for majority-enjoying governments.

NDP co-deputy leader suggested a proposal removing the requirement for referral ​ ​ when ministers punt questions to their colleagues will allow Premier Ford to "pass the buck even further" and dodge accountability.

"We haven't seen the premier answering questions in the house unless they are put forth by one of his own backbench members," she told reporters Wednesday.

Calandra maintained Ford has been "answering a number of questions" in the two weeks since being back at the legislature.

There are some changes the NDP do like, such as limiting the time to introduce visitors to five minutes, and enshrining members’ use of cellphones and laptops in the chamber, as long as they're on silent, not used as a prop, camera or recording device and aren't disruptive — something that is currently only convention.

The legislative assembly committee has long studied the use of technology in the chamber, including whether to allow MPPs to read from their screens when speaking, which isn't allowed. The PCs proposed changes don't specify reading from digital devices.

Calandra said he still hopes to work with his fellow house leaders on the changes and that they will not be finalized for another few weeks.

Independent MPP told Queen's Park Today he didn’t consider the proposed ​ ​ changes to be as egregious as last year's, which included scrapping a popular filibuster mechanism and slashing the requisite number of seats for recognized status to 8 from 12.

Today’s events

November 8 at 9 a.m. – Toronto ​ Premier Doug Ford and Heritage Minister Lisa MacLeod will make an announcement about ​ ​ ​ ​ the Afghanistan war memorial at the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum at Casa Loma.

November 8 at 9:30 a.m. – Kenora ​ Indigenous Affairs Minister and Associate Children and Women’s Issues ​ ​ Minister will make an announcement at the Na-Chee Friendship Centre. ​ ​

November 8 at 10:15 a.m. – St. Thomas ​ Environment Minister will make an announcement at the local legion. ​ ​

November 8 at 10:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ Economic Development Minister will be in the Queen’s Park media studio to discuss ​ ​ Statistics Canada’s monthly update on jobs data.

November 8 at 10:30 a.m. – North York ​

Labour Minister Monte McNaughton will make an announcement about apprenticeship training. ​ ​

November 8 at 3 p.m. – Port Perry ​ Health Minister , her parliamentary assistant and PC MPP ​ ​ ​ ​ will make an announcement at the Scugog Memorial Public Library. ​

Upcoming events

November 9 at 1:30 p.m. – Orléans ​ The will hold its candidate nomination meeting for the riding of Orléans. Community activist Rachel Décoste and Ottawa city councillor are vying to run ​ ​ ​ ​ under the red banner in the Liberal stronghold.

December 2 – Toronto ​ ​ ​ Premier Doug Ford will host his fellow premiers for a face-to-face debrief on the federal election ​ ​ results and the new minority Liberal government in Ottawa.

Topics of conversation

● At least one mayor is encouraged that a push to give municipalities veto over whether to allow landfills within their borders is gaining momentum following a conference call Environment Minister Jeff Yurek held with 50 mayors this week, CTV reports. ​ ​ ​ ​

● Hydro One president and CEO Mark Poweska says the utility is going to be ​ ​ laser-focused on the home front after its $6.7-billion takeover of U.S.-based Avista fell through amid political concerns, leaving the utility to cough up a $138-million kill fee, the ​ Financial Post reports. ​ ​

● The cannabis industry is questioning why the PCs didn’t include a timeline for promised ​ ​ changes to the sector’s retail model in Wednesday’s Fall Economic Statement. The document reiterated promises to end the cap on the number of retail stores allowed in the province and to authorize producers to sell bud out of their production facilities — which they say would bolster tourism in cannabis hubs like Smiths Falls — but did not say when the retail expansion rules will roll out.

News briefs — governmental Province launches ‘immediate review’ of Peel District School Board amid concerns over anti-Black racism ● Education Minister is appointing provincial reviewers to probe concerns ​ ​ of anti-Black racism and governance problems at the Peel District School Board.

○ “These concerns have been raised by families, students, the Peel District School Board Director of Education, the board of trustees, and members of the broader community,” the minister said in a statement. ○ The review’s final report will make recommendations to ensure equity and accountability and “safeguards the success and well-being of students — irrespective of heritage, faith, colour of skin, orientation or socio-economic status.” ○ The school board has been dealing with allegations of anti-Black racism as recent as last month, when a trustee apologized for referring to Brampton’s ​ ​ McCrimmon Middle School, which has a large population of Black and brown students, as “McCriminal.” ○ Peel board trustees asked the government to intervene last week. “We made a commitment to work on our governance and so we reached out to the Ministry of Education for support,” the board said in a release.

Ontario launching climate change impact assessment ● Environment Minister Jeff Yurek put out a tender seeking companies to study how ​ ​ climate change may impact communities, critical infrastructure, the economy and environment. The contract for the two-year project will be awarded in early 2020, per a release.

Ministry of Energy launches review of industrial electricity pricing ● Energy Minister Greg Rickford has ordered the IESO to review its billing, settlement ​ ​ and customer service processes with an eye to simplifying industrial electricity bills and making peak demand data and the global adjustment more transparent for business ratepayers. ○ The move, which Rickford says will reduce the regulatory burden on industrial electricity consumers, follows four months of stakeholder consultations. ○ The ministry will also launch an “energy concierge service” over the next year that will help businesses get better customer service when it comes to their billing.

Question period

NDP lead-off Health-care funding ● Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath led the first question period after the release ​ ​ of the PC’s fall fiscal update by asking about health-care funding in April’s budget. ○ “Last spring’s budget laid out a plan for spending restraint in the health-care sector, including a plan to hold funding below the rate of inflation over the next three years. That plan remains unchanged. When does the premier plan to fix

this and start to take on the hallway medicine crisis that was left by the Liberals?” she asked.

● Health Minister Christine Elliott agreed that the Liberals are to blame for the state of ​ ​ so-called hallway health care but disputed Horwath’s characterization of the funding envelope. Elliott touted additional cash outlined in Wednesday’s Fall Economic Statement, which states that health sector spending has increased by $404 million.

Teacher job losses ● Horwath asked if the Ford government is on track to wipe out 10,000 teaching jobs from the public education system, which is the number the FAO projects will be impacted by the PC’s plan to increase high school classes to 28 students on average. (The PCs have watered down the plan at the bargaining table with the teachers’ union, but Education Minister Stephen Lecce has said that’s not necessarily the government’s final position.) ​ ​

● Lecce responded by touting the government’s education policies, including plans to boost math scores.

Cutting conservation programs ● Horwath flipped back to FES, asking Environment Minister Jeff Yurek about a ​ ​ $76-million cut to environment and conservation programs, deeper than the $50-million forecast in the spring budget.

● Yurek explained the purported $25-million cut is because of the centralization of government services. “The centralization of these internal government services impacts all ministries, not just the Minister of the Environment. The funding has been reallocated to other ministries and therefore is fiscally neutral to this government,” he said.

Cutting crime victims fund ● NDP MPP asked about cuts to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ​ ​ that some victims of violent crime and sexual abuse, including survivors of childhood abuse, say leave them without counselling services they desperately need or were previously provided. The CBC has that story. ​ ​

● Attorney General said it’s “critical” to provide support immediately after ​ ​ violence occurs and touted a separate fund.

Independent question Duelling deficits ● Liberal Interim Leader John Fraser had to withdraw a few unparliamentary remarks ​ ​ when he asked his question about Premier Doug Ford’s oft repeated claim that last ​ ​ year’s deficit was $15 billion. The FAO and government’s public accounts showed the deficit was actually $7.4 billion.

● Ford doubled down and falsely attributed the $15 billion figure to Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk. “We confirmed it with the auditor general, with third-party validation ​ through an auditing firm. We confirmed it with the finance minister, the president of the treasury and we all agreed. For the first time ever, we all agreed that it was a $15-billion disaster that the previous government left us on the backs of the people of Ontario and on the backs of the businesses,” the premier said.

● Shortly after, the AG’s office tweeted the actual numbers. ​ ​

PC friendly questions Tories asked themselves about the Fall Economic Statement, and Premier Doug Ford delivered ​ ​ a statement marking Remembrance Day.

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 November 1 – 7, 2019

● Matt Hiraishi, NATIONAL Public Relations ​ o Clients: VON Canada

● Bob Lopinski and Carol Mitchell, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Beef Farmers of Ontario

● Rob Leone, Earnscliffe Ontario Inc ​ o Clients: Connect the Corridor Coalition

● Jill Wilson and Dan Mader, Loyalist Public Affairs ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Bruce Power Inc., Cadillac Fairview

● Yaron Gersh, The CCS Group ​ o Clients: Seine River First Nation

● Murray Gold, Koskie Minsky LLP ​ o Clients: The Board of Trustees of the Canadian Blood Services Defined Benefit Pension Plan

● Zoe Gordon, Barell Government Consulting ​ o Clients: SodaStream International Ltd.

● Scott Thurlow, Scott Thurlow and Associates ​ o Clients: Railway Association of Canada

● Philip Gillies, Enterprise Canada ​ o Clients: Yorkville Education Company ULC

● Philip Gillies, Phil Gillies Consulting ​ o Clients: Interior Systems Contractors Association

● Sadaf Abbasi, Stosic & Associates ​ o Clients: Commport Communications International Inc., Ontario Retirement Communities Association

● Scott Munnoch, Temple Scott Associates Inc. ​ o Clients: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

● Sarina Rehal, Crestview Strategy ​ o Clients: Northeastern University

● Luke Nicholas, Connect Consulting Solutions ​ o Clients: Ontario Native Women Association

● Ralph Palumbo, The Hillcrest Consulting Group Inc. ​ o Clients: Canadian Advocates for Automobile Insurance Reform: Access to Justice Group

● Peter Van Loan, Aird & Berlis ​ o Clients: Seaton TFPM Inc.

● Caroline Pinto and Devan Sommerville, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Ontario Library Association

● Chad Rogers, Crestview Strategy ​ o Clients: Insurance Bureau of Canada/Bureau d'assurance du Canada

● Stephanie Gawur and Philip Dewan and Bob Lopinski, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Pearson Education Inc.

● Stephanie Gawur, Philip Dewan and Caroline Pinto, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Toyota Canada Inc.

● Caroline Pinto, Philip Dewan and Jaskiran Shoker, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Ontario Chiropractic Association

● Alex Chreston, Crestview Strategy ​ o Clients: Clockwork Fox Inc.

● Chris McCluskey, Proof Strategies ​ o Clients: Netflix Inc.

● Carol Mitchell, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: Samsung Renewable Energy Inc.

● Robyn Gray, Sussex Strategy Group ​ o Clients: Enwave Energy Corporation

● Chris Benedetti, Sussex Strategy Group ​ o Clients: FortisOntario Inc.

● Stephanie Gawur, Jaskiran Shoker, Charles Beer, Caroline Pinto and Devan ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Sommerville, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs (OASIS)

● Frannie Sobcov, StrategyCorp Inc. ​ o Clients: Strongest Families Institute

● Philip Dewan and Caroline Pinto, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Medical Pharmacies Group Limited

● Philip Dewan, Caroline Pinto and Devan Sommerville, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Long-Term Care Pharmacy Operators Group

● David Messer, Edelman ​ o Clients: Scotts Canada Ltd.

● Richard Mullin, Impact Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Prompt Payment Ontario

● Matthew Henley, Wellington Dupont ​ o Clients: Boehringer Ingelheim, D2L

● Michael Rudderham, MCR Corporate Affairs ​ o Clients: LifeLabs, NextBridge Energy Transmission Canada

● Dan Mader and Nicholas Pozhke, Loyalist Public Affairs ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Charitable Gaming & Bingo Innovation Association (CGBIA)

● Stephanie Gawur and Caroline Pinto, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Enterprise Holdings Inc.

● Stephanie Gawur, Caroline Pinto and Carol Mitchell, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Grape Growers of Ontario

● Brian Zeiler-Kligman, Sussex Strategy Group Inc. ​ o Clients: Dairy Farmers of Ontario

● Francesca Grosso, Anika Christie, Katrina Trantau and Michael McCarthy, Grosso ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ McCarthy Inc. o Clients: Medavie Inc.

● Giancarlo Drennan, Maple Leaf Strategies ​ o Clients: Waste Connections of Canada

● Terrance Oakey, One Persuasion Inc ​ o Clients: Ontario Hairstylists Association (OHSA)

● Yash Dogra, NATIONAL Public Relations ​ o Clients: Red Hat Canada Ltd.

● Michelle Mackenzie, Michelle Mackenzie Consulting Inc. ​ o Clients: Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission

● John Matheson, StrategyCorp Inc. ​ o Clients: Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario

● Michael Diamond, Upstream Strategy Group ​ o Clients: Abbott Diabetes Care Canada, Ontario Association of Radiologists

● David Messer, Edelman ​ o Clients: HP Canada Co

● Brett Bell, Hill+Knowlton Strategies ​ o Clients: CSA Group

● Caroline Pinto and Devan Sommerville, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario

● Mario Tino, Tino & Associates ​ o Clients: Ontario Home Respiratory Services Association

● Amir Remtulla, Amir Remtulla Inc. ​ o Clients: News Media Canada

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from November 1 – 7

● LIUNA (Labourers International Union of North America) ● Retail Council of Canada ● The Railway Association of Canada ● The Toronto Region Board of Trade ● Canadian Union of Public Employees ● Canadian Energy Pipeline Association ● Ontario Private Campground Association ● Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)

● Convenience Industry Council of Canada ● Canadian Opera Company ● Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) ● Pathways to Education Canada ● CNIB ● Ontario Dairy Council ● Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. ● Fig Leaf Promotions Canada Limited ● Emera Inc. ● Trans Union of Canada, Inc. ● Sanofi Pasteur Limited ● Honda Canada Inc. ● The Green Organic Dutchman ● Airbnb Canada Inc. ● Equifax Canada Co. ● ProResp Inc.

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

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