No. 17 No 17 ISSN 1180-2987 Legislative Assembly Assemblée législative of Ontario de l’Ontario First Session, 37th Parliament Première session, 37e législature Official Report Journal of Debates des débats (Hansard) (Hansard) Wednesday 24 November 1999 Mercredi 24 novembre 1999 Speaker Président Honourable Gary Carr L’honorable Gary Carr Clerk Greffier Claude L. DesRosiers Claude L. DesRosiers Hansard on the Internet Le Journal des débats sur Internet Hansard and other documents of the Legislative Assembly L’adresse pour faire paraître sur votre ordinateur personnel can be on your personal computer within hours after each le Journal et d’autres documents de l’Assemblée législative sitting. 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Phone 416-326-5310, 326-5311 or toll-free téléphone : 416-326-5310, 326-5311, ou sans frais : 1-800-668-9938. 1-800-668-9938. Hansard Reporting and Interpretation Services Service du Journal des débats et d’interprétation 3330 Whitney Block, 99 Wellesley St W 3330 Édifice Whitney ; 99, rue Wellesley ouest Toronto ON M7A 1A2 Toronto ON M7A 1A2 Telephone 416-325-7400; fax 416-325-7430 Téléphone, 416-325-7400 ; télécopieur, 416-325-7430 Published by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Publié par l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario 781 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE OF ONTARIO DE L’ONTARIO Wednesday 24 November 1999 Mercredi 24 novembre 1999 The House met at 1333. On Sunday, November 14, a terrible and horrific crime Prayers. ended the life of a young boy and sent shock waves through the city of Toronto. Matti Baranovski was in the wrong place at the wrong time, a victim of senseless mob MEMBERS’ STATEMENTS violence. When tragedies like this occur, trust is violated and neighbours become a little more distant. Like the heartbreaking tragedies involving the losses of Alison LABOUR MOBILITY Parrott and Sharin’ Morningstar Keenan, this devastating passing will always be in our collective consciousness. Mr David Ramsay (Timiskaming-Cochrane): In a Matti and his family moved to Canada during the few moments I will be introducing a private member’s spring last year, believing they had left behind the vio- bill that will restrict Quebec workers from taking our lence and conflict that plague so much of the world. They natural resources jobs. moved to Toronto so that Matti could grow up in a safer Last spring, the Ontario government passed Bill 17, environment. Matti represented all that is right with our Fairness is a Two-Way Street Act, which restricts Que- young people. He will never be forgotten. His spirit will bec workers from working in the construction industry. triumph over his death. Words cannot begin to describe While it has been only moderately successful to date, Bill the pain and anguish that his family is experiencing. 17 got the attention of the Quebec government and gave support to the Ontario negotiating team working on the I rise now to ask, through this Legislature, for an labour mobility problem with that province. opportunity to convey to the family the deep sympathy Much of the area that I represent along the Quebec we all feel not only for that family but for all the young border, north of North Bay to Cochrane, has lost hun- and their families who are victims of senseless violence. I dreds of jobs to Quebec workers in the forestry and min- know that our prayers and thoughts are with them. ing industries, while Ontario workers don’t have access to Quebec jobs. It is all too common to see Quebec resi- RENFREW COUNTY dents cutting our trees and hauling our logs to our saw- AGRICULTURAL OFFICE mills and paper mills. Similarly, there are many Quebec residents who work in our mines in northeastern Ontario, Mr Sean G. Conway (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pem- most commuting on a daily basis, while Quebec mines broke): Agriculture is very important to the economy of just across the border won’t hire Ontario miners. eastern Ontario and certainly in my county in Renfrew. Unlike the robust economy of southern Ontario, jobs Communities in the Ottawa Valley and communities that in the north are few and far between. Our economy is still I represent, like Cobden, Beachburg, Renfrew, Arnprior based on our resources and our workers need every one. and Eganville, depend to a very real degree on the health When Quebec puts up a barrier to our workers, it is time of the surrounding agricultural economy. For many years, that we do the same. the Ontario government has played an important role by I believe in free labour mobility in this country and I maintaining very good field services in communities like introduce this bill today on behalf of Ontario workers the Ottawa Valley. who don’t have the opportunity to work in the province For the last number of years, however, we are seeing, of Quebec. Today I am asking the Minister of Labour to and my farmers are seeing, as they are seeing in much of support the workers of northeastern Ontario also by the rest of rural Ontario, a clawback, a closing up and supporting this bill. leaving town by the Ontario government. Last week we heard from the president of the treasury board, the Chair of Management Board, that an additional $8.7 million is DMITRI “MATTI” BARANOVSKI going to be taken out of the already constrained agricul- Mr David Young (Willowdale): From time to time a ture budget. tragedy occurs that changes the way we view our com- I see from the minister’s statement that $5.2 million munity and the way we view each other, a tragedy that worth of cuts in the direct ministry budget are in favour causes an entire community to feel so insecure, so power- of “administrative improvement.” Well, the word out in less that fear holds it hostage. communities like Renfrew and Stormont-Dundas is, “Yet 782 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO 24 NOVEMBER 1999 more field services are going to be withdrawn; yet more facilities. While plant employees were aware that nego- ag offices are going to be closed.” tiations were ongoing, the union president would indicate I stand here today on behalf of the farmers in Renfrew to me that they were led to believe the sale of the plant county to tell this government that we want our Renfrew might in fact lead to expansion and better employment county ag office kept open, keeping the very good pro- opportunities. Thus, they too were shocked to hear yes- grams and services that that office has provided over terday’s news. many decades available to the farmers. It is imperative that the Minister of Economic Trade 1340 and Development and the Minister of Labour take the initiative and contact the new owner of this company to explore ways to get these 243 qualified people back to WESTSIDE SECONDARY SCHOOL work. This plant with well-trained staff and an excellent Mr David Tilson (Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey): manufacturing facility is going to sit idle otherwise. I am pleased to rise today to congratulate Westside Secondary School in Orangeville on the occasion of its official opening, which will take place on November 25. POLICE OFFICERS Construction of the new school began in April 1998 Mr Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay): According and was completed in June this year. Students in Orange- to Stats Canada, there are fewer police officers on the ville were able to start the new school year in Westside streets of the cities and towns across Ontario than there Secondary School this past September. This year, there were in 1995. We know what that means to people in were 515 students enrolled in grades 9, 10 and 11. their own communities about how secure they feel. Westside has some unique traits. For example, a team It’s interesting to note that in 1994, under then Solici- of teachers dedicated themselves to oversee the building tor General David Christopherson under the NDP gov- process. They were directly involved in every aspect of ernment, we had announced a 1,000 police initiative that the construction, from the purchasing of supplies to the meant that we were going to increase, over the next cou- organization of the actual building. This was done after ple of years, the number of police officers in this prov- work hours on a volunteer basis and is just one example ince by at least 1,000 police officers. It’s interesting to of the dedication of these teachers. They all deserve to be note that in 1995, the PC government of Mike Harris commended. cancelled that initiative, only to bring it back in order to This new school has also chosen to organize according try to call it a Conservative initiative. But there’s a bit of to key systems, not departments, as is traditionally the a difference.