December 3, 2018

Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report December 3, 2018

Quotation of the day

“Unconstitutional disguised taxation.”

The PC government plans to argue in court Ottawa does not have the right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by imposing a carbon tax.

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule The House sits Monday at 10:30 a.m. There are two more weeks left in the fall session.

Government House Leader Todd Smith has motions on the order paper that could extend this week’s sittings as late as midnight.

Smith also filed a motion late last week to amend the standing orders’ definition of a recognized party to require that a caucus have at least 10 per cent of the seats in the House. The mini-budget bill enshrines a seat threshold of 12 rather than the current eight — but changing the standing orders before the bill becomes law might make the seven-seat Liberal caucus seem less appealing to any would-be recruits.

The government could call any of the following pieces of business: ● Bill 32, Access to Natural Gas Act; ● Bill 34, Green Energy Repeal Act; and ● Bill 48, Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act.

In the park Fanshawe College is holding an MPP reception during the day.

Committees this week Kathleen Wynne and Glenn Thibeault will get grilled by PC and NDP MPPs on the select committee looking into the former Liberal government’s finances. The former premier and energy minister take the hot seat Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Bill 57, Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, the PC’s mini-budget bill, goes under the microscope Monday morning. MPPs on the finance and economic affairs committee will hear from transit and housing advocates, representatives from the francophone community, housing industry stakeholders, and labour and health groups. Two of the independent watchdogs that are getting folded into the provincial ombudsman’s office once the bill passes — French Language Services Commissioner François Boileau and Provincial Children and Youth Advocate Irwin Elman — are on the roster to testify.

On Tuesday and Wednesday Bill 57 is up for clause-by-clause consideration. The omnibus legislation has been time allocated and is due back to the house Thursday. There will be one hour of debate before a vote at third reading.

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts meets Wednesday for a closed-session briefing from the Auditor General and to draft a report about the AG’s report on services for newcomers.

The legislative assembly committee will be reviewing the precinct’s television broadcast system.

Today’s events

December 3 at 1:30 p.m. – Toronto Environmental advocates will be in the Queen’s Park media studio to discuss their concerns with Bill 57.

December 3 at 7:30 p.m. – Toronto Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will talk politics and policy with National Observer reporter Fatima Syed at the Centre for Social Innovation.

Topics of conversation

● According to the Globe and Mail, Premier Doug Ford is facing off with Hydro One’s board of independent directors over who will run the utility. The board reportedly wants to select its next CEO from one of three former executives of B.C.’s electrical utilities. The Globe’s sources say Ford’s chief of staff Dean French has pressured the board to appoint Anthony Haines, current CEO at Toronto Hydro. ● The Globe also reports that the board’s six independent directors (the other four are provincially-appointed) have retained legal counsel to advise them on dealing with the Ford administration. ○ Haines and Ford worked together during Ford’s days as a councillor. ○ Haines — who earned over $1 million at Toronto Hydro last year — landed in hot water in 2013 when it was revealed he lied on his resume about having completed a bachelor of commerce degree at the University of Lethbridge. The school does not offer that program. ○ In its third-quarter results report last month, Hydro One warned shareholders that the provincial government might continue to intervene with the utility in ways that could be “detrimental to the interests of shareholders.”

● The PCs are calling Ottawa’s incoming carbon pricing plan “unconstitutional disguised taxation.” Ontario plans to argue in court that the federal government’s imposition of a carbon tax is unconstitutional because Ottawa does not have the jurisdiction to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. In a 400-plus-page factum filed last week, the province contends that allowing the House of Commons to regulate greenhouse gas emissions would “seriously disrupt the balance of powers set out in the constitution.” ○ The document maintains the provinces “are fully capable of regulating greenhouse gas emissions themselves” and “there is no need to dramatically expand the scope of federal jurisdiction to allow Parliament to impose its preferred method.” ○ Ontario’s legal challenge to Ottawa’s carbon tax is expected to be heard in April.

● The auditor general tables her annual report Wednesday. This year’s report contains 15 value-for-money audits, including on the Kirby and Lawrence East GO stations, OSAP, Ontario Works, Waterfront Toronto and the Sidewalk Labs project, the use of senior consultants and advisors in government, government advertising, Health Quality Ontario and the Darlington Nuclear refurbishment.

● Economic Development and Trade Minister Todd Smith responded on Twitter to the USMCA signing, saying the new North American trade pact “doesn’t look out for Ontario industries or families.” He said “the Feds gave up a lot, with no plan to deal with the impact” and accused Ottawa of not doing enough to lift US-imposed metals tariffs.

● Toronto Mayor John Tory says he’s willing to share information with the province about the TTC subway system. The Toronto Star got its hands on a letter Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek sent to Tory requesting information about the TTC through a “confidential discovery process” to help with its plan to upload the system. The province is asking for details on operating costs too, and a spokesperson says the intent is to leave operations to the city and TTC when it takes over ownership. ○ Some councillors opposed to the upload say sharing the information is a step too far. ○ Yurek’s letter recommended striking a working group to examine “how best to advance the design and delivery” of the downtown relief line.

● It’s federal by-election day in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands. Though the riding has been Tory blue since 2004, it was a close contest in 2015 with the Grit candidate losing by fewer than 4,000 votes. ○ Both federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and Ontario Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark have been out campaigning for Tory candidate Michael Barrett. ○ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been in the riding backing his Liberal candidate Mary Jean McFall. ○ The by-election was called after Tory MP Gord Brown’s sudden death in May.

● Alykhan Velshi has officially left OPG, the Toronto Star reports. Velshi, who was chief of staff to then-PC leader Patrick Brown, was reportedly put on notice after the premier’s chief of staff Dean French intervened. He won’t get as much as $500,000 in severance payments previously reported. ○ In a statement, Velshi confirmed his last day was November 30. “The last few months have been difficult for me both personally and professionally, so my regret at leaving OPG under these unusual circumstances is tempered by some measure of relief,” Velshi said.

● Dianne Saxe, who the PCs are removing as environmental commissioner, did not mince words about the government’s climate plan, calling it about one-third as ambitious as the cap-and-trade system that preceded it. Saxe says the Tories’ climate plan puts a levy on carbon because it will set standards for emitters, even though the environment minister claims it is not a carbon tax.

● The premier sent out thoughts and prayers to the Bush family following the death of Former U.S. president George H.W. Bush. Ford said on Twitter Canadians will remember Bush’s “friendship and generous spirit.” ○ Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney will be eulogizing Bush at his funeral this week. Mulroney and Bush led their respective countries at the same time from 1989 to 1993.

● Patrick Brown officially became the mayor of Brampton, and one of his new constituents, former premier Bill Davis, gave him the chain of office.

Funding announcements

● The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services announced $20 million in funding for a new OPP detachment in Huron County. ○ Soon after taking office Premier Doug Ford announced $182 million to improve OPP detachment centres across Ontario.

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