Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report November 1, 2019

Quotation of the day

“I’m sure the people of noticed, and the Speaker appreciates it very much. We can do it.”

Speaker closes out the last question period of the first week of the fall ​ ​ session by praising a “higher standard of decorum.”

While MPPs started the week relatively subdued, the rowdiness has ramped up. Take yesterday’s debate for example, when Arnott had to stop the clock because he couldn’t hear over a standing ovation after Premier seemed to take a shot at the ​ ​ Opposition, saying PC MPP is “the only member that’s working their back ​ ​ off in Hamilton.” All other Steeltown MPPs are New Democrats.

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule The house is adjourned until Monday, November 4.

Thursday’s debates and proceedings MPPs kicked off second-reading debate on Bill 116, Foundations for Promoting and Protecting ​ ​ Mental Health and Addictions Services Act, ahead of question period. The bill, tabled in May, would create a central agency for mental health and addictions care and allow Ontario to join class action lawsuits against an “opioid-related wrong.”

The government’s time-allocation motion on Bill 124, which proposes to hold public sector ​ ​ salary increases at one per cent, passed after question period (Ayes 65; Nays 42), with PC support.

Bill 124 itself cleared second reading later that afternoon (Ayes 59; Nays 32). Per the ​ time-allocation motion, the bill will now go under the microscope at the Standing Committee on

General Government with one day of public hearings on November 4; it’s due back to the house for third reading by November 7.

During the afternoon’s private members’ business debate, a PC bill was sent to committee, a Liberal bill was killed and an NDP motion was shot down.

● PC MPP ’s Bill 130 — which proclaims the second Tuesday in May as ​ ​ ​ ​ annual litter cleanup day in Ontario — was referred to the general government committee after receiving unanimous support at second reading.

● Liberal MPP ’s Bill 133, Buy in Canada for Mass Transit, failed at ​ ​ ​ ​ second reading (Ayes 32; Nays 54).

● NDP MPP ’s motion to declare an emergency over opioid overdoses in ​ ​ was voted down by the PCs.

Associate Small Business Minister started off second-reading debate on ​ ​ Bill 132 before the house rose for the weekend. ​

In the park “Moo instead of boo!” PC backbencher was spotted in a cow costume for ​ ​ ​ ​ Halloween day’s question period.

Mitas was the only MPP to get into the spirit inside the chamber, but the PC caucus turned into witches, athletes and a Star Wars character for a video series on safe and accessible ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ trick-or-treating. Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford shook hands with a mini version of himself. ​ ​ ​ ​

The legislature’s former and longest-serving Speaker, , was also in the house to ​ ​ watch Thursday’s question period.

PCs wrap up water-taking review, float expanded fines for violations — but advocates say changes will make it easier, cheaper to pollute

Environment Minister says the government is finishing up its review of water-taking ​ ​ permits and, in the meantime, is tweaking penalties for permit violations.

The PCs had extended the Liberals moratorium on issuing new permits or expanding existing ones for another year; it’s now set to expire on January 1, 2020.

Yurek said he’ll have more to say on the matter in December and that the extension allowed the province to complete a thorough review of its water bottling policies. However, he isn’t ruling out another extension, saying he wants to ensure resources are protected and sustainably used.

Advocacy group Environmental Defence and the township of Wellington Centre are calling on the province to extend the moratorium, according to the CBC. ​ ​

Wellington Centre is where Nestle purchased a well in 2016 that the township had also bid on, spurring criticism that led the Grits to introduce the moratorium.

Meanwhile, Yurek announced proposed regulatory changes to expand the use of administrative ​ ​ financial penalties for breaching key environmental statutes, including the terms of water-taking permits, selling pesticides without a licence and illegal sewage dumping into waterways.

Any cash collected would go back into a rebranded version of the Ontario Community Environment Fund to support green community projects.

Scofflaw entities could still face prosecution, but only for “serious violations.”

The government says Ontario’s current penalty system is limited in scope which has led to gaps in enforcement.

But Keith Brooks, programs director for Environmental Defence, said the changes would ​ ​ actually make it less expensive for companies to pollute.

He pointed out that violating the Water Resources Act currently comes with a fine of up to ​ ​ $100,000 per day, while the PCs want to pare that down to $200,000 per contravention.

“It is highly deceptive of the Ontario government to claim that it is doing more to hold polluters accountable, when they are actually cutting the penalties polluters face,” Brooks said in a statement.

NDP Environment critic accused the Tories of “giving industry a cheaper pass when ​ ​ it comes to dumping sewage in our water, using toxic pesticides and polluting the air.”

“For big companies, these fines are so insignificant that they will simply be incorporated into the cost of doing business,” Arthur said.

People have until November 27 to weigh in on the proposed changes, which are also part of Bill ​ 132, the sweeping red-tape reduction legislation, and the “made-in-Ontario” environment plan. ​

Today’s events

November 1 at 2 p.m. – Oro-Medonte ​

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark will make an announcement at the ​ ​ Township of Oro-Medonte Administration Centre. Area MPPs and ​ ​ ​ will be in tow.

November 1 at 7 p.m. – ​ Newzapalooza, the annual battle of the media bands in support of the Children’s Aid Foundation, goes down at the Opera House. Toronto Mayor is one of the judges. ​ ​

Topics of conversation

● Elementary teachers in York Region have voted overwhelmingly for a strike mandate with 99 per cent support, Global News reports. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of ​ ​ Ontario is wrapping up provincewide strike votes amid ongoing contract negotiations with the province and school boards, and results are expected as early as today. ​ ​ ○ The high school teachers’ and Catholic teachers’ unions are also holding strike votes, with results expected by November 15 and November 13, respectively.

● Minister Lisa MacLeod pumped up her newly named Heritage, Sport, Tourism and ​ ​ ​ Culture Industries file in a luncheon speech to the Economic Club Thursday.

● Steve Paikin, host of The Agenda, looks back on former TVO CEO Lisa De Wilde’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ transformational 14-year tenure on her last day at the provincial public broadcaster, which was yesterday.

● MVP MPP: , the NDP who represents Parkdale-High Park, was voted ​ ​ ​ Toronto’s best MPP in a NOW Magazine reader survey. ​ ​

News briefs — governmental

Ford approves Sidewalk Labs agreement, notes it’s not a done deal ● Premier Doug Ford is taking Thursday’s deal between Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront ​ ​ Toronto with a grain of salt. The deal brings the high-tech Quayside neighbourhood project closer to reality — but Ford noted it “isn’t a final agreement,” but rather a confirmation to continue the conversation. ○ “The right balance has been struck between protecting the interests of the people of Ontario and encouraging investment, innovation and economic development,” Ford said in a statement. ○ The agreement scales back the scope of the project to the 12-acre site instead of an earlier proposal for a 190-acre parcel that stretched into the Port Lands and gives Waterfront Toronto (made up of representatives of all three levels of government) a lead role in data collection. Sidewalk Labs’ proposed “civic data

trust” is no longer on the table, and the company agreed to comply with government privacy standards. ○ Sidewalk Labs, a sister company of Google, also wanted to be the exclusive developer in the area, but agreed to partner with other developers through a public procurement process led by Waterfront Toronto. ○ Ford had called Sidewalk’s earlier proposal a “terrible deal for taxpayers.” ○ “We’re good with the 12 acres, but that’s not going to be my decision, that’s going to be up to the Toronto Waterfront committee to decide that, and I have confidence in them,” Ford said in August. ​ ​ ○ The PCs changed up the provincial representatives on the Waterfront Toronto committee following a damning report from the auditor general in December. ○ The project is now up for a formal evaluation and further public consultation with the final vote pushed to March 31, 2020.

More schooling on the skilled trades ● Education Minister highlighted 122 new programs aimed at encouraging ​ ​ high school students to enter into the skilled trades career field under the Specialist High Skills Major program. ○ The new programs cover 19 different sectors including construction, mining and agriculture at a cost of about $3.5 million, rounding out the total budget for the programs at $42 million for fiscal 2019-20. ○ It’s a topical announcement as next week happens to be “National Skilled Trades and Technology Week.”

Question period

NDP lead-off Long-term care ● Official Opposition Leader devoted several lead questions to the ​ ​ long-term care system, which the financial accountability officer said this week will see wait lists peak and hallway health care get worse despite the PC’s pledge to create 15,000 new beds.

● Horwath accused the PCs of carrying on the Liberal legacy of promising new beds but not actually bringing them into service, claiming just 21 beds were opened under the Ford government.

● Premier Doug Ford fired back with another tidbit from the FAO report, that the province ​ ​ has already allocated roughly half of the planned beds. Ford said the PCs “inherited an absolute mess” from the Liberals when it comes to health care; the FAO pointed out that the number of long-term care beds only increased by 0.8 per cent from 2011 to 2018, which, coupled with an aging population, was a key driver to rising wait lists and times.

● On a follow-up, Long-Term Care Minister touted the FAO’s point that ​ ​ ​ the PC’s 15,000-bed pledge is the first “meaningful” increase to the system in over 15 years.

Hallway health care ● Horwath moved on to an anecdote about Maria Konopeskas, a woman who has spent ​ ​ almost two years stranded in an Ottawa hospital after receiving a minor operation that ​ only required three weeks of recovery. According to Horwath, a chronic shortage of personal support workers means she can’t return home.

● Health Minister said she was aware of the situation and “it should not ​ ​ be happening.” Elliott said people are graduating as PSWs in Ontario but are not sticking with their jobs, adding that she’s heard concerns about their scope of work. ○ The government is working to “develop a human resource plan for people to receive the supports they need whether they’re in hospital, long-term care or in home care,” the minister said. “We are looking at client-partnered scheduling, which allows care providers to make the most of their workforce, and geographic alignment for home care and community care to reduce travel times.”

Daisy autism contracts ● , the critic for ethics and accountability, asked about the Globe and ​ ​ Mail’s report showing Warren Kinsella’s firm Daisy Group did pro bono work for a ​ ​ ​ ​ grassroots group of autistic adults that advocated in favour of controversial autism policies introduced by then-minister Lisa MacLeod. According to the report, Kinsella’s ​ ​ firm also had a contract to provide media training to MacLeod and her office staff last fall — which Natyshak asked Ford to make public. ○ Kinsella reportedly threatened legal action against the autism group when it questioned whether Daisy’s offer was connected to the PC government.

● Ford referred the question to House Leader , who defended MacLeod, ​ ​ saying she “followed all the rules” with respect to the government contract with Daisy.

New Democrats also asked about gun violence, layoffs at Bombardier’s plant and support for people with developmental disabilities.

Independent question Legal aid radio guarantee ● Liberal MPP asked if Ford gave false hope to people requesting legal ​ ​ aid from his office after he guaranteed it on the radio. ○ “The premier was on the phone reassuring people that he would actually … get them the services they need. Instead, they were shuffled from office to office to

office without any hope or any help. Worse, these promises by the premier could be seen as potential political interference,” he said.

● Attorney General Doug Downey flipped the script on Coteau’s previous Liberal ​ ​ government. “It’s not really shocking that our offices talk to each other. I think it’s the silos that were set up by the Liberals that were causing some of the trouble.”

PC friendly questions The Tories asked themselves about Germany-based DHL’s plans for a new $100-million facility at Hamilton’s airport, an operational review of a reportedly dangerous stretch of Highway 11 between Bracebridge and Huntsville, the GTA transit expansion plan and the 15,000-bed pledge for long-term care.

Premier Ford tested out a foreign phrase in response to a softball about last month’s ministerial trade mission to South Korea and Japan.

“Kamsah hamnida. Thank you for the tie that you brought back for me.” ​ ​

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 October 25 – October 31, 2019

● Amir Remtulla, Amir Remtulla Inc. ​ o Clients: Truss Beverages, Dream Maker Inc., Tribute Communities

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

● Chris Benedetti, Sussex Strategy ​ o Group Clients: Evolugen

● Patrick Harris, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Janssen Inc., Loblaw Companies Limited, Properly Operations Inc.

● Aaron Gairdner, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Joint Electrical Promotion Plan

● Patrick Tuns, Upstream Strategy Group ​

o Clients: Information Services Corporation, Alpha Laboratories, Ontario Association of Radiologists

● John Perenack, StrategyCorp Inc. ​ o Clients: Ontario Convenience Stores Association, Juul Labs

● Frank Klees, Klees & Associates Ltd. ​ o Clients: Avenue 7 Developments Inc.

● Alanna Sokic, Global Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc

● Alex Chreston and Jaskaran Sandhu, Crestview Strategy ​ ​ ​ o Clients: REEF Technology

● William Dempster and Jodie Kiss, 3Sixty Public Affairs ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Canadian Cancer Survivor Network (CCSN)

● Ryan Singh, Temple Scott Associates Inc. ​ o Clients: Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

● Katrina Trantau and Daniel McIntyre, Grosso McCarthy Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Medavie Inc.

● Fred DeLorey, DesLauriers Public Affairs / Affaires publiques ​ o Clients: Think Research, LifeLabs, Microsoft Canada Inc.

● Sarina Rehal, Crestview Strategy ​ o Clients: ProResp Inc., Trudell Medical Limited

● Stephanie Dunlop, Hill+Knowlton Strategies ​ o Clients: Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario

● Derrick Araneda, Stosic & Associates ​ o Clients: peopleCare Communities

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

● Shakir Chambers, Navigator Limited ​ o Clients: Alamos Gold

● Elizabeth Wagdin, Global Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: Eczema Society of Canada

● Brian Zeiler-Kligman, Sussex Strategy ​ o Group Inc. Clients: goeasy Ltd.

● Aaron Scheewe, The Capital Hill Group Inc. ​ o Clients: DXC Technology

● Jordan Angus, The Capital Hill Group Inc. ​ o Clients: Strategic Relationship Solutions Inc.

● Nicholas Pozhke, Jill Wilson, Jared Burke and Dan Mader, Loyalist Public Affairs ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Uber Canada, Inc.

● Nicholas Pozhke, Jared Burke and Dan Mader, Loyalist Public Affairs Clients: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association

● Regan Watts, Fratton Park Inc. ​ o Clients: First Cobalt Corp.

● Giancarlo Drennan, Maple Leaf Strategies ​ o Clients: Zebra Technologies

● Lisa Di Lollo, Political Forefront Inc. ​ o Clients: Bannockburn School

● Mike Van Soelen, Navigator Ltd. ​ o Clients: Novo Nordisk Canada Inc

● Craig Brockwell, Solstice Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Ontario Electrical League

● Christine Simundson, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Canadian Niagara Hotels Inc.

● Jaskiran Shoker, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: Mediagrif Interactive Technologies and Minogue Medical Inc.

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

● Adam Yahn, Summa Strategies Canada ​ o Clients: International Boreal Conservation

● Leith Coghlin, EnPointe Development Incorporated ​ o Clients: BHR Energy Incorporated, BHR Inc, GCW Kitchens

● Zoe Gordon, Barell Government Consulting ​ o Clients: Real Time Medical

● Lise-Ann Jackson, Michelle Mackenzie Consulting Inc ​ o Clients: Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission

● Kelly Mitchell, KW Mitchell Consulting Services Inc. ​ o Clients: Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc.

● Aaron Freeman, Pivot Strategic Consulting ​ o Clients: ALUS Canada

● Manny Sousa, Sutherland Corporation Limited ​ o Clients: Veridos Canada Ltd.

● Jeffrey Bangs, Pathway Group Inc. ​ o Clients: NioBay Metals

● Jeffrey Bangs and Peter Curtis, Pathway Group Inc. ​ ​ ​ o Clients: Parks and Recreation Ontario

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

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

● Jaskaran Sandhu, Crestview Strategy ​ o Clients: Minogue Medical Inc.

● Jacob Skinner, Blackridge Strategy Group ​ o Clients: Midtown Ratepayers Association

● Andrea Chmielinski, Steward Wise ​ o Clients: Canon Medical Systems Canada Limited

● Troy Ross, TRM Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Kawartha Downs & Speedway

● Semhar Tekeste, Enterprise Canada ​ o Clients: Chicken Farmers of Ontario

● Phil Trinh, Maple Leaf Strategies Inc. ​ o Clients: Canada Goose Inc.

● Mark Holmes, Marlyn Consulting ​ o Clients: Ducks Unlimited Canada

● John Matheson, StrategyCorp Inc. ​ o Clients: Walker Aggregates

● Brian Teefy, StrategyCorp Inc. ​

o Clients: Walker Aggregates

Organizations that registered in-house lobbyists from October 25 – October 31, 2019

● The Toronto Region Board of Trade ● Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association ● Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals ● Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies ● AdvantAge Ontario (formerly Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors ● ● Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada ● Canadian Microelectronics Corporation ● Canadian Energy Pipeline Association ● Canadian Beverage Association ● Workers’ Action Centre ● Ontario General Contractors Association ● Canadian Hearing Society ● Ontario Society of Professional Engineers ● Association of Power Producers of Ontario ● Hydro One Networks Inc. ● Isologic Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals Ltd. ● Allergan Inc. ● Keurig Canada ● Rogers Communications Inc. ● Abbott Laboratories, Limited ● Cronos Group Inc. ● Amgen Canada Inc. ● Alamos Gold Inc.

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

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