Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report September 05, 2019

Quotation of the day

“He’s kind of like on valium.” ​ ​

On last night’s episode of TVO’s The Agenda, Sun columnist Brian Lilley said he’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ surprised the hasn’t “been a brawler” when faced with Liberal Prime Minister Justin ​ Trudeau’s election baiting. The panel included Queen’s Park Today publisher Allison Smith, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ columnist Martin Regg Cohn and Ford’s ex-marketing director Lauren McDonald. ​ ​ ​ ​

Today at Queen’s Park

On the schedule The House is in recess until Monday, October 28.

Premier watch Premier Doug Ford took the stage at the Canadian Apartment Investment Conference ​ ​ ​ for a fireside chat with Fitzrovia Real Estate CEO Adrian Rocca on the PC’s new Housing ​ ​ Supply Action Plan. The conference, held at the Toronto Convention Centre, bills itself as a hub for “owners, managers, developers, investors and lenders” to gain “valuable insights into the multi-unit residential market.”

The Housing Supply Action Plan, embedded in Bill 108, the More Homes, More Choice Act, ​ ​ which was granted royal assent in June, promised to help increase housing stock by speeding up approvals for real estate development and standardizing development charges across municipalities.

CCLA files lawsuit against mandatory anti- gas-pump sticker law The Canadian Civil Liberties Association officially filed its lawsuit against the Ford government’s mandatory anti-federal carbon tax sticker law in Superior Court Wednesday.

In the statement of claim, the CCLA argues the decals constitute compelled speech and seeks a ​ ​ declaration from the courts that the law violates the Charter right to freedom of expression.

“The provincial government can engage in a war of words with the federal government over the carbon tax, but it cannot use the threat of fines to conscript private businesses to take up its cause,” Cara Zwibel, CCLA’s director of fundamental freedoms, said in a release. ​ ​

Forcing retailers to post a government-mandated message about a political issue is “not reasonable” and “cannot be justified by any compelling government objective,” the non-profit organization goes on to argue.

The CCLA threatened legal action back in April after the act, tucked away in the omnibus budget bill, was introduced, and doubled down when it kicked in August 30.

It requires gas stations to post the stickers to exacting standards, or face hefty financial penalties that start at $500 a day for first-time individual offenders and balloon to $10,000 a day for repeat corporate offenders.

Attorney General ’s office says it will defend its sticker law against the CCLA’s ​ ​ lawsuit.

“Ontario’s position is that the Act ensures that consumers are provided with relevant information about the effect of the federal carbon charge on the price of gasoline,” spokesperson Jenessa ​ Crognali said in an email. ​

The government has said it is focusing on educating gas station owners and it could be some months before fines are levied. Energy Minister has also downplayed the fines, ​ ​ ​ ​ which remain enshrined in law, suggesting scofflaw gas stations may be subject to written warnings and charges under the Provincial Offences Act.

But a wide range of groups, from environmental advocates to the PC-friendly Ontario Chamber of Commerce, have decried the stickers.

Critics say they are misleading and too partisan in the run-up to a federal election in which the carbon backstop is expected to weigh heavily on voters. OCC president Rocco Rossi ​ previously said the fines are “out-sized” and the stickers an example of unnecessary red tape.

Free Wi-Fi coming to GO Transit buses and trains in 2020 Free internet access is coming to all GO Transit buses and trains in 2020.

Associate Transportation Minister was in Milton Wednesday to announce the ​ ​ government will spend $65 million on a five-year wireless internet contract, making good on a PC campaign promise carried over from the Patrick Brown-era People’s Guarantee platform. ​ ​

Provincial transit agency Metrolinx inked a deal with Icomera Canada Inc. to link GO’s 1,475-large fleet of buses and trains to Wi-Fi starting in the spring, with the goal of getting all vehicles online by the end of 2020. Passengers will also get free access to an online portal with entertainment content.

Today’s events

September 5 at 7 a.m. — Toronto ​ ​ ​ ​ Francophone Affairs Minister will speak to the 13th annual Toronto Global ​ ​ Forum, hosted by the International Economic Forum of the Americas, about promoting digital business growth among the francophone community. Ministers Rod Phillips and Stephen ​ ​ ​ Lecce addressed the forum on Wednesday. ​

September 5 at 10 a.m. — Markham ​ ​ ​ ​ Finance Minister Rod Phillips will make an announcement at the CAA store. ​ ​

September 5 at 12:30 p.m. — Sudbury ​ ​ ​ ​ Economic Development Minister will make an announcement at NORCAT, a skilled ​ ​ labour training and development company.

September 5 at 1:30 p.m. — Milton ​ ​ ​ ​ Education Minister and Francophone Affairs Minister Caroline Mulroney will ​ ​ ​ ​ make an announcement at École élémentaire catholique Milton-Sud.

Topics of conversation

● Premier Doug Ford’s former principal secretary has left her lucrative post ​ ​ ​ ​ at the Ontario Energy Board to help Conservative Party of Canada candidates on the election campaign. has the details. ​ ​ ​ ​

● The parents of a teenager who died at the provincially run W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford last year were at Queen’s Park this week to urge the coroner’s office to investigate. Andrea and Gladstone Brown, parents of Samuel Brown, a ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ longtime student at the school, said a public inquest will help ensure past problems haven’t reemerged and protect future vulnerable students, the Canadian Press reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ The school has previously faced allegations of abuse, which sparked a class-action that was settled out of court two years ago.

● The PCs are proposing regulatory changes that would allow municipalities to install photo radar in school and community safety zones on roads with a speed limit of less than 80 kilometres. The CBC has the details. ​ ​

● In her latest op-ed, Associate Transportation Minister Kinga Surma pumps up the PC’s ​ ​ ​ ​ plan for the subway, saying, “We must bring an end to the era of delay and begin the era of progress and construction for rapid transit across Toronto.” ○ As the Star’s transportation reporter Ben Spurr points out, Surma’s column fails ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ to mention the PC’s moves have delayed construction on the Scarborough subway extension by years. Meanwhile, the Ford government has vowed to build the downtown relief Ontario Line two years ahead of City Hall’s timeline, but details are scant and Metrolinx has acknowledged the plan may not be feasible.

News briefs — governmental Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines ● Associate Energy Minister Bill Walker was at a ground-breaking event in the ​ ​ ​ ​ Chatham-Kent area to launch construction on two new natural gas transmission pipelines, which were approved by the Ontario Energy Board. ○ The pipelines, developed by Enbridge Gas, are expected to be in operation as early as the end of this year. ○ Last year the PCs scrapped the former Liberal government’s $100-million Natural Gas Grant Program in favour of Bill 32, the Natural Gas Expansion Act, which ​ ​ then-Infrastructure minister Monte McNaughton promised would create a ​ ​ ​ ​ framework for the Ontario Energy Board “to ensure that natural gas is spread through rural and remote communities in Ontario.”

Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade ● Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli swung by Wednesday to ​ ​ announce $700,000 in funding for six research projects. The minister highlighted one project that will test the fire resiliency of manufactured timber and heritage woods. ○ The funds will flow from the province’s $41-million Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Awards, which will dole out cash to 174 research projects this year.

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

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