Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report May 3, 2019 Quotation of the day “My friends, any time a politician, no matter what party it is, has a guillotine out there, I think that goes a little too far. As a matter of fact, it goes way overboard.” Premier Doug Ford refers to a May Day rally where his effigy was beheaded. ​ ​ ​ ​ Today at Queen’s Park On the schedule The House is adjourned until Monday, May 6. There are 16 scheduled sitting days left before the House rises for the summer break on June 6. Thursday’s debates and proceedings The budget implementation bill, Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act, cleared second ​ ​ reading after question period (Ayes 64; Nays 35). The NDP and Liberals voted against, while three ex-PCs — Jim Wilson, Amanda Simard and Randy Hillier — abstained (Hillier has ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ already said he intends to vote against the budget bill because it makes it harder to sue the Crown). Bill 100 goes under the microscope at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic ​ Affairs and is due back to the House for third reading debate by May 15. Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek tabled Bill 107, Getting Ontario Moving Act, which lays out ​ ​ ​ ​ the TTC subway upload. Among other things, the bill would allow cabinet, via orders-in-council, to declare any transit project the sole responsibility of Metrolinx, and prohibits the City of Toronto and its agencies from working on such projects. The NDP forced a recorded vote on the first reading stage of Bill 107 (as opposed to a voice ​ ​ vote), which is rare, but not unheard of in the current parliament; first reading carried with PC caucus support (Ayes 57; Nays 18). The New Democrats vowed to delay the bill at every possible step. Housing Minister Steve Clark introduced Bill 108, More Homes, More Choice Act. (More on this ​ ​ ​ ​ below.) NDP MPP Bhutila Karpoche tabled her private member’s bill Bill 109, Jennifer's Law (Retail ​ ​ ​ ​ Sales Tax Amendment Act Respecting HST Rebates for Medical Supplies) Act, to remove the provincial eight-per-cent portion of HST from certain medical supplies such as wigs for cancer patients. Two Liberal private members’ bills died and an NDP PMB passed in the afternoon: ● Liberal MPP Michael Coteau’s Bill 72, Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Right to ​ ​ ​ ​ Repair Electronics Products), was killed at second reading. ○ The bill aimed to give consumers more choice in repair options for electronic devices — but Consumer Services Minister Bill Walker said it would break ​ ​ intellectual property rights and stop companies from bringing new technologies to Ontario. ● Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde’s Bill 96, Democratic Participation Act, lost. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ The bill proposed a number of electoral reforms, including lowering the voting age in Ontario to 16, limiting opinion polling during elections, and allowing the use of ranked ballots in by-elections. ● NDP MPP Peggy Sattler’s Bill 102, Closing Oversight Loopholes For Home Care ​ ​ ​ ​ Clinics Act, was sent to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy. ○ Her bill would strengthen complaints and inspections of home care services. Premier watch Premier Doug Ford celebrated former prime minister Stephen Harper’s 60th birthday at a party ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ in Ottawa this week. ​ Ford alerts OPP after protesters decapitate his effigy Premier Doug Ford’s office called in the OPP to investigate a May Day protest where masked ​ ​ demonstrators beheaded his effigy with a bloody mock guillotine. The general protest against the Ford government took place on the legislature’s south lawn on Wednesday, May 1. During Thursday’s question period, Ford said the demonstration went “way overboard.” Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod, herself the target of threats ​ ​ over the autism program drama, suggested the protestors had NDP links. “This is disgusting and it is a sick act that has been condoned by the opposition,” MacLeod said. She called on the New Democrats to condemn the incident and said at least two MPPs who were there — Marit Stiles and Jamie West — should apologize. ​ ​ ​ ​ The NDP didn’t acknowledge the protest in the chamber but denounced the violent guillotine in post-question period scrums. “We don’t condone that type of behaviour,” NDP co-deputy leader Sara Singh told reporters. ​ ​ “We understand people have the right to protest and voice their concerns, but inappropriate behaviour like that, we don’t support.” Tories unveil major housing plan, shake up Planning Act The Tories introduced far-reaching housing legislation Thursday with an eye to boosting supply and affordability. Here are the highlights from Bill 108, which will affect 13 other pieces of legislation: ​ ​ ● Getting rid of development charges to create a secondary suite in new homes, such as units in basements and laneways; ● Going back to the old rules from the Ontario Municipal Board days, but keeping the new Local Appeals Planning Tribunal moniker. LPAT is also being empowered to clear a backlog of planning disputes with more decision-making powers and extra adjudicators; ● Deferring charges for rental housing builds by allowing developers to pay over five years and allowing municipalities to charge interest; ● Updating zoning rules to spur development near public transit; and ● Removing the requirement for new homes to be EV charging station-compatible. The proposal was lauded by real estate stakeholders but faced pushback from Opposition critics and environmental advocates. NDP Housing critic Suze Morrison said the PCs are undermining the control cities and towns ​ ​ have over their own affairs by reverting back to the old OMB rules. “Doug Ford is rolling out the red carpet for his developer friends instead of protecting tenants or making housing more affordable for Ontarians,” she said. The Liberals revamped the quasi-judicial tribunal that was perceived by many as developer-friendly by tipping the decision-making power to municipalities and communities and making it harder for the then-OMB, now-LPAT to overturn those decisions. Ontario Real Estate Association CEO and former PC Party leader Tim Hudak, who has long ​ ​ called on the government to help spur development of “missing middle” housing, said the changes “will bring the Canadian dream of home ownership within reach for struggling families, millennials and new Canadians.” Environmental Defence said “it’s clear the government is putting Ontario’s environment up for sale at bargain basement prices.” The PCs, who say the bill will protect the environment — particularly the Greenbelt, are also proposing changes to endangered species and environmental assessment rules in order to remove barriers for certain “low risk” developments. “We’re concerned this move gives sprawl developers a free pass to pave over farmland, forests and endangered species, putting our clean air, drinking water, local food supply and vulnerable habitats at risk,” the environmental organization said in a statement. Today’s events May 3 at 8:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ ​ Premier Doug Ford hosts Alberta Premier Jason Kenney at his Queen’s Park office. The two ​ ​ ​ ​ leaders will “discuss shared priorities, including the federal carbon tax, Bill C-69, pipelines and ​ ​ ​ interprovincial trade,” according to the premier’s office. Kenney will also deliver a luncheon ​ speech to the Canadian Club at a downtown hotel. Queen’s Park Today’s sister publication AB ​ ​ ​ Today is the event’s media partner. ​ May 3 at 11:30 a.m. – Muskoka ​ ​ Premier Ford will address the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting in ​ Muskoka. Opposition party leaders will also attend and give speeches. ​ May 3 at 11:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ ​ A “Climate Strike” protest is scheduled on the Queen’s Park lawn. Protestors will "raise awareness of climate change and urge elected leaders to take strong action." May 3 at 1 p.m. – Sudbury ​ ​ The energy minister’s parliamentary assistants Paul Calandra and Ross Romano will meet ​ ​ ​ ​ with mining stakeholders in Sudbury as part of consultations on industrial electricity prices. Topics of conversation ● Thirty elective courses at Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School in Toronto are being scrapped because of the Ford government’s plan to increase class sizes from an average of 22 pupils per class to 28, Queen’s Park Today has learned. ​ ​ The courses are related to the arts, lifestyle and social sciences; the school has issued surplus notices to nine of its 60 educators. ○ The education minister’s office did not immediately respond to QPT’s questions. ​ ​ ○ The PCs have staunchly defended proposed changes to public education and maintained that no teachers will lose their jobs as a result. ● Canada’s chief electoral officer Stéphane Perrault has turned down Ontario NDP MPP ​ ​ Taras Natyshak’s complaint about government-mandated anti-carbon-tax gas-pump ​ stickers. ○ Natyshak believed the stickers constituted election advertising and said the provincial government should register as a third-party or the federal Conservative Party should cite the stickers as a campaign expense. But Elections Canada doesn’t oversee activities by the provinces as they relate to issues with the feds, CTV reports. ​ ● Meanwhile, Green Leader Mike Schreiner unveiled his competing sticker campaign. ​ ​ ​ ● Ken Harrower, a disabled man who uses a wheelchair, has filed a human rights ​ complaint arguing Ontario’s recreational cannabis scheme is discriminatory against people with disabilities and lower incomes. Vice has the details. ​ ​ ​ Question period NDP lead-off ● NDP co-deputy leader John Vanthof led with a question about big-city mayors’ ​ ​ concerns over cuts to public health, and wanted to know how the PCs can claim to have a “respectful dialogue” with municipalities when they say the cuts will proceed. ● Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod pivoted to the May ​ ​ Day rally where an effigy of the premier was decapitated by a mock guillotine and masked protesters. She charged the NDP MPPs that were at the protest condoned the guillotine incident and asked Vanthof to denounce it.