Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report October 11, 2019 Quotation of the day “Made-to-Fail” Green Leader Mike Schreiner responds to a recent Environmental Defence report slamming ​ ​ the PC’s inaction on greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. Today at Queen’s Park On the schedule The house is on extended recess until Monday, October 28. PC’s mini-budget drops November 6 with lower-than-projected deficit The Ford government’s second mini-budget hits the table November 6. Finance Minister Rod Phillips announced the release date of the Fall Economic Statement in a ​ ​ luncheon speech to a business crowd in downtown Toronto on Thursday. “We are on track to beat our 2019 deficit projection of $10.3 billion,” Phillips told the Canadian Club. “We are continuing on our prudent path to balance to ensure we meet our goal to balance the budget by 2023,” one year after the next scheduled election. When he released the public accounts last month, Phillips revised the deficit for 2018-19 down from $15 billion to $7.4 billion. Conservative insiders told Queen’s Park Today the 2019-20 deficit is expected to be higher than ​ ​ the $7.4 billion recorded last year but come in under the $10.3 billion forecast. While the PCs have recently backtracked on a slew of funding cuts, including to municipalities, children with autism and education unions in the face of public backlash, much of the savings outlined in the public accounts were owed to higher tax revenues, less program spending than originally forecast and not dipping into the billion-dollar reserve arsenal. At the time, strategists pointed out the lower deficit was likely the result of a one-time bump and ​ ​ said the PCs will have to do more to show they’re reining in the deficit in future years. For now Phillips is keeping details close to the vest. “We’ll have to wait until November 6 to actually announce the number,” he told reporters. The Fall Economic Statement will hit the sweet spot between “a prudent approach that gets us to balance” and one "that understands that we are continuing to make investments, to listen.” The minister rounded up the PC’s greatest policy hits in his speech and emphasized Ontario’s competitiveness on the global stage, saying “we have not been punching at the weight we need to.” The official Opposition expects more cuts are in the offing. “The gloomy outlook that keeps being provided is to ... justify and rationalize the need for these cuts,” said NDP co-deputy leader Sara Singh. She chided the Tories for “continuing to focus on ​ ​ the deficit rather than talking about the services that people in this province need.” In addition to sitting PC MPPs and ministers, former Tory premier Mike Harris, Postmedia exec ​ ​ Paul Godfrey and ex-PC cabinet minister Janet Ecker were spotted at the event. ​ ​ ​ Later on, Phillips shared a laugh with reporters in a scrum when it was pointed out that he chose to wear a yellow tie — a sartorial staple of his predecessor, now-Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli, who was demoted less than three months after tabling the PC’s first budget, ​ ​ which was not well-received by the public. Today’s events October 11 at 10:30 a.m. — Sault Ste. Marie ​ Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano will make an announcement at Sault ​ ​ College. Upcoming events October 12 - 24 — South Korea and Japan ​ Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli, Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman and Seniors ​ ​ ​ ​ Minister Raymond Cho are jetting off on a trade mission to South Korea and Japan until ​ ​ October 24. ● A government release says Fedeli will pump up Ontario’s automotive and aerospace sectors; Hardeman will lead a delegation of agri-food leaders to open up markets for Canadian pork, beef and canola exports impacted by trade troubles with China; and Cho will help the pair promote Ontario. October 15 at 8 a.m. — Toronto ​ StrategyCorp’s Institute of Public Policy and Economy officially launches with a wonkish ​ ​ discussion on major policy topics facing Queen’s Park. The new think-tank is the brainchild of Mitch Davidson, who was most recently Premier Doug Ford’s executive policy director and a ​ ​ ​ key architect of the PC’s election platform (and the People’s Guarantee iteration that preceded it). Topics of conversation ● A ruling from Ontario’s Superior Court is expected today in Greenpeace Canada’s case against the Ford government’s cancellation of the Liberal-era cap-and-trade program. The lawsuit, launched last September, alleges the PCs failed to adequately consult the public before scrapping the program. ● As parents and students staged walk-ins at hundreds of schools across the province to protest the Ford government’s changes to education Thursday, the union representing high school teachers in ongoing contract talks says it’s “discouraged and disappointed.” ○ Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ ​ Federation, told members in a memo that the provincial government’s negotiators came to the bargaining table “unprepared” and with no new proposals on major issues. ○ Thursday was the last day of scheduled negotiations and Bischof said the union will now fall back and “consider our next steps.” The OSSTF has been publicly posting bargaining updates online. ○ Bischof told the Toronto Star that Crown negotiators are saying the deal inked ​ ​ ​ ​ with CUPE school support staff has no impact on bargaining with OSSTF, but Finance Minister Rod Phillips has publicly indicated he wants other education ​ ​ unions to stick to the proposed one-per-cent annual compensation cap. ○ Meanwhile, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario continues to hold job action votes; union brass have asked members for a strike mandate. ● Environment Minister Jeff Yurek took issue with Thursday’s report from advocacy group ​ ​ Environmental Defence that suggests the government’s progress on implementing the “made-in-Ontario” environment plan is virtually nil. ○ Yurek, who was shuffled into the file about four months ago, said the government “has already made significant progress toward further consultations and implementation on approximately 20 key commitments” since the plan was introduced last November. That includes finalizing emission performance standards for large industrial emitters, proposing changes to municipal sewage and water management under the provincial policy statement, and naming a special adviser on flooding. ○ “Our government is focused on smart regulatory and policy approaches to facilitate and enable innovation rather than hindering it,” Yurek added. ○ But there doesn’t seem to be much movement to establish the $400-million Ontario Carbon Trust board. The emission reduction fund was a keystone of the plan and will use public money to leverage private investment in clean technologies. “Our government continues to review comments received through the environmental registry and to consult with stakeholders on the design and mandate of the emission reduction fund,” said a statement from the ministry. ● Ottawa City Councillor Stephen Blais announced Thursday he will run for the Ontario ​ ​ Liberals in the forthcoming Orléans byelection. The seat has been vacant since last month when ex-MPP Marie-France Lalonde resigned after winning the federal Liberal ​ ​ nod to run in the same riding in the October 21 election. ○ Premier Doug Ford has until March 23 to call the byelection. ​ ​ ● Bad news for Queen’s Park-watchers hoping for fisticuffs: Premier Kathleen Wynne has ​ ​ dropped out of next week’s panel discussion at the University of Toronto that also ​ ​ features Jeff Ballingall, founder of Ontario Proud, the third-party group often credited ​ ​ with spurring Wynne’s electoral defeat last spring. The event will still take place with the smaller-than-planned panel, but refunds are being offered. Appointments and employments Ministry of Health ● The Ford government has enlisted Jim Pine as a special advisor to lead consultations ​ ​ with municipalities and stakeholders on changes to public health and emergency services, including a plan to consolidate the province’s 35 health units. Pine is the chief administrative officer of the County of Hastings and was previously on the board of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. ○ Consultations kick off this fall and are expected to wrap up in 2020. News briefs — governmental Ministry of Education ● Minister Stephen Lecce announced nearly $40 million to help improve student mental ​ ​ health on Thursday, which was also World Mental Health Day. ○ The funding envelope includes $25 million to put about 180 social workers, psychologists and psychotherapists in high schools and $3 million for well-being programs in all district school boards. Ministry of Health ● Minister Christine Elliott earmarked up to $500,000 for planning a redevelopment and ​ ​ expansion of the emergency department at Scarborough’s Birchmount hospital, perhaps putting to ease some Tory MPPs who were reportedly worried about losing services, and ​ ​ their seats in the area. ○ However, the PCs aren’t planning on reversing the hospital administration’s decision to move the pediatric and obstetrics departments 10 kilometres away to Scarborough General. 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 4, 2019 – October 10, 2019 ● David Angus, The Capital Hill Group Inc. ​ o Clients: Rycom ● Fraser Macdonald, Stosic & Associates ​ o Clients: BlueRush Inc. ● Carol Mitchell, Counsel Public Affairs Inc. ​ o Clients: Grape Growers of Ontario ● Patrick Tuns, Upstream Strategy Group ​ o Clients: Alpha Laboratories ● Natalia Lasakova, Global Public Affairs ​ o Clients: Outdoor Power Equipment Institute of Canada ● Lauren McDonald, Proof Inc. ​ o Clients: Ontario Virtual School ● Kevin MacAdam, Self-Employed ​ o Clients: P.G.B. Estate Developments Inc ● Aaron Gairdner, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Allvision, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Himelfarb Proszanski Barristers & Solicitors ● Wayne Snow, Fulcrum Advocacy ​ o Clients: Call2Recycle ● Shakir Chambers, Navigator Limited ​ o Clients: Clorox (GLAD) Company of Canada Ltd.