Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report April 12, 2019 Quotation of the day “Our path to balance in five years is a thoughtful and a measured approach … Our entire premise is to protect what matters most.” Finance Minister Vic Fedeli projects getting Ontario back in black by 2023-24, two years after ​ ​ Premier Doug Ford said he would while on the campaign trail. ​ ​ ​ Today at Queen’s Park On the schedule The House is adjourned until Monday at 10:30 a.m. for question period. Thursday’s debates and proceedings Bill 87, Fixing the Hydro Mess Act, will go under the microscope at the Standing Committee on ​ General Government after clearing a second-reading vote after question period (Ayes 69; Nays 37). In the afternoon, Finance Minister Vic Fedeli delivered the budget statement in the chamber; ​ ​ the PC caucus wore yellow in a nod to the finance minister’s trademark tie. Fedeli also introduced the official budget bill, Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act ​ ​ (Budget Measures). It was granted first reading. In the park Ex-premier Mike Harris was at the Pink Palace for the budget release, and told a reporter he ​ ​ ​ thought Budget 2019 was the “best budget I’ve seen in 16 years,” which is when the conservatives were last in power. In a rare move, federal Liberal Ontario MPs Adam Vaughan and Mona Fortier were on hand at ​ ​ ​ ​ the legislature to criticize the provincial budget. Today’s events April 12 at 8:30 a.m. – Scarborough ​ ​ Finance Minister Vic Fedeli will attend a post-budget 2019 breakfast event at the Chinese ​ ​ Cultural Centre. April 12 – Ottawa ​ ​ Three federal Liberal cabinet ministers will hold a morning press conference on the Hill to criticize the Ford government’s budget. April 12 at 12:30 p.m. – Blue Mountains ​ ​ Premier Doug Ford will address the Ontario General Contractors Association. ​ ​ Topics of conversation ● Some union leaders were unwelcome at the government’s official stakeholder budget lock-up and barred from joining in the post-budget media scrums in the legislature, according to a report from CBC. The premier’s office says they blocked anyone who was ​ ​ not wearing their budget lanyard — even “PC-friendly” stakeholders. ● Ontario’s classic new logo is already on display on the government’s website. ​ ​ ○ Team Ford also handed out custom plates to its local media outlets. ​ ​ Political reaction New Democratic Party of Ontario “The Ford Conservatives are cutting $1 billion in funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, and are slashing close to three-quarters of a billion dollars in funding for post-secondary education in this fiscal year alone — while Ford is also keeping universities and colleges under his thumb with a threat that as much as 60 per cent of their remaining funding could be withheld.” - Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath criticizes the budget for keeping program ​ ​ spending growth behind inflation and politicizing post-secondary education goals. Ontario Liberal Party “The Ford government can find money for partisan election advertising to help their friend Andrew Scheer and six figure jobs for failed candidates and family friends. Yet, they can’t find ​ money for things that matter most to Ontario families — like adequately funding health care, education, and supports for vulnerable people.” - Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser says the budget is not “protecting what matters most ​ ​ to Ontarians.” Green Party of Ontario “Budgets really reflect the values and priorities of a government. And with this government, it’s clear what they want to protect is booze, gambling and tailgating.” - Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner takes a shot at Premier Doug Ford’s priorities ​ ​ ​ ​ during the budget lockup. Stakeholder reaction AMAPCEO “This amounts to a loss of thousands of years of knowledge and experience from the public service. It’s an enormous blow to the capacity of the public service that Ontarians rely on, each and every day.” - AMAPCEO president Dave Bulmer says a coat of blue paint on licence plates can’t hide ​ ​ the budget’s reveal that the public service has shrunk by 3.5 per cent since Premier Ford took office. (The budget says the job reduction was through attrition.) Aviva Canada “Aviva Canada fully supports the PC government’s transformative plan to reform auto insurance in Ontario … By cutting red-tape and reducing costs in the system, the government’s plan will allow insurers to offer products that meet an individual consumer’s specific needs at more affordable prices.” - Aviva Canada’s managing director of personal insurance Phil Gibson ​ Canadian Federation of Independent Business “CFIB has long advocated that red tape reduction efforts should go beyond ministries to also include arms-length agencies … We are encouraged that the government has already completed a review of 60 of over 190 agencies.” - CFIB’s Ontario spokesperson Julie Kwiecinski applauds the government’s promise to ​ ​ cut red tape by 25 per cent by 2020. Environmental Defence “There is no mention of funding for Ontario’s Environment Plan, except for the previously announced $400 million five-year emissions reduction fund. That means no money toward any of the other actions Ontario identified as part of their plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and no spending associated with other environmental commitments, such as protecting the Great Lakes and fighting plastic pollution.” - Environmental Defence spokesperson Allen Braude says the budget fails the ​ ​ government’s own environment goals. Greenpeace “The 35 per cent cut to the Ministry of Environment and promised attacks on environmental protections makes this the most anti-environmental budget in Ontario since the deadly tainted-water disaster in Walkerton. The gutting of Ontario’s climate action plan in combination with the taxpayer-financed partisan campaign against federal climate action expose a government that is deeply in denial on the urgency of the climate crisis.” - Greenpeace Canada spokesperson Keith Stewart ​ Monarchist League of Canada “Why Premier Ford, who claims to be a supporter of the Monarchy, would relegate the Crown at least to second place if not invisibility in its proposed new position on licence plates, is to be regretted.” - Chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada Robert Finch says the Crown logo on ​ ​ newly designed licence plates may be covered up by protective frames. Ontario Health Coalition “Hospital funding increase is less than inflation: this means real dollar cuts. It is half of what the Ontario Hospital Association said was required to prevent cuts … There is no information on how the new long-term care beds could be funded in this funding plan.” - OHC’s Natalie Mehra says the budget does not contain enough funding to maintain ​ ​ existing health-care service levels, let alone improved ones. Ontario Real Estate Association “OREA is pleased to see today’s budget commit the Province to moving forward with its Housing Supply Action Plan this spring. Cutting red tape on development, reducing costs for home buyers and speeding up the approvals process will increase housing supply across the province, creating more affordable choices for Ontario families and first-time home buyers.” - OREA CEO Tim Hudak, who also noted that making Ontario “A Place to Grow” is a ​ ​ thing realtors do for Ontario families everyday. Ontario Chamber of Commerce “We are encouraged by the robust plan for returning the province to a balanced budget, including meaningful action to improve government accountability. This budget is focused on spending smarter rather than resorting to austerity measures … Ontario Job Creation Investment Incentive will provide much-needed tax relief for industry while promoting investment and job growth.” - Ontario Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Rocco Rossi. Rossi’s accolades ​ ​ are also quoted in the budget papers. Ontario Nurses Association "While we haven't seen full details of Premier Ford's plans to restructure our health-care system, the budget seems to add more complexity to the puzzle, particularly on the government's intention to restructure public health." - ONA president Vicki McKenna says Ontario nurses are questioning whether this budget ​ ​ will actually reduce wait times. SEIU Healthcare “The road to ending hallway medicine will not be reached with the 2019 Ontario budget." - The health-care and community service workers’ union says the budget will make “the coming years” hard on frontline workers. 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 April 5, 2019 – April 11, 2019 ● Aaron Gairdner, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Joint Electrical Promotion Plan; Provincial Building and ​ ​ ​ Construction Trades Council of Ontario ● Patrick Harris, Rubicon Strategy Inc. ​ o Clients: Loblaw Companies Limited, Fiera Foods ​ ● Adam Moote, Armstrong Communications Inc. ​ o Clients: Masonry Worx ​ ● Adam Yahn, Summa Strategies Canada ​ o Clients: Convenience Industry Council of Canada ​ ● Aleem Kanji, Kevin Whyte, Sutherland Corporation Limited ​ o Clients: Conduent Transportation ​ ● Manny Sousa, Monika Bujalska, Sutherland Corporation Limited ​ Clients: Conduent Transportation; Veridos Canada Ltd. ​ ● Aleksander Stosic, Stosic & Associates ​ o Clients: TerraFarma Cannabis ​ ● Rebecca Grundy, Stosic & Associates ​ o Clients: TerraFarma Cannabis; Ontario Psychological Association ​ ● Amir Farahi, Blackridge Strategy ​