Quotation of the day
“For it to work for them, the way they want it to work, they need business to be opposed to it. Because that’s the populist play.”
On the Curse of Politics podcast, former Liberal strategist David Herle reflects on why it’s a good thing for the PCs if business groups oppose the minimum wage hike.
Today at Queen’s Park
Written by Alan S. Hale
On the schedule
The PCs will release the Fall Economic Statement today, with Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy set to officially table the mini-budget at 1 p.m.
In the house, MPPs will resume second-reading debate on Bill 37, Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act. Debate on this bill will continue in the afternoon once the fall economic statement is unveiled.
In the evening, the house will hold second-reading debate on PC MPPs Christine Hogarth and John Yakabuski’s joint private members’ Bill 18, Polish Heritage Month Act.
Wednesday’s debates and proceedings
MPPs continued second reading of Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, which reached the necessary six-and-a-half hours of debate, meaning it could be put to a vote shortly.
Speaker Ted Arnott issued a ruling rejecting NDP MPP John Vanthof’s complaint about a government motion that allows the chairs of six committees to call meetings at will.
Vanthof said the motion was a misapplication of the standing order that governs house scheduling and is ripe for abuse, but the Speaker said speculative effects of its implementation of the motion are not relevant.
“I therefore find that the motion is a routine motion, properly moved and considered and disposed of by the house and that it does not contain provisions that are abusive of the rules, or that represent an inherent disadvantage to any part of the house,” Arnott decreed.
In the afternoon, MPPs began second-reading debate on Bill 37, Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act.
Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips delivered his lead-off speech on the bill, calling it the solution to fixing Ontario’s long-neglected nursing home system.
“We have a plan that we are executing to fix long-term care and ensure Ontario seniors get the quality of care they need and deserve, both now and in the future,” the minister told the chamber.
The PCs also introduced a motion to extend the province’s remaining emergency powers under the Reopening Ontario Act until March 28, 2022 — the date the government has signalled will mark an end to Covid-releated public health restrictions.
During private members’ time, the MPPs debated NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s Bill 3, Stopping Anti-Public Health Act, which would bar anti-vax protests from outside hospitals. A second-reading vote was deferred.
No vaccine mandate for hospitals, says Ford
Premier Doug Ford waited until chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore finished taking questions from reporters on Wednesday before announcing the province will not issue a vaccine mandate for hospital workers, despite urging from the science table, Ontario Hospital Association and Ontario Medical Association.
“Having looked at the evidence, our government has decided to maintain its flexible approach by leaving human resourcing decisions up to individual hospitals,” Ford said in a statement.
After spending more than two weeks reviewing feedback from hospitals and other groups about the potential impact of a vaccination mandate — input that Health Minister Christine Elliott previously told reporters was largely, but not universally, in favour of a mandate — Ford said the threat of a mass exodus of unvaccinated workers remains too grave to risk.
“When the impact of the potential departure of tens of thousands of health-care workers is weighed against the small number of outbreaks that are currently active in Ontario’s hospitals, I am not prepared to jeopardize the delivery of care to millions of Ontarians,” said the premier, who also pointed out that Quebec just dropped their mandatory vax rule.
Ontario Hospital Association CEO Anthony Dale said he was “disappointed” with the decision, noting a “strong consensus among Ontario’s hospitals” in favour of a mandate and the fact health-care workers are already required to have a suite of vaccinations under the Public Hospitals Act.
Speaking to reporters, Elliott said this is the “right decision for right now,” stressing the protocol would be revisited and potentially changed if there was a spike in infections in workplaces or hospitals. She was also cagey when asked to back up Ford’s claim that “tens of thousands” of workers would quit, only saying the number could be “significant.”
While the hospital association may be in favour of a mandate, the minister argued there were individual hospitals, which she did not identify, concerned about staffing shortages.
“Some places are really struggling more with health human resources than other areas. But that's something, one of the primary concerns, that we needed to take into consideration because we don't want to have to cancel surgeries in Ontario,” said Elliott.
Last month, in a letter to Ford, Dale said losing unvaccinated staff would be preferable to a Covid outbreak hitting one of their facilities. He also noted unvaccinated workers have often been required to quarantine, making staffing unpredictable under the current regime.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she was “shocked” by the province’s decision and accused the PCs of “making decisions that just emboldens the anti-vaxxers.”
Liberal house leader John Fraser argued Elliott declined to release the feedback she received because the government’s position is full of holes, “like Swiss cheese.”
“It's hard to accept an argument that doesn't have any numbers around that the government won't be transparent about it. Quite frankly, it's actually fear mongering,” said Fraser.
Independent MPP Roman Baber had a different take, calling the decision “hollow” because it allows hospitals to continue to enforce their own individual mandates.
“If indeed the Ford government sought to protect health-care capacity, they would impose a prohibition on any health-care institutions from terminating or suspending health-care workers,” he said.
|
|
Minister refuses to release Deloitte study allegedly favourable of MZOs
A mysterious third-party report the PCs have cited as proof that Ministerial Zoning Orders are shoring up jobs and the economy is nowhere to be found.
Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark referenced the study, conducted by Deloitte, last spring during committee hearings on Bill 275, which amended the Planning Act to allow MZOs to override the Provincial Policy Statement, a key document governing land use planning.
“These MZOs are playing a key role in the province’s economic recovery. But, chair, don’t take my word for it. Take it from a recent third-party study that was conducted by Deloitte, which found that some of the projects we helped with an MZO are creating up to $3.1 billion in Ontario’s GDP, and helping to create up to 26,000 full-time jobs,” Clark told the general government committee in March.
A week later, PC MPP Parm Gill repeated Clark’s above statement nearly verbatim — including the phrase “don’t take my word for it” — in the legislature. The same stats were also included in a July news release announcing two new MZOs clearing the way for manufacturing plants in Renfrew County.
However, Clark’s office is refusing to release the full study from Deloitte or provide any other information about its findings.
“This report is not public,” Clark’s spokesperson Kristin Demeny told Queen’s Park Today in August.
A subsequent FOI search for the study turned up no records.
It’s unclear whether the government commissioned the report from Deloitte, although the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing did pay the accounting firm $156,494 in the 2019-20 fiscal year, per the public accounts.
"There is no question that this report should be released,” said Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca.
“Doug Ford has a track record of hiding information that reveals his flawed decision making and the fact that he fast-tracks projects that help his ultra-rich friends, to the cost of the rest of the province. We need far more transparency around how Doug Ford is making decisions and where people's money is being spent," he added. Green Leader Mike Schreiner agreed that “information like this Deloitte report should be made public,” especially since MZOs have been used to fast-track environmentally destructive development.
The PCs have faced sustained criticism for their heavy-handed use of MZOs, but Clark contends they are a “fantastic tool” for helping municipalities get housing and other projects built quickly. Ford has said Ontarians would be forced to live in “mud huts” without them.
Clark’s office did not respond to further questions about the report, nor did Deloitte.
Today’s events
November 4 at 11 a.m. — Toronto
The memorial service to celebrate the life of former premier Bill Davis will be held at Roy Thomson Hall. Premier Doug Ford will attend, as will Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Lieutenant-Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Toronto Mayor John Tory and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who had a close relationship with Davis.
November 4 at 1 p.m. — Queen’s Park
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy will table the Fall Economic Statement in the chamber and deliver a speech before taking questions from reporters.
November 4 at 5:15 p.m. — St. David’s
The Niagara Falls PC Riding Association is hosting a $1,000 fundraiser for Bob Gale, a regional councillor and its candidate who will square off against NDP MPP Wayne Gates next June.
November 4 at 6 p.m. — Vaughan
Ida Li Preti, the Liberal’s candidate for Humber River—Black Creek, will hold a $200 fundraising dinner at the Venetian.
Upcoming events
November 5 at 1 p.m. — Virtual
Green Party deputy leader and Ontario’s former environment commissioner Dianne Saxe will present her party’s climate and environment plan at COP26.
Topics of conversation
- There were 378 new Covid infections on Wednesday. The province reported 237 patients in hospital (up seven) and 137 in ICU with a Covid-related illness (up one).
- Five deaths were added to the provincial toll, putting it at 9,886.
- There were 89 new Covid cases in schools confirmed on Tuesday, 78 of which were among students.
- Meanwhile, 16,933 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday.
- The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has turned to the Superior Court to compel four doctors to co-operate in a probe into their Covid-related decisions, including refusal to turn over records about vaccine exemptions they have issued.
- A lawyer for one of those doctors threatened that college inspectors “will be resisted physically, by private security” if they turned up at her office, arguing the registrar has no “jurisdiction” to “police” medical exemptions.
- Another has been providing exemptions through “Enable Air,” which facilitates bogus exemption cards.
- The Ontario Chamber of Commerce released a new report arguing Ontario is “well positioned to lead the global green economy.” It makes a fleet of recommendations, including urging the province to “establish a provincial framework for carbon offsets” that would create a market emission-reducing activities (which is how the Grits’ now-scrapped cap and trade program operated).
- The chamber is also encouraging the PCs to invest in cleantech commercialization and R&D, as well as make it easier for these firms to obtain private financing by providing targeted loan guarantees and tax incentives.
- For TVO, food writer Corey Mintz argues the PC’s move to get rid of the lower minimum wage for restaurant servers and bartenders is actually the most significant policy change the premier announced Tuesday.
- With the Fall Economic Statement dropping this afternoon, opposition parties took the opportunity yesterday to lay out what they want to see the PCs announce.
- Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca’s top priority is child care. Specifically, he hopes to see some indication the province intends to sign a funding agreement with Ottawa.
- The Green Party wants the PCs to steer away from Highway 413, describing the project as a “climate, fiscal and economic disaster.” (Schreiner may not get his wish; PC sources told Queen’s Park Today to expect a highway-heavy FES.)
- The association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens is launching an “ambitious” provincewide consultation to seek input on a vision for “the Franco-Ontarian School of Tomorrow.” The six-month process will look to address challenges francophone schools are currently facing and what steps can be taken to ensure their sustainability.
Appointments and employments
PCs swiftly nominate candidate to replace Miller
- Less than 24 hours after PC MPP Norm Miller announced he won’t run again in Parry Sound—Muskoka, the party had a new candidate on deck. Association of Municipalities of Ontario president and Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith will aim to keep the riding blue next spring.
- Smith is the fifth sitting mayor to be named a PC contestant in the June election.
OFL prez re-elected
- At its convention this week, the Ontario Federation of Labour re-elected Patty Coates to another term as its president, along with Janice Folk-Dawson as vice-president and Ahmad Gaied as treasurer.
News briefs
Third dose eligibility being expanded on Saturday
- Starting on Saturday, a much wider swath of high-risk Ontarians will be eligible for a third dose of Covid vaccine after roughly 161,000 people received booster shots so far.
- When the rules come into effect, approximately 2.8 million people will be able to book a third jab, including anyone aged 70 or over, those who received two doses of AstraZeneca, health-care workers and other essential caregivers, and Indigenous people along with any of their non-Indigenous household members.
- Other Ontarians will become eligible sometime early next year, even though the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is not yet recommending third doses for the general population. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said this part of the plan was added to head off inevitable questions about a broader booster program.
- “We wanted to signal that third doses will be part of a provincial strategy. We know, because many of our scientists are on the NACI committee, that this will be part of an overarching Canadian strategy, and that we should be transparent ... that we will have a third dose strategy,” said Moore.
QR success
- Seven million people have downloaded their enhanced vaccine certificates, according to Associate Digital Government Minister Kaleed Rasheed. The Verify Ontario App for businesses has been downloaded 1.3 million times, and 3.2 million QR-code scans have been conducted so far.
Funding announcements
The syrup must flow
- The province is providing more than $124,000 to four maple syrup producers in the Parry Sound area to help them purchase new equipment, such as taps, a sugar shack, maple sugar candy-making equipment and a new bottling room.
Money for Indigenous and young artists
- Ontario is increasing financial support for the arts sector with a $5-million grant program to be administered by the Ontario Arts Council. Of that, $4 million will be set out for an Indigenous Arts Support program.
- In 2019, the PCs cut $10 million from the OAC’s budget and eliminated its $5-million Indigenous Culture Fund.
Question Period
Minimum wage
- NDP Leader Andrea Horwath kicked off the debate by noting Premier Doug Ford acknowledged Tuesday he would be unable to live off $15 an hour and blasted him for expecting “literally hundreds of thousands of Ontario workers to do just that.”
- “His low-wage policy took $5,300 out of those very workers’ pockets. For three years, this premier kept that low-wage policy in place. It was one of his many, many bad ideas,” she said.
- Ford claimed minimum wage workers are “doing cartwheels” over the announcement and boasted about the praise union leaders lavished on the government, suggesting it caused the NDP to “go crazy.” He also accused Horwath of moving the goal post by calling for a $17 minimum wage.
- “One day, she’s okay with the $15, and, bingo, the next day, it’s $17. People don’t know where the leader of the NDP stands. She flip-flops back and forth,” he said.
Clawing back veterans’ cash
- Horwath asked Ford if his government will end the policy of reducing provincial support for injured veterans while they are receiving money from the federal government. She noted that the Royal Canadian Legion’s Ontario command has asked the PCs to end “this cruel and disrespectful policy.”
- “This absolutely must stop,” she charged.
- PC MPP Jeremy Roberts said the government showed its commitment to veterans by passing Bill 38 and expanding the mandate of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission last year. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton also promoted the Helmets to Hardhats program, which helps veterans get jobs in the skilled trades.
- “I’m proud to say that a thousand veterans are now on a pathway into a skilled trades job, making six figures with pensions and benefits.That’s how we're making a difference,” said McNaughton.
Ford and Mulroney refuse to talk about golf course meeting
- NDP MPP Catherine Fife called on Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney to explain her visit to Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club just before the route of the Bradford Bypass was changed to avoid it.
- “No one in Ontario believes the story that the minister just happened to show up at the precise location of the new Bradford Bypass on this golf course,” said Fife. “Why won’t the government release the data about why the route was changed? If you have a case for it, make it and share it with the people of this province.”
- Ford did not address the actual issue, accusing the NDP of opposing a project that local residents support. Mulroney stuck to the same tactic while replying in French.
Stalled Highway 69
- NDP MPP Jamie West asked when the PCs plan to complete proposed expansions to Highway 69 near Sudbury, which residents have been awaiting for years.
- ”Surely to goodness, if the premier can snap his fingers to push through the Bradford Bypass for his buddies, he can keep his promise to Sudbury and finish the four-laning of Highway 69,” he said.
- Mulroney responded that work on the project is underway, and that some properties need to be acquired to finish it.
Independent questions
End modified semester
- Independent MPP Roman Baber noted the Ontario School Boards’ Association is asking the province to end the modified semester system, where students take the same two classes every day for a week at a time before switching, and asked the province if it will comply with the request.
- Education Minister Stephen Lecce was noncommittal but said he’s working with the top doc to “pivot back to a more normal experience when it is safe.”
PC questions
PC backbenchers asked their party colleagues softball questions about workplace health and safety, support for veterans and the Verify Ontario app.
|
|
Don't forget to follow Politics Today on social media! You can visit our Facebook page here.
|
|
|
|
