|
Quotation of the day
“The member is imagining problems that don't even exist. Our system has not crashed yet … the system will not crash!”
Health Minister Christine Elliott shot back at NDP MPP Doly Begum for suggesting that because the province did not allow pre-registration of children for vaccines, as other provinces have done, the booking system may become overloaded.
Today at Queen’s Park
Written by Alan S. Hale
On the schedule
Today, MPPs will continue debating a motion to extend the province’s emergency pandemic powers until March 28.
Two private members’ bills will receive second-reading debate today:
- NDP MPPs Peggy Sattler, Jill Andrew, Doly Begum and Sara Singh’s Bill 8, Stay Home If You Are Sick Act; and
- NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong’s Bill 14, Time to Care Act (Long-Term Care Homes Amendment, Minimum Standard of Daily Care).
Also coming up this week, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will begin public hearings on Bill 43, the Fall Economic Statement legislation, on Friday morning. They will continue next Monday and Tuesday.
Monday's debates and proceedings
In the afternoon, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones put forward a motion to extend emergency powers through the end of March. By then, the province says vaccine mandates and indoor masking will have gone the way of the dodo.
The extension is a “dimmer switch,” Jones said, that will allow the government to phase out public health restrictions gradually, instead of having them all stop at once on December 1 (when the remaining emergency powers are currently slated to end).
New Blue MPP Belinda Karahalios had wanted to lead the charge against the motion but was not in the house to speak against it on Monday because she has contracted Covid.
“Unfortunately, I am barred from debating or voting against Motion 8 because on Friday I received a confirmed positive test for COVID-19. I have been ordered to stay home until November 30th and I am barred from entering Queens Park,” she wrote in an email to supporters. “I was sick for a couple of days but am feeling much better.”
Karahalios attended question period Thursday, the day prior to her diagnosis.
Meanwhile, NDP MPP Bhutila Karpoche introduced private member’s Bill 55, Menstrual Health Day Act, which would proclaim every May 28.
Premier watch
Premier Doug Ford was in Orillia on Monday to announce his “ironclad commitment” to helping more Ontarians undertake skills training. The Second Career Program, which provides financial support to laid-off workers, will be expanded this spring to allow gig workers, newcomers and those who are on social assistance or self-employed to enrol.
He also touted the Jobs Training Tax Credit, which, as previously announced in the mini-budget, will be extended until 2022. Another year of the tax credit will cost about $275 million and help out nearly a quarter of a million people, per Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. The average rebate is about $1,150.
The PC government is “determined to do whatever we can to help connect workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic by providing the training they need to start new in-demand and well-paying careers,” said Ford at the press conference.
It being National Housing Day, the premier also reiterated his promise to sit down with municipalities to explore ways of addressing unaffordable housing prices, with a focus on increasing the supply of new units by reducing the time it takes to obtain building permits.
Ford railed against reports of property developers cancelling pre-construction condo contracts and asking buyers to pay another $100,000 on top of the originally agreed-upon price. The province could change the law to make it illegal for developers to back out of contracts because of increased building costs, the premier indicated.
“Nothing burns me up more. Some developers just trying to make extra money off the backs of hard-working people? Unacceptable,” declared Ford. “If you sign a contract, you better build the damn house at that price, because we aren't going to let you off, simple as that.”
Ford also confirmed media reports that the OPP is investigating a possible hack of the province’s vaccine booking system.
“I think its [impact is] limited, according to the briefing I've received over the weekend,” said the premier.
Auditor general slams province’s half-hearted effort to protect environment
A series of five environmental audits released yesterday by auditor general Bonnie Lysyk detailed a pattern of government ministries going about their duty to safeguard the environment half-heartedly, or shirking it entirely, while “deliberately” taking steps to avoid public scrutiny.
In particular, the 172-page probe called out the environment ministry for a “lack of leadership” when it comes to enforcing the Environmental Bill of Rights Act (EBR) — which other ministries have been violating by skimping on consultations — and by acting “contrary to the spirit” of the EBR itself.
This has resulted in a low compliance rate with the EBR across government, with the environment ministry the worst offender — having fully met its legislated requirements just 18 per cent of the time.
“That’s the conundrum,” Lysyk responded when asked if Ontario can be said to truly have a Ministry of the Environment. “We believe that the public would expect a ministry named the Ministry of the Environment to take the lead and be proactive in ensuring Ontario’s environment is protected for generations. However, our work indicated that there are many areas where this is not the case.”
Environment Minister David Piccini thanked Lysyk and environment commissioner Tyler Schulz for their report and promised to consider the recommendations. But he pushed back on the image it painted of his department, arguing Ontario is the only province on track to meet its 2030 climate change targets. (That is mostly due to the former Liberal government’s decision to phase out coal production.)
“We just don’t see it that way,” said Piccini when asked by Queen’s Park Today how he accounts for the government’s apathy towards the environment as described in the audits.
Opposition leaders said the report served as confirmation of the PC’s lack of caring for the environment and, as Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca put it, that all their talk about environmental protection was just “political theatre.”
“Today's attorney general's report confirmed what all of us know: Doug Ford has set Ontario on a path towards environmental destruction,” fumed Green Leader Mike Schreiner. “It's a sad day in this province, when the auditor general is fielding questions around whether the Ministry of the Environment is even there to protect the environment.”
Per the AG:
- Piccini’s ministry deliberately avoided consulting Ontarians on significant changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and Environmental Assessment Act — and proposed to exempt a fleet of items from the latter, including forestry activities on Crown land and the Bradford Bypass;
- The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing didn’t consult on Planning Act changes in Bill 197, last July’s omnibus economic recovery bill that beefed up the power of Ministerial Zoning Orders (something a judge recently censured it for); and
- The Ministry of the Attorney General did the same by not consulting on a recent justice reform bill that amalgamated a bunch of tribunals, altering the hearing process for many environmental matters.
|
|
Ontario ignoring responsibility to protect species at risk, value-for-money audit finds
On the Endangered Species Act, Lysyk found the environment ministry “is not acting in line” with the law’s mandate to “identify, to protect and to promote” species’ recovery.
No new species have been added to the list of those at risk because the committee responsible for assessing them lacked a quorum for 2019 and 2020.
The ministry, under both the Liberals and PCs, has also not provided enough money for enforcement and has “never” denied an application permit that would harm a species at risk or its habitat since the law was passed in 2007, per Lysyk.
Piccini noted he, as minister, is not responsible for issuing such permits, but rather it is the job of a committee that counts conservationists among its members. When asked about Lysyk’s observation that this committee also includes many representatives from industry, Piccini said the government strives to be inclusive.
“It includes conservationists, experts in agriculture, land use planning, we embrace the diversity of opinion, we don't shun it,” said Piccini.
The value-for-money audit on species at risk efforts also found the Ministry of the Environment does not do inspections to ensure developers are living up to the deals they make on species protection; government spending on wildlife stewardship is decreasing; and conservation project approvals often face delays while development applications are fast-tracked.
Province leaving polluters off the hook for spills, while industry fails to recycle
One of the five audits revealed there have been 40,000 hazardous spills in Ontario between 2016 and 2020, but 94 per cent were caused by entities not subject to spill prevention regulation, so the province cannot impose financial penalties.
On top of that, the government is not attempting to recoup cleanup costs from those who caused the spills.
“This means that taxpayers and not the spillers are covering the costs,” said Lysyk. “Just 30 spills cost Ontarians an estimated $4.5 million in spill response costs ... The total amount of unrecovered costs is potentially tens of millions of dollars more.”
Piccini noted most of those spills are very small, but the government still responded to nearly 94,000 related calls in 2020. He said enforcement does “go after” firms who cause major spills and repeat offenders.
Meanwhile, the AG found Ontario’s industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector — which creates 60 per cent of the province’s waste — is only diverting 15 per cent of it to recycling facilities, down from 17 per cent in the past.
“This trend is headed in the wrong direction,” said Lysyk. “If Ontario continues on its current trajectory of waste generation and disposal, existing landfill capacity in the province will be exhausted within the next 11 to 14 years … Yet the environment ministry has not taken concerted efforts and actions to drive ICI waste diversion.”
Piccini pointed to the province’s implementation of a new producer-responsibility recycling system in Ontario as proof the PCs are taking the issue seriously. He maintained that stance when it was noted that blue box recycling only impacts residential waste, which is already being diverted at a much higher rate than ICI.
“We would have expected the Ministry of the Environment to operate in the same manner as the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Social Services operate, where they are focused on making improvements to what they do,” Lysyk said.
“What we see in the Ministry of the Environment would not be considered improvements in the area of the environment.”
Today’s events
November 23 at 9 a.m. — Toronto
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and several of her MPPs will hold a presser to “reignite” the fight for paid sick days ahead of Bill 8 being debated in the house.
November 23 at 10:30 a.m. — Bradford
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney and Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg will make an announcement about supporting Ontario’s fire services.
November 23 at 2:30 p.m. — Belleville
Culture Minister Lisa MacLeod will make an announcement at a local Humane Society alongside PC MPP Todd Smith.
Topics of conversation
- The province confirmed 627 new Covid cases on Monday. The province also reported 136 patients in hospital (up 29) and 133 in ICU with a Covid-related illness (down two).
- One more death was added to the provincial toll, putting it at 9,968.
- There were 112 new school cases confirmed on Monday, 95 of which were among students.
- Meanwhile, 11,208 vaccine doses were administered on Sunday.
- Vaccine booking for those aged five to 11 opens today. The Remote Immunity program to immunize Indigenous people in far-flung reserves will take to the skies again to get children in those communities their jabs ASAP.
- After two months of seniors and children being unable to access eye care services covered by OHIP, the impasse between the PC government and Ontario Association of Optometrists has come to an end, at least temporarily.
- The association announced Monday afternoon it has decided to suspend its service withdrawal “as a sign of good faith” after rejoining negotiations.
- The first meeting will be held today, and both sides have agreed to a media blackout while negotiations are ongoing.
- Inspectors with the Ontario College of Trades have received their layoff notices, as expected, but have not gotten offers for new jobs at the college’s replacement, Skilled Trades Ontario, despite indications they were promised successor rights from the previous Liberal government.
News briefs
NDP to introduce anti-Islamophobia bill with Liberal support
- The NDP announced Monday it will introduce the Our London Families Act, which was designed in partnership with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to prevent attacks like those seen in London and Etobicoke this past year. The bill is still being written but will contain measures such as barring white supremacist groups from registering as societies and clamping down on anti-Muslim intimidation on provincial property.
- Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said his party will enthusiastically support the bill and even put forward one of its MPPs as a co-sponsor.
- When asked whether the government would also support it, Multiculturalism Minister Parm Gill was noncommittal, while acknowledging that “more work needs to be done” on the issue.
- “I’d like to remind the members opposite that this is not a political issue. If they are serious about helping address this issue, work with our government, work with us. As I mentioned, we are making the necessary investments,” said Gill.
Funding announcements
Mental health supports for farmers
- The province and Ottawa are jointly spending more than $7 million to launch two new mental health initiatives for the agricultural sector, which will provide farming families with free counselling services and connect at-risk farmers with support and resources tailored for them. Both initiatives will launch next year.
- The announcement coincided with Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s AGM on Monday.
Question Period
NDP lead-off
Social supports vs. inflation
- NDP MPP Bhutila Karpoche asked why social supports such as ODSP and Ontario Works are not increasing their payouts to keep in line with the rising cost of living.
- Children and Social Services Minister Merrilee Fullerton said social assistance funding is going up by $341 million this year and listed off a raft of programs the government pays for. However, she also acknowledged there are “pressures” on the social services system.
Child care staffing shortage
- NDP MPP Jennie Stevens noted that child care centres are operating with only half their staff in areas of the province such as Niagara. She blamed this on child care workers’ wages, something that could be addressed if Ontario inked a deal with Ottawa.
- Education Minister Stephen Lecce appeared to confirm reports that a pact is in the offing, with a meeting set for today.
- “We’re committed to getting a deal. We’re working with the federal government this week, meeting with them with the aim to land a fair deal for the people we serve, one that’s accessible, one that is sustainable and flexible to support all parents in this province,” he said.
Lawsuit prevented Rickford from talking about permits with Grassy Narrows
- NDP Indigenous and Treaty Relations critic Sol Mamakwa called it “disrespectful” that Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford refused to discuss land use issues at a meeting with the leaders of Grassy Narrows First Nation last week.
- “When will Ontario stop working against Grassy Narrows and work with them to resolve these land protection issues?” asked Mamakwa.
- Rickford’s parliamentary assistant Dave Smith explained the minister was forced to avoid the subject because Grassy Narrows has sued the province.
- “Unfortunately, because there are ongoing legal proceedings, we’re not able to discuss the issues around the mining claims. When the legal proceedings are completed, we’ll be able to discuss it further at that point, but as long as this is before the courts, I’m afraid that there is nothing more that I can say on that,” he said.
Independent questions
Making paid sick days permanent
- Liberal house leader John Fraser noted Ontario’s temporary paid sick leave program expires on December 31, and called on the province to make it permanent.
- Government house leader Paul Calandra skirted the issue, focusing instead on the vaccination of children.
- “The real important part here is that, very soon, children from five to 11 will be able to get those vaccinations, and we expect the people of the province of Ontario will embrace that, as they have, to give us one of the highest vaccination rates in the entire world.”
Can’t beat environmental virtue-signalling
- Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter asked the province if it agrees with views that Independent Electricity System Operator chair Joe Oliver shared in a recent op-ed, in which he argued that Canada cannot “indulge in costly virtue-signalling and moral gestures” forever or it risks destroying the economy, and that Canadians should be “appalled” that the country had the largest delegation at COP26.
- “This is from your hand-picked chair of the IESO,” noted Hunter. “Do you share the view that addressing the rising threat of climate change will reduce our standard of living and endanger our security and national unity?”
- Energy Minister Todd Smith sidestepped the question, refusing to criticize Oliver.
PC questions
PC backbenchers asked their party colleagues softball questions about opportunities stemming from the proposed Ring of Fire chromite development, measures to keep schools safe and winter opportunities at provincial parks.
Oops!
Friday’s edition of Queen’s Park Today misidentified Indigenous Elder Valerie King, who performed a smudging ceremony at the unveiling of an Indigenous art piece in the house chamber. We regret the error.
|
|
Don't forget to follow Politics Today on social media! You can visit our Facebook page here.
|
|
|
|
