Vulnerable:The province’s COVID-19 science advisory table says that the pandemic continues to hit low-income populations the hardest. According to modeling published late last week, during the Omicron wave low-income neighbourhoods experienced two to two-and-a-half times the mortality rate experienced in the highest income neighbourhoods. Andrew Boozary, a primary care physician and executive director of social medicine at the University Health Network, told CBC News that lower-income groups have been harder-hit during every wave of the pandemic because they normally have jobs that cannot be done from home and tend to be on the front lines of essential work, and are often under-housed.
Order of business
Here is some of what the legislature is scheduled to discuss this week:
Monday: Bill 88, the Working for Workers Act 2022, a suite of employment law reforms being ushered in by the government, will be debated.
Tuesday: Debate on the Working for Workers Act 2022 will continue; there will be a tribute to former MPP Claude Frederick Bennett; and independent MPP Randy Hillier (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston) is scheduled to present a private member’s bill. This last item may see some drama, because the legislature recently voted to give Speaker Ted Arnott the power to not recognize Hillier until he apologizes for controversial statements he made on Twitter.
Wednesday: It looks like Wednesday will be a busy one. There will be debate on Bill 93, the Getting Ontario Connected Act, which is an effort to reduce delays in high-speed internet construction so that the province can meet its commitment to have all communities in Ontario connected to reliable high-speed internet by 2025. There will also be a ministerial statement on the Journée internationale de la Francophonie. Later, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will present a motion calling on the government to take steps to address a shortage of health-care workers in northern Ontario. Finally, newly-independent MPP Paul Miller (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) is scheduled to present a private member’s bill.
Thursday: Debate on the Getting Ontario Connected Act will continue. There will also be debate on a yet-to-be-announced government bill. And NDP MPP Doly Begum (Scarborough Southwest) will introduce a private member’s bill.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
