Every Monday, TVO.org provides a primer on what to look for in the coming week in Ontario politics, and features some stories making news now.
Here’s what we’ve got our eye on:
Queen’s Park Keywords
Government ads:CTV News reports the Progressive Conservatives will not honour an election promise to restore the Auditor General’s oversight over government advertising. The Auditor General has the ability to ban government advertising her office deems overly-partisan. But in 2015, the then-Liberal government watered down the language around what could be considered a partisan ad. In 2018, the Progressive Conservatives promised to restore the old language. But now they say they’re not. “We have a great working relationship with the auditor general when it comes to government advertising and are maintaining the status quo at this time,” Ivana Yelich, a spokeswoman for Premier Doug Ford, said in a statement.
Inspector layoffs:More than 30 inspectors with the Ontario College of Trades have received layoff notices as the agency is dissolved and its responsibilities are handed over to the Ministry of Labour and Skilled Trades Ontario. During the 2018 election campaign, Doug Ford promised that no public sector workers would be laid off under a Progressive Conservative government. He later amended his language in 2019 by saying “no front-line workers” would face layoffs. “Doug Ford said no one would lose their jobs,” Terry Dorgan, an inspector facing layoff, told CBC News. “We trusted him.”
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Painful renewals: Disabled persons and their advocates tell CBC News the province makes renewing health cards difficult for some of them. People with drivers’ licenses can get their health cards renewed online. But people who don’t drive need to renew at a Service Ontario location in person. For those with disabilities that make travel difficult or extremely painful, that’s a problem. “If they could find a way that renewing online could be made possible for everybody involved, disabled and able-bodied people alike, it would just be so much easier all around,” said Crystal Barnard, who is recovering from major back surgery.
Order of business
Here is some of what the legislature is scheduled to discuss this week:
Monday: There will be a ministerial statement from Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark in honour of National Housing Day. There will also be notice of government motion number 8, which proposes that orders made in response to the pandemic under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act be extended until March 28, 2022.
Tuesday: There will be discussion of the aforementioned government motion number 8. As well, two private member’s bills will be discussed: One by NDP MPP Jill Andrew (Toronto—St. Paul’s), and one by NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong (London—Fanshawe).
Wednesday: The morning will see more debate around the reply to the Oct. 4 speech from the throne. The afternoon will be an opposition day, where the opposition parties get to set the agenda. Also, NDP MPP for University—Rosedale Jessica Bell will introduce a private members’ bill.
Thursday: There will be third reading of the Working for Workers Act, the government’s attempt to reform the province’s labour laws. There will also be discussion of a private member’s bill by NDP MPP for London North Centre Terence Kernaghan. In addition, a moment of silence will be observed for Trans Day of Remembrance.
Senator dies: Josée Forest-Niesing, a life-long resident of Sudbury who had represented Ontario in the Canadian Senate since 2018, has died from COVID-19. Forest-Niesing was fully vaccinated against the virus, but was considered especially vulnerable because of an autoimmune condition that had affected her lungs for the last 15 years. A Franco-Ontarian, she was known as an advocate for French-language rights. She was 56.
Upcoming Ontario politics coverage on TVO
On Tuesday, listen to the latest edition of the #onpoli podcast, hosted by Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath.
On Thursday, The Agenda will examine what’s behind the Progressive Conservatives’ push to be on the side of workers. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton joins a group of stakeholders to discuss his party’s new labour policies, whether union leaders actually like what they see, and the politics of it all. The Agenda airs weeknights on TVO at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
And on TVO.org, you can expect the latest from our regular political columnists, John Michael McGrath and Matt Gurney.
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.
