The Backdrop
The House is back today, following a constituency week break. There are five weeks remaining in this session. It will be an active week at Queen’s Park – both legislative and politically.
Milton by-election – what do the results mean?
The by-election results in Milton and Lambton-Kent Middlesex did not change the Party seat count in the legislature, but they do have an impact on each Party.
Ford’s PC’s won both by-elections handily, which was expected in LKM but not Milton. This is a shot in the arm for Ford, and the PC Party will consider the results to be confirmation that voters have moved beyond the government’s self-inflicted scandals of 2023.
These were the first by-elections for new Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie and the expectations were high, particularly in Milton. However, the Liberals lost by a larger vote margin (9%) than they did in the 2022 general election (4%) when then-leader Steven Del Duca lost his own seat. The Party had hopes of weaving a narrative of momentum behind their new leader. Instead, they were forced to focus on silver lining – they finished ahead of the NDP in LKM, which is a flip in positions compared to 2022.
The biggest disappointment was delivered to the NDP and Greens. Marit Stiles saw her Party’s percentage of vote decrease in both ridings and falling to 3rd place in LKM could be seen as a loss in momentum to Crombie. For the Greens, who doubled their caucus in December’s Kitchener by-election, they could only muster 1.5% in LKM and 2.7% in Milton.
Province steps in to remove councillors
In a very rare and odd occurrence, the Mayor and city council members in Black River-Matheson have been removed from office. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra made the move after three councillors refused to attend council meetings and requested for the Ministry to dissolve council, which hadn’t met in more than 60 days.
In his letter to council, Calandra said “the absence of meetings impedes decision-making and negatively affects local residents”, and cited the Municipal Act which gives the Minister the power to vacate council seats if councillors are unable to perform their duties.
A by-election will be called shortly, and Dave Dymont – one of the three councillors who refused to meet – has declared he will run for Mayor. He and two other councillors requested Calandra’s intervention after council passed a 34% property tax increase without public consultation. The municipality is also facing a municipal workers’ strike that has been ongoing for more than six months.
The now-former Mayor, Doug Bender, said he is severely disappointed in Calandra’s decision. Disbanding council puts added financial pressure on the township since the budget can’t pass in a timely manner, and the municipality will also have to cover the expense of running a by-election to choose the new council. Bender says he is unsure if he will run again for the Mayor’s chair.
New Highschool program will introduce more students to skilled trades
High school students in grades 11 and 12 will soon be able to spend most of their time earning a skilled trade apprenticeship instead of in the classroom if they choose to enrol in a new program introduced by Ministers Piccini and Lecce.
Starting in September 2025, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program will allow grade 11 and 12 students to spend 80% of their time in co-op courses. Students will still be required to take Math and English courses, but anywhere between 8 to 11 credits could be earned from trades training. Students who complete the program will have a ‘seal of distinction’ added to their diploma. The province will also launch a new online portal designed to match students with apprenticeship job opportunities.
Cathy Abraham, President of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, says school boards recognize the need for more students to pursue opportunities in the skilled trades and this program balances that need with ensuring students remain connected to their school, increasing the likelihood they will graduate.
Renewed attention on Toronto’s decriminalization request.
British Columbia’s Premier, David Eby, has announced that his province is planning to roll back part of an exemption that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs. The province plans on recriminalizing drug use in public places. Eby said the province is “taking action to make sure police have the tools they need to ensure safe and comfortable communities for everyone as we expand treatment options so people can stay alive and get better”.
In 2022, Toronto submitted a request to the federal government for decriminalization. Their request goes further than what B.C. allowed, as they did not include a threshold on the permitted amount of drugs and the exemption would include minors, whereas B.C.’s exemption only applies to adults. Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, has recently advocated publicly for support of the policy. Typically, the CMOH implements policies developed by government. In this instance, the MOH is pressing government to implement policy – a move that has rubbed some people the wrong way.
In response to the renewed attention to the City’s request, Premier Ford reiterated the province’s opposition, saying “I will fight this tooth and nail. This is the wrong way to go. It’s proven.” Typically, the City would need the province’s support in order to be granted approval from the feds.
More protections for Ontario workers
Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister David Piccini is set to table new omnibus legislation that will cover several areas of concern for Ontario workers.
It will target ‘bad actor’ employers who fail to pay wages, who exploit their workers, or who fail to provide equal pay for equal work. The maximum fine would be doubled to $100,000 from the existing $50,000 maximum.
The legislation will also provide wildland firefighters the same heart, post-traumatic stress, and cancer treatment coverage as municipal firefighters. And the province will remove the requirements for sick notes from family doctors in the event of a short absence from work due to illness.
Minister Piccini said that enforcement blitzes over the past couple of years have revealed bad actors. Through this legislation, the province is “sending a clear message that as our economy grows and we attract all these incredible investments, we’re going to protect workers.”
