Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The committee met at 0900 in committee room 2.

Committee business

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): Good morning, everyone. I call this meeting of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy to order. We’re meeting today pursuant to standing order 120, for the purpose of considering a motion under the standing order. I believe all members have a copy of the motion before you.

Pursuant to standing order 120(c), 30 minutes shall be allotted to debate the motion, at the end of which time the Chair shall put the question. I propose to allot 12 and a half minutes to the government members, 12 and a half minutes to the official opposition, and five minutes to the independent member for debate on the motion before us.

Are there any questions before we begin?

Would someone like to move the motion, please? MPP Jones.

Mr. Trevor Jones: Thank you, Chair. Through you, I move that the Standing Committee on Justice Policy meet immediately for the purposes of considering committee business pursuant to standing order 113(a) respecting a possible study related to the reform of Canada’s bail system as it relates to the provincial administration of justice and public safety.

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): Is there any debate? Seeing none, I’ll call the question. All those in favour? Opposed? I declare the motion carried.

We can now begin consideration of committee business pursuant to standing order 113(a) respecting a possible study related to the reform of Canada’s bail system as it relates to the provincial administration of justice and public safety.

MPP Jones.

Mr. Trevor Jones: Thank you, again, Chair. Through you, I move that the committee enter closed session for the purposes of organizing committee business.

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): We’re going to put that particular motion on the screen. I’ll read it again for all the committee members: “I move that the committee enter closed session for the purposes of organizing committee business.”

Debate, please? MPP Vanthof.

Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to speak in opposition to the motion. I’m fully in favour of a study. There needs to be bail reform. There needs to be much justice reform. But I don’t think it behooves us well to start the process by closing the process. If we want public—

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Input?

Mr. John Vanthof: Not input, but we want the trust of the public. Right now, there is not a lot of trust of the public in the system, and perhaps rightfully so.

Is it the best way to do this? Is there anything in the organization process that the public couldn’t know about, that those interested couldn’t know about? I think we are creating a veil that we don’t need to create.

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): Further debate? MPP Jones.

Mr. Trevor Jones: In reply to my colleague, I argue that there is no veil being created. This is more the organization, the administration and just the foundation for a very public matter that’s going to be advertised publicly. It will be in the media. It will garner some attention. There is obviously national media focus on bail reform. I think that’s a very important thing, but the organization and the administration of just the basics, the fundamentals—I think in a closed-session matter, that will serve our interests.

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): MPP Wong-Tam.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I will also be speaking against this motion to go into closed session. I think that there is nothing of a confidential matter at this point in time. We’re simply having a conversation, which hopefully is informed, about how we move forward on bail reform. It will touch upon the judicial system, the correctional system. I don’t see any reason whatsoever for us to go in camera, into closed session, when there’s nothing that is confidential or perhaps a human resource or related matter. If there is a reason, one that is legitimate, that allows us to go into closed session—justified with some confidential material or anything that’s related to a human resource or employment relations matter—then perhaps we can discuss it that way. But none of that has been put forward by the government side, and I would also decline that we go into closed session.

The Chair (Mr. Lorne Coe): Anyone else on motion 2? I’m going to call the question. All those in favour? Opposed? The motion is carried.

We will take a brief break and then we’ll come back in about five minutes.

The committee continued in closed session at 0906.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE POLICY

Chair / Président

Mr. Lorne Coe (Whitby PC)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Président

Mr. Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong ND)

Mr. Robert Bailey (Sarnia–Lambton PC)

Mr. Stephen Blais (Orléans L)

Mr. Lorne Coe (Whitby PC)

Ms. Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke–Lakeshore PC)

Mr. Trevor Jones (Chatham-Kent–Leamington PC)

Mr. Vincent Ke (Don Valley North / Don Valley-Nord PC)

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta (Mississauga Centre / Mississauga-Centre PC)

Mr. Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong ND)

Mr. Brian Riddell (Cambridge PC)

Mr. Brian Saunderson (Simcoe–Grey PC)

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens (St. Catharines ND)

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre / Toronto-Centre ND)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy (Durham PC)

Mr. John Vanthof (Timiskaming–Cochrane ND)

Clerk / Greffière

Ms. Thushitha Kobikrishna

Staff / Personnel

Mr. Andrew McNaught, research officer,
Research Services