Votes and Proceedings 1997-Feb-03 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario

No. 155 N^o 155

Votes and

Proceedings

Procès-verbaux

Legislative Assembly

of Ontario

Assemblée législative

de l'Ontario

1st Session,

36th Parliament

1^re session,

36^e législature

Monday,

February 3, 1997

Lundi

3 février 1997

PRAYERS

1:30 P.M.

PRIÈRES

13 H 30

The Speaker addressed the House as follows:-

Pursuant to Section 31(b) of the Members' Integrity Act, 1994, I beg to inform the House that I have today laid upon the Table a response from the Honourable Gregory Evans, Integrity Commissioner, to the request by the Member for Riverdale on whether the Member for St. George-St. David had contravened the Members' Integrity Act, 1994 as the result of certain actions taken by his Executive Assistant (Sessional Paper No. 335) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

MOTIONS

On motion by Mr Johnson (Don Mills),

Sur la motion de M. Johnson (Don Mills),

Ordered, That Mr Guzzo and Mr Bartolucci exchange places in the order of precedence for private members' public business; and that the House will commence at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 6 to discuss ballot item 61 only.

PETITIONS

PÉTITIONS

Petition relating to North York Branson Hospital (Sessional Paper No. P-15) (Tabled February 3, 1997) Mr M. Kwinter.

Petition relating to Banning the Spring Bear Hunt (Sessional Paper No. P-84) (Tabled February 3, 1997) Mr B. Grandmaître.

Petitions relating to Solving the WCB's problems without attacking injured workers (Sessional Paper No. P-125) (Tabled February 3, 1997) Mr F. Laughren and Ms S. Martel.

Petition relating to Demanding the Federal Liberal Government to adequately fund health care (Sessional Paper No. P-209) (Tabled February 3, 1997) Mr D. Tilson.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

DÉPÔT DES PROJETS DE LOI

The following Bills were introduced and read the first time:-	Les projets de loi suivants sont présentés et lus une première fois:-
Bill 114, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture Act and repealing the Parks Assistance Act. Hon. M. Mushinski.	Projet de loi 114, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant la Loi sur le ministère des Affaires civiques et culturelles et en abrogeant la Loi sur l'aide destinée à la création de parcs. L'hon. M. Mushinski.

Bill 115, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Finance and by making complementary amendments to other statutes. Hon. E. Eves.

Projet de loi 115, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère des Finances et en apportant des modifications complémentaires à d'autres lois. L'hon. E. Eves.

Bill 116, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Hon. N. Villeneuve.

Projet de loi 116, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation et des Affaires rurales. L'hon. N. Villeneuve.

Bill 117, An Act to reduce red tape by amending certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, by repealing the Costs of Distress Act and by making complementary amendments to the Mortgages Act. Hon. D. Tsubouchi.

Projet de loi 117, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère de la Consommation et du Commerce, en abrogeant la Loi sur les frais de saisie-gagerie et en apportant des modifications complémentaires à la Loi sur les hypothèques. L'hon. D. Tsubouchi.

Bill 118, An Act to reduce red tape by amending certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Health, by amending other statutes in relation to statutes administered by the Ministry of Health and by enacting the Ministry of Health Appeal and Review Boards Act, 1997. Hon. D. Johnson (Don Mills).

Projet de loi 118, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère de la Santé et d'autres lois relativement à celles dont l'application relève de ce même ministère et en édictant la Loi de 1997 sur les commissions d'appel et de révision du ministère de la Santé. L'hon. D. Johnson (Don Mills).

Bill 119, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Hon. C. Hodgson.

Projet de loi 119, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant ou en abrogeant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère des Richesses naturelles. L'hon. C. Hodgson.

Bill 120, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Mining Act. Hon. C. Hodgson.

Projet de loi 120, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant la Loi sur les mines. L'hon. C. Hodgson.

Bill 121, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Ontario Energy Board Act and repealing the Ontario Energy Corporation Act. Hon. N. Sterling.

Projet de loi 121, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant la Loi sur la Commission de l'énergie de l'Ontario et en abrogeant la Loi sur la Société de l'énergie de l'Ontario. L'hon. N. Sterling.

Bill 122, An Act to reduce red tape by amending certain statutes administered by or affecting the Ministry of the Attorney General or the Ministry of the Solicitor General and by making complementary amendments to other statutes. Hon. C. Harnick.

Projet de loi 122, Loi visant à réduire les formalités administratives en modifiant certaines lois dont l'application relève du ministère du Procureur général ou du ministère du Solliciteur général, ou qui le concerne, et en apportant des modifications complémentaires à d'autres lois. L'hon. C. Harnick.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORDRE DU JOUR

Opposition Day

Jour de l'opposition

Mr McGuinty moved,

Mr. McGuinty propose,

Whereas the Harris government is dumping over $6.4 billion in service costs to municipalities, including $2.7 billion in social assistance, $1.6 billion in public health and seniors long term health care and $270 million in child care services; and

Whereas the transfer of these services will add over $1 billion in net new costs to property taxpayers; and

Whereas moving social services to the property tax base contradicts past municipal reform reviews including the 1991 Committee on the Provincial-Municipal Financial Relationship, The Ontario Fair Tax Commission, and the 1996 GTA Task Force Report; and

Whereas Duncan Sinclair, the chair of the government's Health Services Restructuring Commission, said that dumping senior's long term health care on municipalities was "stupid" and "180 degrees out of phase with the (prevailing) philosophy"; and

Whereas the government's own "Who Does What" panel unanimously recommended against moving social services to the property tax base; and

Whereas the Metro Board of Trade and the GTA mayors oppose the government's plan to move social services to the property tax base because it will increase property taxes; and

Whereas the United Way and other service agencies say the government's reforms will reduce services or raise property taxes; and

Whereas the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation has called the government scheme a "shell game" which will result in higher property taxes; and

Whereas David Crombie has said "the only way they (municipalities) can deal with any increasing (welfare) caseload or any long term care is to either cut services or raise taxes. Which either means you're going to hit the poor or drive out business"; and

Whereas property taxes are considered one of the most regressive forms of taxation;

Therefore this House calls on the government to reconsider its decision to transfer over $6.4 billion in service costs to municipalities and work on developing alternatives which: 1) do not add extra costs to municipalities; 2) follow the principles of disentanglement in moving hard service costs to municipalities and soft service costs to the province; and 3) which are developed in true consultation with municipalities and agencies to ensure that local property taxes do not increase as the result provincial downloading.

A debate arising, after some time, the motion was lost on the following division:-

Un débat s'ensuit et après quelque temps, la motion est rejetée par le vote suivant:-

AYES / POUR - 35

Agostino Gerretsen Miclash

Bartolucci Grandmaître Morin

Bisson Gravelle Patten

Boyd Hoy Pupatello

Bradley Kormos Ramsay

Brown Kwinter Ruprecht

(Algoma-Manitoulin) Lalonde Sergio

Caplan Lankin Silipo

Colle Marchese Wildman

Cordiano Martel Wood

Crozier Martin (Cochrane North)

Curling McGuinty

Duncan McLeod

NAYS / CONTRE - 53

Arnott Harnick Newman

Baird Harris O'Toole

Barrett Hastings Palladini

Bassett Hodgson Parker

Boushy Jackson Rollins

Brown Johns Ross

(Scarborough West) Johnson Shea

Carroll (Don Mills) Spina

Cunningham Johnson Sterling

DeFaria (Perth) Stewart

Doyle Kells Tascona

Eves Klees Tilson

Fisher Leach Tsubouchi

Flaherty Leadston Turnbull

Ford Martiniuk Vankoughnet

Fox Maves Wettlaufer

Froese Munro Wood

Gilchrist Murdoch (London South)

Hardeman Mushinski Young

The House then adjourned

at 6:05 p.m.

À 18 h 5, la chambre a ensuite

ajourné ses travaux.

le président

Christopher M. Stockwell

Speaker

Sessional Papers Presented Pursuant to Standing Order 39(c):-

Documents Parlementaires Déposés Conformément à l'article 39(c) du Règlement:-

Compendia:

Bill 114, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture Act and repealing the Parks Assistance Act (No. 336) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 115, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Finance and by making complementary amendments to other statutes. (No. 337) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 116, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (No. 338) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 117, An Act to reduce red tape by amending certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Consumer and Commrecial Relations, by repealing the Costs of Distress Act and by making complementary amendments to the Mortgages Act (No. 339) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 119, An Act to reduce red tape by amending or repealing certain statutes administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources (No. 341) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 120, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Mining Act (No. 342) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Bill 121, An Act to reduce red tape by amending the Ontario Energy Board Act and repealing the Ontario Energy Corporation Act (No. 343) (Tabled February 3, 1997).

Questions Answered (see Sessional Paper No. 5):-

Final Answers to Question Numbers: 741, 742.

Interim Answers to Question Numbers: 805, 815, 828 to 904.

Responses to Petitions:-

Réponses aux Pétitions:-

Petition relating to Pay Equity Advocacy & Legal Services (Sessional Paper No. P-67):

(Tabled January 20, 1997) Mrs L. McLeod.

Petition relating to Banning the Spring Bear Hunt (Sessional Paper No. P-84):

(Tabled January 21, 1997) Mr L. Jordan.

(Tabled January 20, 1997) Mr T. Young.

Petition relating to Workers Health and Safety Centre and Occupational Health Clinics (Sessional Paper No. P-118):

(Tabled January 21, 1997) Mr D. Christopherson.

Petition relating to the Financial management of Courtcliffe Park (Sessional Paper No. P-129):

(Tabled June 19, 1996) Mr T. Skarica.

Petition relating to Amalgamating the six municipalities within Toronto (Sessional Paper No. P-179):

(Tabled January 20, 1997) Ms A. Castrilli.

(Tabled January 20, 1997) Mr M. Sergio.

Petition relating to Opposing the recently proposed supercity model for restructuring local government within Hamilton-Wentworth (Sessional Paper No. P-194):

(Tabled December 12, 1996, January 20, 1997) Mr T. Skarica.

Petition relating to Withdrawing proposed changes to the Employment Standards Act (Sessional Paper No. P-205):

(Tabled January 21, 1997) Mr M. Sergio.