Legislative Assembly of Ontario

No. 52

N^o 52

Votes and Proceedings

Procès-verbaux

Legislative Assembly
of Ontario

Assemblée législative
de l'Ontario

Wednesday
May 3, 2000

Daytime Meeting - Sessional Day 76

Mercredi
3 mai 2000

Séance de l'après-midi - jour de session 76

1st Session,
37th Parliament

1^re session
37^e législature

Prayers
1:30 P.M.

Prières
13 H 30

The Speaker delivered the following ruling:-

On Thursday, April 27, the Member for Don Valley East rose on a point of privilege to express concern about a letter that was sent by the Member for Etobicoke Lakeshore, with respect to Private Members' bills.

Specifically the Member for Don Valley East took issue with a portion of the letter that reads as follows:

". . .Private Members Bills never receive support from the government as they are designed to oppose existing legislation and embarrass the government."

As the Member correctly stated,

"Privileges are the rights enjoyed by the House collectively and by Members of the House individually. As Speaker Sauvé has stated: "There must be some connection between the material alleged to contain the interference and the parliamentary proceedings for there to be a breach of privilege."

The Member also raised the issue of contempt. Contempt is defined as "any act or omission which obstructs or impedes...(the) House. . . in the performance of its functions, or which obstructs or impedes any Member or officer in the discharge of their duties." All breaches of privilege are contempts of the House, but not all contempts are necessarily breaches of privilege."

In the case at hand, as opposed to the case cited by the Member and ruled on by Speaker Stockwell in 1997, the letter does not have any direct adverse implications upon the Assembly. It is the opinion of one Member directed to an individual. The letter may contain remarks about the tactics of governments and oppositions but they are not a direct reflection on the Legislature.

The letter expresses the opinion of one Member only - an opinion that was in fact disproved on the very day the Member for Don Valley East raised this point, when the House did in fact give Second Reading to an Opposition Member's Private Members' Bill, Mr. Kwinter's Bill 2.

It is not in the nature of government advertising, broadcast throughout the province. While Members may disagree with the arguments expressed in the letter, it does not impede any Member from introducing a bill nor does it prevent the Legislature from considering this bill. It does not cause any Member to come here without the uncontested ability to continue the debate on this issue.

I therefore find that there has been no breach of privilege nor a case of contempt.

I would like to thank the Member for Don Valley East for raising the matter.

Reports by Committees

Rapports des Comités

Introduction of Bills

Dépôt des Projets de Loi

The following Bill was introduced and read the first time:-

Le projet de loi suivant est présenté et lu une première fois:-

Bill 73, An Act to promote public peace and safety by regulating late-night dance events. Mrs. Pupatello.

Projet de loi 73, Loi visant à promouvoir la paix et la sécurité publiques en réglementant les danses nocturnes. M^me Pupatello.

Motions

Motions

On motion by Mr. Klees,

Sur la motion de M. Klees,

Ordered, That, pursuant to Standing Order 72(a), the Order for Second Reading of Bill 68 be discharged and the Bill be referred to the Standing Committee on General Government.

During "Oral Questions", the Speaker requested the member for Toronto Centre-Rosedale (Mr. Smitherman) to come to order.

Pendant la période des «Questions orales», le Président demande au député de Toronto-Centre-Rosedale, M. Smitherman de se comporter.

The member having refused was named by the Speaker and directed to withdraw from the service of the House for the balance of the sessional day.

Comme le député refuse d'obéir, le Président le désigne par son nom et l'ordonne de se retirer du service de l'Assemblée pour le reste du jour de session.

During "Oral Questions", the Speaker requested the member for Windsor West (Mrs. Pupatello) to come to order.

Pendant la période des «Questions orales», le Président demande à la députée de Windsor-Ouest, M^me Pupatello de se comporter.

The member having refused was named by the Speaker and directed to withdraw from the service of the House for the balance of the sessional day.

Comme la députée refuse d'obéir, le Président la désigne par son nom et l'ordonne de se retirer du service de l'Assemblée pour le reste du jour de session.

Petitions

Pétitions

Petitions relating to the Northern Health Travel Grant program (Sessional Paper No. P-1) Mr. Gerretsen and Mrs. McLeod.

Petition relating to the Link between cancer and occupation (Sessional Paper No. P-32) Mr. Christopherson.

Petitions relating to the Government of Ontario ensuring that Karla Homolka serves her full sentence in prison (Sessional Paper No. P-38) Mr. Chudleigh, Mr. Gill and Mrs. Mushinski.

Petitions relating to Restructuring of Developmental Services and services to the developmentally disabled (Sessional Paper No. P-42) Mr. Bryant and Mr. Curling.

Petition relating to Terminating any further expenditure on political advertising (Sessional Paper No. P-88) Mr. Bradley.

Petition relating to Further exemption of Highway 407 from provincial environmental laws (Sessional Paper No. P-100) Mr. O'Toole.

Orders of the Day

Ordre du Jour

Debate was resumed on the motion that this House approves in general the Budgetary Policy of the Government.

Le débat reprend sur la motion portant que la présente Assemblée adopte en général la politique budgétaire du gouvernement.

After some time,

Après quelque temps,

Mr. McGuinty moved that the motion moved by the Minister of Finance on May 2 "That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government" be amended by deleting the words following the words "that this House" and adding thereto the following:

"Recognizing that the budgetary policy put forward by the Minister of Finance fails to use today's wealth to secure tomorrow's prosperity condemns the government for:

Spending $200 million less on operating universities and colleges than it did five years ago when higher education is the key to better jobs and a better future for Ontarians;

Funding our high schools and schools less by breaking its commitment to offset revenue lost to education property tax cuts;

Failing to modernize front line health care and demonstrating, as the government's own health reform panel said, that it has no vision for our health care system;

Spreading any new health care spending so thinly that there is no evidence any aspect of care will improve;

Claiming it is investing in primary care reform when its deal with the Ontario Medical Association will put that reform off for another decade;

Cutting the Ministry of the Environment budget another 9% - for a total cut of 40% - when Ontario already has the second worst environmental record in North America;

Failing to deliver tax fairness by giving a $4 billion tax break to corporations, and a $650 million break for those wealthy enough to play the stock market, but offering little to struggling middle class and working poor families;

Spending much more on prisons than on affordable housing when homelessness is increasing;

Doing nothing to reduce poverty - increasing even as the economy booms;

Condemning Ontarians to traffic gridlock by abdicating any responsibility for public transportation;

Failing to balance the budget until after the federal government and every other provincial government but the NDP in BC;

Adding $24 billion to Ontario's debt, creating the first twelve-digit debt ever in Ontario, a further burden to future generations of Ontarians;

Therefore, this Government has lost the confidence of this House."

On motion by Mr. Christopherson,

Sur la motion de M. Christopherson,

Ordered, That the debate be adjourned.

Il est ordonné que le débat soit ajourné.

Mr. Klees moved the adjournment of the House, which motion was carried on the following division:-

M. Klees propose l'ajournement des débats de l'Assemblée et cette motion est adoptée par le vote suivant:-

Ayes - 64 Nays - 0

Pour - 64 Contre - 0

The House then adjourned at 4:35 p.m.

À 16 h 35, la chambre a ensuite ajourné ses travaux.

le président

GARY CARR

Speaker