LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO
Sunday 25 January 2009 Dimanche 25 janvier 2009
BY-ELECTION IN
HALIBURTON–KAWARTHA LAKES—BROCK
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The House met at 1300.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Please remain standing for the prayer.
Prayers.
ACCESS TO PUBLIC GALLERY
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Good afternoon. I just want to draw members' attention to the fact that, as you will see, due to maintenance and repair work in the public galleries those galleries are currently not available and are closed to public access. The members' galleries are available in the normal way, and I have made the Speaker's gallery available for public seating as well.
Further, I've arranged for two committee rooms to be set up with televisions so that people may still observe the proceedings even if they cannot be accommodated in the chamber's currently available seating.
LEGISLATIVE MACE
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): I will also draw to members' attention that today is a somewhat historic occasion in that we have used the province's original mace. The current mace has been sent out for cleaning and maintenance and will be back with us in a couple of weeks. You will recall that this mace made its journey away in 1812 and was returned by President Roosevelt, so we hope the current mace makes a quicker trip back than that.
BY-ELECTION IN
HALIBURTON—KAWARTHA LAKES—BROCK
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): I also beg to inform the House that a vacancy has occurred in the membership of the House by reason of the resignation of Laurie Scott as member of the electoral district of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, effective January 12, 2009. Accordingly, the Speaker has issued his warrant to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for a by-election.
INTRODUCTION OF VISITORS
Mr. Peter Kormos: I'd like to introduce Victoria Barnett, Terrance Luscombe and Charlotte Henderson, York undergrad students who want contract negotiations, not back-to-work legislation.
Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I'd like to introduce Sandra Ignagni, Hilary Chan and Yasmine Hassan, members of CUPE Local 3903, Glendon campus picket team; and Tyler Shipley, Punam Khosla, Datejie Green, Lykke de la Cour and Xavier Lafrance, members of the CUPE Local 3903 communications committee at York University, who want to see their collective bargaining rights respected through contract negotiations, not back-to-work legislation.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): I remind members that you can mention your visitor's name and that way we'll all get the opportunity to introduce those visitors we'd like to see.
Member for Nipissing-James Bay.
Mr. Gilles Bisson: Nipissing? My riding just got a lot bigger, Speaker; that's all I know.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Timmins—James Bay.
Mr. Gilles Bisson: Thank you very much, Speaker. I'd like to introduce, from Local 3903 CUPE, the following people: Jamie Smith, Sean Gill, Colette Granger, Colin Lennard-White and Mr. Dang, along with Ashley, who comes from all the way from Kapuskasing, Ontario.
Mr. Peter Shurman: It gives me pleasure to introduce Lyndon Koopmans in the members' west gallery. He is one of the students instrumental in starting yorknothostage.com and is here today to observe proceedings.
Mr. Paul Miller: I'd like to introduce Leyna Lowe, Megan Dombrowski, Kim Hutchinson, Jennifer Rinaldi, members of CUPE Local 3903, Chimneystack Road picket team; also Christina Rousseau, Healy Thompson, Sylvia D'Addario, Maria Wallis and Noaman Ali, members of CUPE Local 3903.
Mr. Michael Prue: I'd like to introduce Megan Shrubsole, Vanessa Lamb, Michael Cook, Jesse Carlson and Carmen Teeple-Hopkins, members of CUPE Local 3903, Shoreham Drive picket team; and as well, Gary Romanuk, Greg Bird, Ben Nelson, Gabrielle Gerin, Andrea Kneeland and Sara Hornstein, members of the CUPE Local 3903 strike committee at York University.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Introduction of guests? The member for—
Mr. Peter Tabuns: Toronto—Danforth.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): It's been a long break.
Mr. Peter Tabuns: Mr. Speaker, I recognize that. Toronto—Danforth, thank you.
I'd like to introduce Dan Furukawa Marques, Sean Starrs, Kamilla Pietrzyk, Joseph Baines, Stephanie David, Aidan Conway and Mary Thibodeau, members of CUPE Local 3903, Sentinel Road picket team; and Gaà«lle Vercollier, Bob Hanke and Véronique Tomaszewski Ramses, also members of CUPE Local 3903.
Ms. Andrea Horwath: I'd like to introduce Fred Ho, Raj Virk and Mohan Mishra, staff members of CUPE Local 3903; and Graham Potts, Amrit Heer, Sharon Davidson, Mary Anne Coffey, Jesse Ovadia, Parbattie Ramsarran and Jason Harman, members of the CUPE Local 3903 bargaining team at York University, who want to see their collective bargaining rights respected through contract negotiations, not back-to-work legislation.
Mr. Michael Prue: I'd like to introduce Parastou Saberi, Duncan Clegg, Jason Demers and Mike Yam, members of CUPE Local 3903, northwest gate picket team; and Alex Levant, Dhruv Jain, Ian Hussey and Jordy Cummings, members of the CUPE Local 3903 green caucus at York University.
Ms. Cheri DiNovo: I'd like to introduce—and they will all be joining us, by the way, as we commence—Alex Wilson, Kevin McCain and Joshua Synenko, members of the CUPE Local 3903 Pond Road picket team at York University; and Janice Folk-Dawson and Dan Crow of the Ontario university coordinating committee; also my husband, Gil Gaspar, who is a contract labourer and teacher at Humber, who all want to see collective bargaining rights respected through contract negotiations, not back-to-work legislation.
Mr. Gilles Bisson: I would like to introduce Cameron Holmstrom, who's here in support of the CUPE workers.
MEMBERS' STATEMENTS
UNIVERSITY LABOUR DISPUTE
Mr. Garfield Dunlop: I'm pleased to rise today. I want to, first of all, say that I'm actually happy to be back here. This morning I attended a Manulife Walk for Memories fundraiser up at Mountainview Mall in Midland. I mentioned at the beginning of my opening remarks that I'd have to leave after half an hour and come back to Queen's Park because we were introducing back-to-work legislation. I've got to tell you that I got a large round of applause because we are back here. I can tell you that I wish we could have been back here as early as January 4 or 5, because I think we have dithered on this quite severely.
There are 50,000 young people out of school. I've had a number of my constituents, by phone calls, by e-mails, by letters, demanding that we get back as soon as possible. Their lives are at stake here. There are a lot of hard-working Ontario families who are putting their children through university and they demand that we be here and act in a responsible and leadership manner.
1310
I, for one, am very proud to be back here today, and I hope we can get this ironed out today, not drag this thing out for three or four weeks. Let's get this done today and get these kids back to work so they can contribute as taxpayers to the province of Ontario.
UNIVERSITY LABOUR DISPUTE
Mr. Peter Kormos: I make this statement on behalf of New Democrats here at Queen's Park. This is a truly regrettable move that the McGuinty government is taking. York's striking workers perform 54% of the teaching at that school yet only receive 7.5% of the university's entire annual budget in salary and benefits. They also have little, if any, job security.
Where's the fairness when senior university administrators make almost half a million dollars in salary, benefits and perks alone? These workers, many of them students themselves, are demanding fairness; that's all. They're prepared to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement at the negotiating table, and that's where you develop fairly resolved conflicts—at the bargaining table. Yet the administration of York University has abandoned the bargaining table and relies, rather, upon what could well be stellar in the illegality of back-to-work legislation, in the view of recent jurisprudence.
The root cause is the chronic underfunding of Ontario's universities. There's a real prospect of labour disputes at other universities and colleges with this chronic underfunding. Mr. McGuinty appears to be prepared to simply legislate people back to work rather than accept his responsibility to adequately fund. Ontario is 10 out 10; nothing to be proud of.
New Democrats will not support Mr. McGuinty this afternoon.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I am here today to support York University students going back to school, and the efforts of Peter Shurman, Conservative MPP for Thornhill, who worked so hard on this.
But my statement today is about the 47-day OC Transpo strike that has paralyzed Ottawa. Every resident of my city has been affected. Calls for help for ODSP and Ontario Works recipients and the working poor have increased dramatically at my constituency office. My constituents are telling me that they've had to choose between gas, medicine and food. Patients are missing medical appointments and churches have cancelled worship services. About 500 students in our city had to quit school at Algonquin College in the last month because they can't get to class. The city has increased emergency social funding by $700,000 from their tight budget. In fact, the total economic impact on my city has been over $280 million and thousands of jobs.
There's no end in sight for this life-altering strike, so I think the time has come for the McGuinty Liberals to step up to the plate and offer social service emergency funding for the people in my city. The Liberals need to inject one-time emergency strike assistance to the city of Ottawa to help them out. This would enable community organizations like NROC to continue their strike taxi-chit program. It would help people like Anna Kraisingerova, who has to walk 12 hours a day back and forth to work. It would help the working poor, who have had to choose between putting gas in their car and putting food on their table.
UNIVERSITY LABOUR DISPUTE
Mr. Peter Shurman: I rise in this House today partly because I'm just happy to rise in this House today and see my government colleagues sitting there across.
My involvement in the strike at York University dates back to November 18—I remember the day very well. I went out just to take a look around and find out what was going on. There was a rally of a newly formed group called York Not Hostage and some wonderful young people saying, "You know what? We don't want to take sides. We just want to go back to class. We don't want a repeat of what happened back in 2001." The feeling was quite palpable to me: This was going to go nowhere. So I began a campaign in this House to bring us to this day.
This may be contested by some, but it was not politics that motivated me at all. It was the fact that I was being besieged in my riding of Thornhill, which borders on York University and which is home to thousands of students, professors, teaching assistants and the like. I did what MPPs are elected to do.
I knew that this was not going to be an easy victory for either side, but now we are here. To me, it is extremely important that we address the concerns of the broader community and put these young people back into class, I hope with the concurrence of my colleagues from the NDP.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
YORK UNIVERSITY LABOUR DISPUTES
RESOLUTION ACT, 2009 /
LOI DE 2009 SUR LE RÈGLEMENT
DES CONFLITS DE TRAVAIL
à L'UNIVERSITÉ YORK
Mr. Fonseca moved first reading of the following bill:
Bill 145, An Act to resolve labour disputes between York University and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3903 / Projet de loi 145, Loi visant à régler les conflits de travail entre l'Université York et la section locale 3903 du Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry?
All those in favour, say "aye."
All those opposed, say "nay."
In my opinion, the ayes have it.
We will call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.
The division bells rang from 1316 to 1321.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): All those in favour, please stand one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Ayes
Aggelonitis, Sophia Albanese, Laura Arnott, Ted Bailey, Robert Balkissoon, Bas Bartolucci, Rick Bentley, Christopher Best, Margarett Bradley, James J. Broten, Laurel C. Brown, Michael A. Brownell, Jim Bryant, Michael Caplan, David Carroll, Aileen Chan, Michael Craitor, Kim Delaney, Bob Dhillon, Vic Dickson, Joe Dombrowsky, Leona Duguid, Brad |
Duncan, Dwight Dunlop, Garfield Elliott, Christine Flynn, Kevin Daniel Fonseca, Peter Hoy, Pat Jaczek, Helena Jeffrey, Linda Jones, Sylvia Kular, Kuldip Kwinter, Monte Levac, Dave MacLeod, Lisa Mangat, Amrit Martiniuk, Gerry Mauro, Bill McGuinty, Dalton McMeekin, Ted McNeely, Phil Meilleur, Madeleine Milloy, John Moridi, Reza |
Munro, Julia Murdoch, Bill Naqvi, Yasir Ouellette, Jerry J. Pendergast, Leeanna Phillips, Gerry Pupatello, Sandra Ramal, Khalil Rinaldi, Lou Ruprecht, Tony Savoline, Joyce Shurman, Peter Smitherman, George Sousa, Charles Takhar, Harinder S. Van Bommel, Maria Wilkinson, John Wilson, Jim Witmer, Elizabeth Wynne, Kathleen O. Zimmer, David |
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): All those opposed, please stand one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Nays
Bisson, Gilles DiNovo, Cheri Hampton, Howard |
Horwath, Andrea Kormos, Peter Miller, Paul |
Prue, Michael Tabuns, Peter |
The Clerk of the Assembly (Ms. Deborah Deller): The ayes are 65; the nays are 8.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): I declare the motion carried.
First reading agreed to.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Hon. Michael Bryant: Mr. Speaker, I'm seeking unanimous consent that the House immediately proceed to introduction of bills for the purpose of introducing one bill, following which the Speaker will call orders of the day.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): We've had introduction of bills, just to clarify it, but you want to move to—
Hon. Michael Bryant: I'd be happy to read it again, Speaker—that we proceed to introduction of bills for the purpose of introducing one bill, following which you call orders of the day, and that, notwithstanding standing order 71(a), the order for second reading of Bill 145, An Act to resolve labour disputes between York University and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3903, may now be called.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Do you understand the motion? The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent to move a motion without notice.
Interjections.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): I heard a no.
Hon. Michael Bryant: There being no agreement at this time with respect to orders of the day, I would—
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): You understand—
Hon. Michael Bryant: Yes.
PETITIONS
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
Mr. Bill Murdoch: If we're allowed to have a petition, I have a petition to present today. It's to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
"Whereas Bill 117," presented October 27 for first reading, "An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Act to prohibit the driving and operation of motorcycles with child passengers...;
"We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
"That Bill 117 be removed from the agenda and never become law."
Hon. Michael Bryant: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker: We have no agreement to proceed with this bill, so I move adjournment of the House.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Mr. Bryant has moved adjournment of the House. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.
This House stands adjourned until 10:30 of the clock, January 26.
The House adjourned at 1327.
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