Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Legislative

Assembly
of Ontario

Assemblée

législative
de l’Ontario

Votes and Proceedings

Procès-verbaux

No. 181

No 181

1st Session
42nd Parliament

1re session
42e législature

Wednesday
September 16, 2020

Mercredi

16 septembre 2020

9:00 A.M.

9 H

PRAYERS

PRIÈRES

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORDRE DU JOUR

Amendment to the amendment to the motion regarding amendments to the Standing Orders.

Debate resumed and after some time,

Le débat a repris et après quelque temps,

The question was then put, as follows:-

La question a ensuite été mise aux voix, comme suite :-

Ms. McKenna moved,

Mme McKenna propose,

That the amendment be amended by deleting the word “Break” and substituting the word “Recess”.

Carried on division.

Adoptée au vote.

Amendment, as amended to the motion regarding amendments to the Standing Orders.

The question was then put, as follows:-

La question a ensuite été mise aux voix, comme suite :-

Mr. Rasheed moved,

M. Rasheed propose,

That the motion be amended by adding the following in the table depicting the Thursday meeting schedule of the House in Standing Order 9(a):

A row in the “Time” column between “10:15 a.m.” and “1:00 p.m.” containing the words “Following Morning Routine”; and

A row in the “Proceeding” column between “Morning Routine” and “Afternoon Routine” containing the word “Recess”.

Carried on division.

Adoptée au vote.

Motion, as amended regarding amendments to the Standing Orders, as follows:-

That the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly be amended as follows:

Standing Order 7(d) is deleted and the following substituted:

7(d) Such motion may stipulate that the House shall continue to meet to a specified time not later than midnight.

Such a motion may apply to one day or to more than one day and, in the latter case, shall specify whether a different specified time applies to different days. The question on such a motion shall be put forthwith and without amendment or debate. If a recorded vote is requested by 5 members, the division bell shall be limited to 5 minutes.

Standing Order 9(a) is deleted and the following substituted, subject to the proviso noted below:

9. (a) The weekly meeting schedule for the House when it is in session shall be:

Provided that until the end of the Spring 2021 Meeting Period, the following is deemed to be part of the chart in the new Standing Order 9(a):

Standing Order 10(b) is deleted and the following substituted:

10 (b) At the points each day when the House arrives at a transition from one proceeding to another, as set out in Standing Order 9(a), the Speaker shall interrupt and call the next proceeding and, if applicable, the matter under consideration at the point of interruption shall be deemed to be adjourned.

Standing Order 27 is amended by adding after the first sentence “This time will be reduced to 5 minutes for speeches to which less than 10 minutes is allotted.”

Standing Order 30(i) is deleted and the following substituted:

30 (i) Divisions requested on motions to adjourn the House or the debate, or that the Chair of a Committee of the Whole House report progress and ask for leave to meet again or leave the chair, shall not be deferred.

Standing Order 35(g) is amended, for the duration of the 42nd Parliament only, by adding “In addition to the Speaker’s allotment of questions to independent Members under this Standing Order, the Speaker may also allot to independent Members the slots for what would otherwise be the fourth and fifth questions allotted to government Members.”

Standing Order 36(a) is amended by deleting the words “on the adjournment of the House” and “at the time of adjournment that day”.

Standing Order 36(b) is deleted and the following substituted:

(b) Where notice has been given and reasons filed, as provided in clause (a), following Private Members’ Public Business on any Tuesday or Wednesday, the Speaker shall call for the matter to be debated for not more than 10 minutes, 5 minutes to be allotted to the member raising the matter and 5 minutes to the minister or to his or her parliamentary assistant to reply if he or she so wishes.

Standing Order 36 (c) is deleted and the following substituted:

(c) No more than 3 such matters of which notice has been given and reasons filed shall be debated on any single Sessional day. No motion may be moved and no other business may be conducted during the time provided for in this Standing Order. At the conclusion of such debate or debates the Speaker shall adjourn the House to the next Sessional day or, pursuant to Standing Order 7(d) or 47.1, call Orders of the Day, as the case may be.

Standing Order 36(e) is deleted and the following substituted:

36 (e) When an evening meeting period has been scheduled on a government motion as provided in Standing Order 7(d), the evening meeting period shall begin following the conclusion of the adjournment proceeding under this Standing Order.

Standing Order 36(f) is deleted.

Standing Order 37 is deleted and the following substituted:

37. Any divisions deferred under Standing Orders 10(c), 30(h) or 101(d) shall be disposed of consecutively during the proceeding “Deferred Votes” and the bells shall be rung for 5 minutes prior to each division.

Standing Order 38(a) is deleted and the following substituted:

38 (a) The report of a Standing or Select Committee on any bill shall be taken into consideration immediately and the Speaker shall put the question on the motion for the adoption of the report forthwith, which question shall be decided without amendment.

(a.1) If 12 members stand in their places when the Speaker puts the question on the motion for adoption of a report on a government bill, 30 minutes shall be allotted to an immediate report-stage debate on the motion. The time for the debate shall be allotted equally among the recognized Parties, after first allotting 6 minutes to the independent member(s) of the House, if any. Only one report-stage debate may be requested on any single Sessional day.

(a.2) If a recorded vote is requested on the motion for the adoption of the report on any bill, the division bells shall be limited to 5 minutes.

Standing Order 44 is deleted.

The following new Standing Order is added:

47.1 (a) A minister of the Crown, following consultation with the House Leaders of the Recognized Parties, may place a substantive motion on the Orders and Notices Paper identifying an issue to be debated in a take-note debate.

(b) The motion in clause (a) shall set out the day and time for the take-note debate.

(c) The debate indicated in the notice shall be taken up

(i) upon the commencement of Orders of the Day in the afternoon of the designated day; or

(ii) at the ordinary hour of adjournment on a Monday; or

(iii) following Private Members’ Public Business on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday,

whichever the notice in clause (a) specifies.

(d) A take-note debate shall not be designated to be taken up during afternoon Orders of the Day on a day on which notice of an Opposition Day has already been given.

(e) Notwithstanding Standing Order 26(a), no member may speak for longer than 10 minutes.

(f) The Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and declare the debate concluded,

(i) At 6:00 p.m. for a debate that takes place pursuant to clause (c)(i), or

(ii) After no more than 4 hours for a debate that takes place pursuant to clauses (c)(ii) or (iii).

(g) No motion may be moved during a take-note debate.

(h) When a take-note debate is designated to be taken up at the ordinary hour of adjournment on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the adjournment proceedings under Standing Order 36 shall not apply.

Standing Order 49(d) is amended by adding at the end “nor shall such a motion be made more than once during a single speech, within the meaning of Standing Order 26(d)”.

Standing Order 51 is amended by deleting the words “Except as provided by Standing Order 10(c), the vote on a motion for closure shall not be deferred” from the end.

Standing Order 61(c) is deleted and the following substituted:

(c) Private Members’ Public Business will not take place on the day the Budget is presented.

Standing Orders 74(b) and (c) are deleted.

Standing Order 84(c) is deleted and the following substituted:

(c) Without unanimous consent, no government bill shall be considered during Orders of the Day during an evening meeting of the House if that same bill has been considered on both the morning and afternoon meetings of the House on that same Sessional day.

Standing Order 92 is deleted and the following substituted:

92. The Clerk of the House shall publish 5 calendar days’ notice of the date on which any private bill is to be considered by the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

Standing Order 101(a) is amended by deleting the first paragraph and substituting the following:

101. (a) One item of Private Members’ Public Business shall be considered at the times as set out in Standing Order 9 (a), and the time provided for each shall be allotted as follows:

Standing Order 101(d) is deleted and the following substituted:

101. (d) The Speaker shall cause any recorded division required upon any item of Private Members’ Public Business to be deferred to the proceeding “Deferred Votes”.

Temporary Standing Order 116(e) adopted on December 4, 2019 is deleted.

Standing Order 116(e) is deleted and the following substituted:

(e) A temporary substitution in the membership of a Standing or Select Committee may be made provided a notification thereof, signed by the member acting as the Whip of a recognized Party, is filed with the Clerk of the Committee either before or within 30 minutes of a Committee meeting being called to order. In the case of independent members, the notification must be signed by the independent permanent member and the independent substituting member.

(f) If a committee meeting is divided into morning and afternoon segments on the same sitting day, clause (e) applies to each segment individually.

Standing Order 117 is amended by deleting the words “post in the Legislative Building” and substituting “publish”.

Standing Order 128 is amended by deleting the word “Session” and substituting “Parliament”.

Standing Order 138(d) is amended by deleting the words “post on all notice boards” and substituting “publish”; and

That the Clerk is authorized to re-number the Standing Orders and to make such other consequential, editorial or other minor changes as may be required to ensure a consistent form of expression throughout the Standing Orders; and

That the terms of this motion shall come into force at 12:01 a.m. on the Friday of the week following the week in which this motion is adopted.

Debate resumed and after some time,

Le débat a repris et après quelque temps,

Mr. Bisson moved,

M. Bisson propose,

That the motion be amended as follows:

Standing Order 39 is deleted and the following substituted:

39. (a) Every bill shall be introduced upon a motion for leave for introduction and first reading, specifying the title of the bill.

(b) Prior to the introduction of a government bill, 48 hours’ notice shall be required, with the full text of the bill tabled pursuant to Standing Order 57.

(c) The motion for introduction and first reading shall be decided without amendment or debate, but in the case of a public bill, the mover may make a brief explanation of its purposes.

(d) On the introduction of a government bill, a compendium of background information shall be delivered to the critics of the Recognized Opposition Parties.

(e) No bill may be introduced in blank or imperfect form.

(f) If a recorded vote is requested, the division bells shall be limited to 5 minutes.

(g) The period for “Introduction of Bills” shall be limited to 30 minutes.

(h) No introduction of a single bill shall last more than 5 minutes.

The following new Standing Order is added:

47.2 (a) A member of the Assembly may table a request with the Speaker for the House to convene an emergency debate for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration. The request must be submitted to the Table in writing by 12:00 p.m. on the Sessional day prior to being raised in the Chamber.

(b) The request in clause (a) shall include a motion for the House to consider and set out a suggested time for the debate to take place

(i) Upon the commencement of Orders of the Day on a Thursday afternoon; or

(ii) At the ordinary hour of adjournment on another Sessional day

(c) At the conclusion of Oral Questions on the Sessional day after the request is tabled, the Speaker will grant the member who tabled the request the opportunity to present without argument the written request of the matter proposed to be discussed.

(d) Emergency Debate requests

(i) shall contain the text of a non-amendable motion to be debated

(ii) shall not be a motion for second or third reading of the bill

(iii) shall not be a motion for want of confidence in the government.

(e) The Speaker shall decide, without any debate, whether or not the matter is proper to be discussed. In determining whether a matter should have urgent consideration, the Speaker shall have regard to the extent to which it concerns the administrative responsibilities of the government or could come within the scope of ministerial action and the Speaker also shall have regard to the probability of the matter being brought before the House within reasonable time by other means.

(f) The Speaker may defer the decision upon whether the matter is proper to be discussed to a later date, but shall provide a ruling in a timely fashion.

(g) In awarding an emergency debate, the Speaker shall consider other proceedings of the House and reserves the right to schedule the proceeding at time and date that differs from the one specified by member’s request.

(h) No member shall speak longer than 10 minutes during debate on any such motion

(i) The Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and declare the debate concluded,

(i) At 6:00 p.m. for a debate that takes place pursuant to clause (b)(i)

(ii) After no more than four hours of debate that takes place pursuant to clause (b)(ii).

(j) When an emergency debate is designated to be taken up at the ordinary hour of adjournment, an extension of the meeting hours of the House under Standing Order 7(c) shall not apply.

(k) When an emergency debate is designated to be taken up at the ordinary hour of adjournment on a Tuesday or Wednesday, the adjournment proceedings under Standing Order 36 shall not apply.

Debate arose and after some time the debate adjourned at 10:15 a.m.

Il s’élève un débat et après quelque temps, à 10 h 15, le débat était ajourné.

10:15 A.M.

10 H 15

The Speaker informed the House of the following changes in the Order of Precedence for Private Members’ Public Business:-

Le Président a informé l’Assemblée des changements suivants dans l’ordre de priorité des affaires d’intérêt public émanant des députées et députés :-

Mr. Oosterhoff assumes Ballot Item number 15;

Mr. Nicholls assumes Ballot Item number 54.

The Speaker addressed the House:-

Le Président s’adresse à l’Assemblée :-

As we continue to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, we now find ourselves at a point where wearing a facemask for large parts of the day has become common, even necessary, including here in the Chamber.

Essentially, our masks have become another piece of our daily apparel.

Pre-Covid-19, we had an understanding and expectation among members, as part of our dress in the Chamber, that items of apparel not contain logos, slogans, advertising or other devices that convert them from clothing to vehicles of expression.

Nothing has changed about that, and so I would ask all members to keep this expectation in mind when they choose the mask they will be wearing in the House, and eventually committees.

QUESTION PERIOD

PÉRIODE DE QUESTIONS

The House recessed at 11:35 a.m.

À 11 h 35, l’Assemblée a suspendu la séance.

3:00 P.M.

15 H

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

DÉPÔT DE 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 202, An Act to continue the Soldiers’ Aid Commission. Hon. Mr. Smith (Bay of Quinte).

Projet de loi 202, Loi prorogeant la Commission d’aide aux anciens combattants. L’hon. M. Smith (Baie de Quinte).

Bill 203, An Act respecting the rights of persons receiving care, support or services in congregate care settings and their caregivers. Mrs. Gretzky.

Projet de loi 203, Loi sur les droits des personnes qui reçoivent des soins, un soutien ou des services dans les habitations collectives et de leurs aidants naturels. Mme Gretzky.

PETITIONS

PÉTITIONS

The price of gasoline (Sessional Paper No. P-34) Mme Gélinas.

Full-day kindergarten (Sessional Paper No. P-112) Mr. Burch and Ms. Stiles.

Multiple sclerosis clinic in Sudbury (Sessional Paper No. P-162) Mme Gélinas.

Winter road maintenance on Highways 11 and 17 (Sessional Paper No. P-169) Mr. Mantha.

Les accents de la langue française sur les documents et cartes émis par le gouvernement de l’Ontario (Document parlementaire no P-174) Mme Gélinas.

Residents Bill of Rights (Sessional Paper No. P-207) Mr. Mantha.

Northern Health Travel Grant (Sessional Paper No. P-209) Mr. Mantha.

Health care providers and the temporary pandemic pay program (Sessional Paper No. P-230) Mme Gélinas.

Prime liée à la pandémie (Document parlementaire no P-256) M. Bourgouin.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORDRE DU JOUR

Amendment to the motion, as amended, regarding amendments to the Standing Orders.

Debate resumed and after some time,

Le débat a repris et après quelque temps,

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Hatfield) informed the House of the following changes in the Order of Precedence for Private Members’ Public Business:-

Le président suppléant (M. Hatfield) a informé l’Assemblée des changements suivants dans l’ordre de priorité des affaires d’intérêt public émanant des députées et députés :-

Ms. Bell assumes ballot item number 21;

Mr. Bisson assumes ballot item number 37;

Ms. Lindo assumes ballot item number 20;

Mr. Hatfield assumes ballot item number 27.

Debate resumed and after some time the House adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Le débat a repris et après quelque temps, à 18 h, l’Assemblée a ajourné ses travaux.

le président

Ted Arnott

Speaker

PETITIONS TABLED PURSUANT TO
STANDING ORDER 42(a)

PÉTITIONS DÉPOSÉES CONFORMÉMENT À L’ARTICLE
42 a) DU RÈGLEMENT

Optometry (Sessional Paper No. P-249) (Tabled September 16, 2020) Mr. Pettapiece.

Roundabout in Russeldale (Sessional Paper No. P-257) (Tabled September 16, 2020) Mr. Pettapiece.

SESSIONAL PAPERS PRESENTED PURSUANT TO STANDING ORDER 43

DOCUMENTS PARLEMENTAIRES DÉPOSÉS CONFORMÉMENT À L’ARTICLE 43 DU RÈGLEMENT

COMPENDIA:

Bill 202, An Act to continue the Soldiers’ Aid Commission / Projet de loi 202, Loi prorogeant la Commission d’aide aux anciens combattants (No. 561) (Tabled September 16, 2020).

RESPONSES TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS

RÉPONSES AUX QUESTIONS ÉCRITES

Final Answers to Question Number: 218.