The committee met at 1300 in room 151 and by video conference.

Committee business

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Good afternoon, everyone. We are here today for the meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. We are here to consider committee process with respect to Bill 215, An Act to amend various statutes with respect to the economic recovery of Ontario and to make other amendments, which was referred to the committee on October 29, 2020.

Do we have a motion? MPP Skelly.

Ms. Donna Skelly: I move that the committee enter closed session for the purposes of organizing committee business and that broadcasting staff be permitted to remain in the closed session meeting for the purposes of operating the electronic meeting technology.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): A motion has been moved by MPP Skelly. Is there any debate? MPP Taylor.

Miss Monique Taylor: We will definitely be voting against moving into closed session. There is no reason why this shouldn’t be public domain and the people of our province cannot hear how the committee is made up. There truly should be no reason to take this into a closed session.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Any further debate? MPP Arthur.

Mr. Ian Arthur: I’d be curious as to the rationale, as well, for moving this into a closed session. I do not see any privacy concerns in the discussion of Bill 215. I don’t think there’s any proprietary information that needs to be protected in this discussion. I do not understand why this committee needs to do this behind closed doors, away from the public eye.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Any further debate? MPP Skelly.

Ms. Donna Skelly: I would just respond by saying that we do a lot of our subcommittee business in closed session and we’re just being consistent. We believe that this committee business should be taken into closed session.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Further debate? MPP Taylor.

Miss Monique Taylor: Just as we’ve spoken in other committees regarding the organization process, this is not a typical way of doing business. It is the way of doing business under the Ford government, but not in the nine years that I’ve been here at the Legislature. We disagree with it, and we think all matters should be happening in the public domain.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Any further debate?

Mr. Ian Arthur: This is not a subcommittee meeting; it’s a meeting of the whole committee.

Interjections.

Mr. Ian Arthur: Is this a meeting of the subcommittee versus—

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): No, no, it’s a meeting of the full committee.

Mr. Ian Arthur: So then why, to MPP Skelly, the rationale for treating it like a subcommittee meeting, where those organizational things are done behind closed doors? Why does this meeting of the entire committee qualify under that—just in regard to your explanation of this decision.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Any further debate?

Interjection.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Recorded vote requested. Are the members ready to vote?

Ayes

Kanapathi, Rasheed, Skelly, Tangri, Thanigasalam, Wai.

Nays

Arthur, Hunter, Mamakwa, Taylor.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): I declare the motion lost.

Interjections.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): Oh, sorry. I declare the motion carried. Forgive me.

We will now move to a closed meeting. Do we have any more motions? MPP Skelly.

Interjection.

The Vice-Chair (Mr. Jeremy Roberts): We’ll take a brief pause as we move into closed session. Thank you, everyone.

The committee recessed at 1305 and later continued in closed session.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Chair / Président

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu (Brampton West / Brampton-Ouest PC)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Président

Mr. Jeremy Roberts (Ottawa West–Nepean / Ottawa-Ouest–Nepean PC)

Mr. Ian Arthur (Kingston and the Islands / Kingston et les Îles ND)

Mr. Stan Cho (Willowdale PC)

Ms. Mitzie Hunter (Scarborough–Guildwood L)

Mr. Logan Kanapathi (Markham–Thornhill PC)

Mr. Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong ND)

Mr. David Piccini (Northumberland–Peterborough South / Northumberland–Peterborough-Sud PC)

Mr. Jeremy Roberts (Ottawa West–Nepean / Ottawa-Ouest–Nepean PC)

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu (Brampton West / Brampton-Ouest PC)

Ms. Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas / Hamilton-Ouest–Ancaster–Dundas ND)

Mr. Dave Smith (Peterborough–Kawartha PC)

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam (Scarborough–Rouge Park PC)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed (Mississauga East–Cooksville / Mississauga-Est–Cooksville PC)

Ms. Donna Skelly (Flamborough–Glanbrook PC)

Mrs. Nina Tangri (Mississauga–Streetsville PC)

Miss Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain ND)

Mrs. Daisy Wai (Richmond Hill PC)

Clerk / Greffière

Ms. Julia Douglas

Staff / Personnel

Mr. Jason Apostolopoulos, research officer,
Research Services