The Legislative Assembly of Ontario reconvened August 8 for a five week session, with the exception of adjourning August 15 and 16 to allow MPPs to attend the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa. PC MPP Ted Arnott has been re-elected by MPPs as Speaker of the House and the membership for the parliamentary committees has been established. The Throne Speech was delivered by Lieutenant-Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell and it included a reference of the government spending $225 million over two years on education in the form of direct payments to parents. OPSBA has asked for more details about this. Following the Throne Speech, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy introduced the new budget legislation.
To view the full text of the Throne Speech, visit Together, Let’s Build Ontario | Ontario Newsroom and to view the budget news release, Ontario’s Plan to Build Supporting Stronger Province and Economy, visit: Ontario’s Plan to Build Supporting Stronger Province and Economy | Ontario Newsroom.
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser has also announced their critic portfolios. Mitzie Hunter has been chosen to be deputy leader and will also handle Education, Labour, Treasury Board, and Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity. For the full list of Liberal critic portfolios, visit: Ontario Liberals Announce New Critic Roles – Ontario Liberal Party
New Legislation
Bill 2, Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022
This legislation was introduced by Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on August 9, 2022. It contains six schedules or changes to various Acts to implement the government’s budget.
Current Status: Second Reading
Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022
This legislation was introduced by Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark on August 10, 2022. Among the suggested changes, “the bill and the proposed regulations would give new powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa.” To view the news release, Ontario Empowering Mayors to Build Housing Faster, visit: Ontario Empowering Mayors to Build Housing Faster | Ontario Newsroom.
Current Status: First Reading
Bill 5, Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, 2022
This legislation was reintroduced by Liberal MPP Steven Blais on August 10, 2022. If passed, it would require codes of conduct for municipal councils and establish a process for ousting local leaders from their seats should they violate those policies. (REMINDER: This does not affect or include school boards and trustees).
Current Status: First Reading
Municipal and School Board Elections – NOMINATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, AUGUST 19 AT 2 P.M.
The deadline for nominations is quickly approaching. Interested candidates need to file their nomination papers by Friday, August 19 at 2pm. Be sure to contact your local municipal clerk for the full nomination details and process. All candidates are encouraged to submit their profiles (name, school board and ward) to TrusteeCandidateInfo@oesc-cseo.org. Candidates can also include a photo, a brief biography, social media handles, email addresses and website URLs with their profile. The information will be included in the revised and updated school board elections website.
Other News Releases and Information
- August 10, 2022: The Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario 2021-22 Annual Report
- August 2, 2022: Memo B13, School Bus Driver Retention Pilot Program (DRP) in the 2022- 23 School Year
