The Legislative Assembly of Ontario resumes October 28, 2019. MPPs will sit for a six-week-long fall session as the House is slated to rise for the winter recess on December 12. There’s one constituency break on the parliamentary calendar for the week of November 11. With the Federal Election over and MPPs returning to Queen’s Park, there have been many news releases since Monday – they are listed at the end of this update.
Government Mini Cabinet Shuffle
On October 21, Premier Doug Ford announced a mini cabinet shuffle affecting three cabinet ministers. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton takes over the training portfolio from Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano. Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Lisa MacLeod is taking on a new heritage file.
Current Party Standings – 124 seats:
- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario – 73
- New Democratic Party of Ontario – 40
- Ontario Liberal Party – 5
- Green Party of Ontario – 1
- Independent – 3
- Vacant – 2
The two vacancies are due to the retirement of Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers (Ottawa—Vanier) and the resignation of Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans). By-elections are expected to be held on the same day in early February 2020.
Federal Election Results
In Ontario, the Liberals scored 41.5% of the popular vote compared to 33.2% for the Conservative Party, 16.8% for the NDP, 6.2% for the Greens and 1.6% for the People’s Party. Elections Canada reported Ontario’s voter turnout for the federal election was 65.34%, not including those who registered on Election Day. In addition, almost 1.2 million elementary and secondary school students from 8,000 schools participated in Student Vote Canada 2019.
National results from Elections Canada
Results from the Student Vote election
Other Information
- October 25, 2019 News Release: Ontario Announces the Creation of Over 19,000 Child Care Spaces
- October 25, 2019 News Release, Protecting Youth from the Dangers of Vaping
- October 25, 2019 News Release, Ontario Helping Make Municipalities Stronger
- October 24, 2019 Statement, Minister Lecce Statement on Reducing Class Size
- October 24, 2019 News Release, Ontario Investing in Northern and Rural Municipalities
- October 23, 2019, OPSBA Letter to Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous re: Northern Regional Meeting in Thunder Bay
- October 23, 2019 News Release, Ontario Launches Building Smarter Government Initiative
- October 23, 2019 News Release, Ontario Working to Establish An Official Day of Action on Litter
- October 18, 2019 News Release, Ontario Bringing High-Speed Internet to Remote First Nation Communities
Upcoming: November 1 to 3, 2019. The Green Party of Ontario will hold its annual convention at Centennial College Event Centre