Ontario’s legislature will resume this week for the first time since the re-election of Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives.
TORONTO — Ontario’s legislature will resume this week for the first time since the re-election of Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives, with politicians returning amid a health care workforce crisis and soaring inflation.
Members will return on Monday to vote for a president, followed on Tuesday by the speech from the throne, outlining the government’s new agenda, and the budget, which is expected to be largely unchanged from when it was presented but will not be passed in the spring before the election. .
The prime minister is expected to acknowledge health and economic pressures, but it is unclear whether new measures will be added to the budget or throne speech to deal with them.
“The pillars of the agenda are the same as before and during the election campaign, including rebuilding Ontario’s economy, getting more people into skilled trades and putting shovels in the ground to build more homes, roads , roads, public transport and other key infrastructure,” a government source said.
“The government will also reiterate how it is supporting the health system, particularly in light of current pressures. That said, we are noting that the context and climate in which this agenda is being implemented is changing based on global economic trends “.
Since the June election, nursing shortages have caused hospitals to close emergency departments in communities across the province for hours or even days at a time.
Nursing groups, hospital executives, other health professionals and advocates have said burnout after more than two years on the front lines of COVID-19 and not receiving adequate compensation has meant the people leave the profession en masse.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones sent a directive to the College of Nurses of Ontario on Thursday asking it to make every effort to register internationally trained nurses “as quickly as possible” so they can practice in the province.
Opposition critics and nursing groups say the nursing college directive does not amount to the province doing everything in its power to address the situation, as Ford recently promised.
A key demand they have is the repeal of Bill 124, a 2019 law that capped wage increases for public sector workers, including nurses, at 1% a year for three years. Nursing groups say some nurses could be lured out of retirement if the bill were to disappear.
When question period resumes on Wednesday, opposition parties are expected to press the government for solutions to the health worker shortage, including the repeal of Bill 124, which they have long called for.
Acting NDP Leader Peter Tabuns said Bill 124 is symbolic of the Ford government’s attitude toward health care workers.
“I think that’s part of the problem we have with retention right now, as well as recruiting,” Tabuns said at a news conference Friday.
“(It’s) a very clear signal from the provincial government that we’re going to say all kinds of nice things about you, but at the end of the day, we’re not willing to put money on the table to make your life better.”
Technically, the Liberals will sit again as independents as they failed to win back enough seats for official party status in the legislature, but interim leader John Fraser said his priorities will be the health care system and accessibility, including disability support payment rates.
“People can’t survive on what they’re getting,” Fraser said in an interview.
Ford promised during the election campaign that he would increase these disability support payments by five percent, which is the only new measure he has indicated will be in the reintroduced budget.
Rates have been frozen since 2018, with a single person on ODSP able to receive up to $1,169 a month for basic needs and housing. Advocates say that’s too low and that payments should be doubled, especially given that inflation is around eight percent.
The legislature’s first order of business is the election of a speaker, and two Progressive-Conservatives are expected to compete for the role. Ted Arnott, who served as Speaker for the past four years, will be up against Nina Tangri, who served as Associate Minister for Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.
The vote is secret, but the opposition NDP has indicated its members will vote for Arnott.
“He has shown himself to be fair and impartial in his dealings,” Tabuns said.
If Tangri is chosen, she would be the first woman in the role, which Tabuns acknowledged would be a major milestone but won’t change her vote.
“We think it would be good to have a woman as a spokesperson, but maybe another woman at another time,” he said.
The Conservatives, who are the deciding factor, with their large majority, have not said who their caucus members will support.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 7, 2022.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press