Here are 5 things to watch for as Ontario MPPs return to Queen’s Park

For the first time since they were elected in June, Ontario politicians will return to Queen’s Park on Monday for a roughly five-week summer session.

Here are five things to keep in mind:

NEW PLAYERS AND INTERIM LEADERS

There will be quite a few new faces in Queen’s Park this week, with just over a quarter of MPPs making their legislature debut.

Two of the four political parties represented in the legislature will also be led by caretaker leaders. Former NDP leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal leader Stephen Del Duca resigned after being defeated during the June 2 election and neither will be present during the summer session.

The NDP will be represented by Peter Tabuns, the Toronto-Danforth MPP, while the Liberals are led by John Fraser, the Ottawa South MPP. Fraser is no stranger to the role, as he acted as interim lead after Kathleen Wynne stepped down in 2018.

Both parties have said they will appoint permanent leaders by March 2023.

The seat for Hamilton Center will be vacant. Although Horwath won his seat in the legislature, he has since decided to bet on Hamilton’s mayoral race. A by-election will be called at a later date.

APPROVING THE BUDGET

The Progressive Conservatives’ first line of business on Tuesday will be approving their 2022 budget, which they tabled ahead of the election and used as their political platform.

Included in the $198.6 billion budget is:

• About $158.8 billion over 10 years for highways, transit, and hospitals
• A new personal income tax credit for seniors earning less than $65,000 a year. The government will credit up to 25 percent of medical costs up to $6,000 for people age 70 and older.
• Expanded eligibility for the Low Income Individuals and Households Tax Credit to include people earning up to $50,000.

During the election, PCs also promised to increase funding for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) by five percent and then legislate annual increases linked to inflation. For months, advocates have called for ODSP funding to be doubled.

It’s unclear if any other changes will be made; however, in April, when the government adjourned for elections, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said “this is our plan”.

“This is the budget that we’re putting forward and we’re going to get the people of Ontario to vote on that budget,” he said at the time.

The government appeared to reiterate this in a press release issued on Friday saying that Bethanfalvy will “re-introduce” the budget after the 1pm speech from the throne.

The New Democrats want the government to go back to the drawing board for a budget that addresses what they call a health care crisis and rising inflation.”

ADDRESSING HEALTH CARE CONCERNS

Progressive Conservatives are expected to face questions and calls for action to address severe staffing shortages in Ontario hospitals.

Last week, some 25 hospitals were forced to reduce beds, redirect care or, in some cases, close emergency departments and intensive care units.

Critics see House Bill 124, which caps salary increases for public sector employees at one percent per year, as a central obstacle to keeping enough staff available. Health care unions say repealing the bill would be a good sign of good faith, however Prime Minister Doug Ford last week rejected the idea. Ford says hospitals will deal “fairly” with medical staff as their contracts affected by the legislation expire.

During the summer session, the NDP also plans to reintroduce failed legislation requiring a permanent, extended 10-day paid sick leave program.

New Democrats feel the program is critical amid the spread of monkeypox, reasoning that isolation periods for the disease may be as long as 21 days.

The Progressive Conservatives launched a three-day temporary paid sick leave program at the height of the pandemic that offers eligible workers up to $200 a day if they need to be tested, vaccinated or require self-isolation due to COVID-19.

The program is currently set to expire on March 31, 2023. In late July, a Ministry of Labor spokesperson told CTV News Toronto that there was no further update on whether or not the program could become permanent.

The Ford government scrapped a liberal paid sick leave program after they were elected in 2018.

STRONG POWERS OF THE MAYOR

The prime minister confirmed last month that he plans to amend Toronto city and municipal laws to give mayors stronger powers over proposals in council. These powers, he said, would be given to the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto, allowing them to veto council decisions if necessary. In the future, the powers could be extended to other important leaders in the city.

Two-thirds of the council could override a mayor’s veto, Ford added.

This would be the second time the Ford administration has made structural changes to municipalities after an election without including them on a campaign platform.

After winning a majority in 2018, Ford cut Toronto’s city council in half from 47 to 25 seats and eliminated regional president elections in Peel, York, Niagara and Muskoka.

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SPEAKER?

Before any legislation can be voted on, MPPs must vote for the President of the Legislative Assembly. His role is to preside over the debate in the chamber and ensure that the MPPs follow the rules. They do not participate in the debates – unless they are trying to maintain order during a fight – and they only vote in the event of a tie.

Prior to the election, Ted Arnott, the Wellington-Halton Hills MPP, presided as speaker. His name is in the running again, but he is up against fellow Mississauga PC, Streetsville MPP Nina Tangri, who, if elected, would be the province’s first female president.

Once the summer session is over, the MPPs will have another recess until after the municipal elections on October 24.