Doug Ford sends MPPs home from Queen’s Park until Oct. 25

Just as they’re usually starting a season of rollicking debate on key issues of the day, Ontario MPPs are heading back to their ridings until after municipal elections across the province.

Thestar.com
Sept. 15, 2022
Rob Ferguson

Just as they’re usually starting a season of rollicking debate on key issues of the day, Ontario MPPs are heading back to their ridings until after municipal elections across the province.

Premier Doug Ford used his government’s majority Wednesday to adjourn the legislature until Oct. 25, much to the consternation of the opposition New Democrats and Greens, who say pressing issues like overcrowded hospitals and soaring grocery bills need full attention.

“We have a crisis in health care caused by a devastating staffing shortage. We have skyrocketing inflation taking bites out of people’s paycheques,” said NDP House Leader Peggy Sattler, whose party is calling for an immediate recall of the legislature.

“These and other concerns deserve the constant attention of MPPs.”

The adjournment came as the legislature sat for an hour to have participating MPPs swear new oaths to King Charles III and hear tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth from party leaders.

It follows a rare summer sitting that began Aug. 8, two months after the June 2 election that saw Ford returned to power with a bigger majority.

The government used the sweltering summer session to pass a budget first introduced in late April, controversial legislation known as Bill 7 to free up hospital beds by moving seniors no longer needing acute care into nursing homes, and a bill to give “strong mayor” powers to the chief magistrates of Toronto and Ottawa after the Oct. 24 elections.

Opposition parties accused Ford of wanting to keep a low profile during the municipal campaigns, as he has done in previous federal campaigns, and trying to avoid criticism over Bill 7 and higher prices for food and housing.

“The government is yet to even implement a single recommendation from their own housing task force,” said Green Leader Mike Schreiner.

“The government hasn’t brought in any sort of price-gouging legislation to go after the big grocery retailers ... There are a number of challenges we need to be working on right now.”

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said he doesn’t have a problem with the break of almost six weeks, although would have preferred the legislature resume sitting after Thanksgiving.

Fraser also said he hopes Ford acts with more thought on future legislation.

Neither Bill 7 -- which includes fees of up to $400 daily for hospital patients who are cleared for discharge but refusing to go to long-term care homes or accept home care -- nor the “strong mayor” bill were mentioned during the spring election campaign and appear to have been crafted hastily, said Fraser. Bill 7 was introduced and passed in 13 days with no study by a legislative committee or public hearings.

“Maybe the government can slow down and offer a more reasonable, measured approach to important legislation,” he told reporters.