Bright lights, big city: A newcomer at Queen’s Park

From Toronto, the seat of the Ontario Legislature

The provincial legislature returned to action November 18, after an eleven-day break. On this day Toronto was bustling with energy, still in the midst of a series of Taylor Swift concerts taking the city by storm.

{The Ontario Legislative Building, in all its Glory}

Queen’s Park harboured its own energy: a mix of assurance and anxiety; of youthful ambition and prideful experience; of unwavering tradition and radical discontent. Marching up the grand, central staircase, past the shiny wooden halls and attractions, and following a welcomed feeling of being lost, the press gallery suddenly appeared up ahead.

Pace moves quickly in Parliament. The Progressive Conservative majority government is in the process of introducing, carrying forth, and executing several bills ahead of what some insiders (a few of whom this reporter had the pleasure of speaking to) predict will be a snap election this spring. After a few morning routines, question period began and MPPs came out firing.

Addressing the Premier (whose absence was glaring amid a full legislature), NDP leader of the opposition Marit Stiles started with healthcare. In her opening speech, Stiles referenced northern and rural Ontario as vast areas where healthcare is being under-funded, telling the government “this is not a record to be proud of”. Minister of Health Slyvia Jones said the healthcare budget has increased four percent year-over-year, in an effort which could only be considered under-funding through applying erroneous “NDP Math”.

Liberal MPP John Frasor accused the PCs of paying for an “orgy of feel good ads” during the CFL’s Grey Cup which celebrated their healthcare policy, evoking outrage from those who deemed his language to be unparliamentary.

When opposition critics shifted towards housing, banter from the other side of the isle picked up substantially.

“When socialists take over the building of housing, we have a big, big problem,” said a passionate Minister of municipal affairs and housing Paul Calandra.

The NDP’s Stiles argued the PCs were “ideologically opposed” to building affordable housing, to which the minister conjectured that this ideological conviction was towards homes being built by the public - his government was doing everything in its power to facilitate private development. Stiles then went on to advocate for the province to impose a form of rent control.

Turning to his colleagues, Minister of red tape reduction Mike Harris called the opposition “champagne socialists”.

After initial scrutiny, MPP Lorne Coe asked his fellow PC member, minister of mines George Pirie, to update the house on his recent work. Pirie spoke with a sense of urgency.

“To stay competitive, we must act quickly,” he said. “We need to get these minerals out of the ground. This is important as we weed off fossil fuels and it’s important for our national security”.

This comes after the government recently announced it had completed several infrastructure improvements along Highway 584 leading to the Ring of Fire mining complex, in partnership with two First Nation development corporations. Minister Pirie repeatedly referenced his government’s plan to provide a series of investments in mining, including funding to kickstart new exploration projects.

Earlier this month a bridge located between Greenstone and Ginoogaming First Nation collapsed, causing concern from NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois of Thunder Bay-Superior North. She urged the government to take action on repairing the critical infrastructure immediately.

In an interview with the Progress, MPP Vaugeois explained why the First Nation depends on the bridge. “The only other way by car is fifty minutes longer, down a bush road”.

The cost of living was a thread running through much of the session. In response to criticism from the opposition, the PCs honed in on what has become a hallmark issue in Canadian politics: the carbon tax. The tax, a federal policy which can be controlled by provincial governments so long as they fit within certain parameters, has been lambasted by the Ontario PCs since becoming law.

Finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy praised the government’s policy of lowering the tax on gasoline for consumers, partially offsetting the federal tax. He noted the opposition parties voted against this measure.

MPP Rick Byers said the carbon tax poses threats to the forestry industry, both due to strain on companies engaged in global competition, and on people attempting to buy or build homes. Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products Kevin Holland (Thunder Bay-Atikokan), said his government is making investments such as in University of Toronto’s Mass-Wood Program. He concurred with his fellow caucus members on the carbon tax issue.

“The opposition is putting politics ahead of affordability”, he said.

When the hour hit noon, and the house adjourned for lunch, the 124 MPPs were met by a swarm of reporters. Though some opted for “coward’s way” (a secret hallway which allows a politician to avoid the media), most faced the bright lights. Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria took an interview with reporters which centered around the government’s goal to alleviate traffic on the roads and “keep the province moving”.

“Bike lanes cause more congestion,” he said in response to a question about the recent conservative policy which mandates municipalities receive provincial approval before installation. “Toronto is the economic engine of Ontario. We want to keep things moving”.

The opposition says this move is another example of undue provincial interference in municipal affairs.

Many members joined the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) on the grass outside of Queen’s Park for a flag raising in honour of Louis Riel day. Speeches began after a fiddler led a ceremonial introduction.

{The moment the flag reached the top of the pole to the tune of traditional Metis fiddle}

“We stand outside a legislature which put a $5,000 bounty on Riel,” said MNO president Margaret Froh.

She proceeded to tell a story about an 1849 Métis rebellion along the northeastern shore of Lake Superior, sparked by disagreements over a mining company operating without their permission.

Froh concluded her speech with optimism, discussing the resurgence of Métis identity in the 1960s and the increasing willingness from governments to work with their Nation.

The session resumed after lunch. The period from 1 to 3 pm is typically quiet in the chamber, as many members are busy with specific matters. During the dimness of a particularly uninspiring diatribe, a group from the visitors’ section overlooking the chamber stood up from their seats and began shouting down, holding up a large sign that read “Cons Cuts Will Kill”.

{The protesters sat for a few minutes in the back rows before leading their demonstration}

They were protesting access to safe consumption sites, supervised areas of drug use for those facing addiction. A recent government bill would close ten sites deemed to be too close to schools and daycares.

“Ford, Ford you can’t hide, you committed homicide,” the group screamed, until after a few minutes security finally convinced them to leave.

The house was adjourned for about twenty-five minutes.

The house finally returned to debate one last item: an opposition motion to renew a deal with municipalities that they called “outdated”, meant to “re-upload” provincial responsibility over hospitals, highways and infrastructure. According to the NDP, funding of these vital areas has become inconsistent and unreliable under the Ford government, a fact that Stiles said was not sitting well with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

Dave Smith, a conservative MPP from Peterborough-Kawartha, responded to the opposition with a speech that must have lasted twenty-five minutes. In contrasting Peterborough with Brantford and Kingston, Smith said that certain towns are much less efficient with the manner in which they spend money.

“Some municipalities are using money in not the best fiscal way. It comes down to local decisions that are being made.”

He argued the PC plan is smart, in that it provides funding to municipalities where it is most needed, referencing the ‘Building Faster Fund’ as an example. He further clarified that he does not want this to lead to cost-cutting in the arts, evoking a quote from Winston Churchill to convey the necessity of artistic production in society.

When it was time to vote, the result was predictable. The NDP, Liberal, and Greens stood ‘Yay’, while the majoritarian PCs stood for ‘Nay’. Thus the motion did not pass.

Immediately after the vote the house adjourned, and the masses of MPPs filed out of the chamber. A few stayed behind for discussion, but within minutes the house of democracy was empty. 

This reporter, upon being told to leave, followed a winding staircase down to the first floor, and stepping outside, looked back upon the Richardson Romanesque architecture and smiled, ready to return in two weeks.