Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The membership was set by the
2018 Ontario general election
The 2018 Ontario general election was held on June 7, 2018, to elect the 124 members of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario. The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, led by Doug Ford, won 76 of the 124 seats in the legislature and formed a majo ...
and sat for two sessions until it was dissolved on May 3, 2022 in advance of the
2022 Ontario general election
The 2022 Ontario general election will be held on or before June 2, 2022, to elect Members of Provincial Parliament to serve in the 43rd Parliament of Ontario. As of December 2016, Ontario elections are held on the first Thursday in June in th ...
.
The government, a
majority
A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-WebsterProgressive Conservative Party with leader
Doug Ford
Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...
serving as Premier of Ontario. The
Official Opposition
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...
Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath (; born October 24, 1962) is a Canadian politician who has been the 58th mayor of Hamilton since 2022. Horwath previously served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton Centre from 2004 to 2022, as leader of t ...
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party of Ontario (GPO; french: Parti vert de l'Ontario) is a political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Mike Schreiner. In 2018, Schreiner was elected as the party's first member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. In th ...
also elected members to seats in the legislature, but neither elected enough MPPs for
official party status
Official party status refers to the Westminster practice which is officially used in the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures of recognizing parliamentary caucuses of political parties. In official documents, this is sometimes re ...
. At dissolution, the
New Blue Party of Ontario
The New Blue Party of Ontario ( abbr. New Blue; french: Nouveau Parti Bleu de l'Ontario) is a minor socially conservative political party in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 2020, the party is led by Jim Karahalios, the husband of Be ...
and the
Ontario Party
The Ontario Party (french: Parti Ontario) is a minor social conservative, economic liberal and right-wing populist political party in the Canadian province of Ontario, founded in 2018.
History
The Ontario Party was founded in May 2018, during ...
each had one MPP, but also lacked official party status.
Ford was officially sworn in as
Premier of Ontario
The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
by the
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The lieutenant governor of Ontario (, in French: ''Lieutenant-gouverneur'' (if male) or ''Lieutenante-gouverneure'' (if female) ''de l'Ontario'') is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the , who operates distinctly within the province bu ...
on June 29, 2018. The first session of the 42nd Legislative Assembly was opened on July 11, 2018 with the election of
Ted Arnott
Theodore Calvin Arnott (born April 8, 1963) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on September 6, 1990, representing the Riding of Wellington. He is a member of the Progressive Conservativ ...
as Speaker.
Election and appointments
The Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPP) that served in the Legislative Assembly of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario were elected in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
held on June 7, 2018. The election returned 76 Progressive Conservatives, 40 NDP members, 7 Liberals, and 1 Green. This allowed the Progressive Conservative Party to form a majority government with its leader Doug Ford becoming Premier and the NDP forming the Official Opposition. Neither the Liberals, nor the Green Party had sufficient number of seats to provide them with party status in the legislative assembly. Ford assembled a 21-member
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
which was sworn in by
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
on June 29. The cabinet featured Ford as Premier and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
The minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities (french: Ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the federal government's relations wi ...
Christine Elliott
Christine Janice Elliott (born April 13, 1955) is a retired Canadian politician in Ontario who served as the 11th deputy premier of Ontario and the Ontario minister of health from 2018 to 2022.
Elliott was elected to represent the riding of New ...
as
Deputy Premier
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
and
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
, and
Caroline Mulroney
Caroline Anne Mulroney Lapham (born June 11, 1974) is a Canadian businesswoman, lawyer and politician who currently serves as the Ontario Transportation Minister, Ontario Minister of Transportation and Ministry of Francophone Affairs, Minister ...
as
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Vic Fedeli
Victor Anthony Fedeli (born August 8, 1956) is a Canadian politician who has been the Ontario minister of economic development, job creation and trade since 2019 and chair of Cabinet since 2018. He is the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) ...
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
Lisa MacLeod
Lisa Anne MacLeod (born 1974) is a Canadian politician who has represented Nepean in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Elected in 2018, MacLeod is a member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party. She previously served as the Ontario m ...
Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of the environment) is a cabinet position charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation. The areas associated with the duties of an ...
, and
John Yakabuski
John A. Yakabuski (born June 14, 1957) is a Canadian politician who served as Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry from 2018 to 2021 in the Doug Ford cabinet. He is a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly ...
as
Minister of Transportation
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...
. In addition, 26 other Progressive Conservative MPPs were appointed to be parliamentary assistants.
Todd Smith Todd Smith may refer to:
People
*Todd Smith (musician), American singer, songwriter and guitarist
* Todd Smith (politician), Canadian politician
*Todd Smith (singer), American vocalist and member of Selah
*Todd Smith (wrestler), American wrestler
* ...
was appointed
Government House Leader
The leader of the government in the House of Commons (), more commonly known as the government house leader, is the Cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the House of Commons of Canada. De ...
and
Ted Arnott
Theodore Calvin Arnott (born April 8, 1963) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on September 6, 1990, representing the Riding of Wellington. He is a member of the Progressive Conservativ ...
was elected
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
.
The first change to the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
came on November 2, 2018, when Jim Wilson resigned to sit as an independent and Todd Smith assumed his role as Minister of Economic Development. The first major cabinet shuffle came on June 20, 2019, as the premier expanded the cabinet to 28 members with 31 other Progressive Conservative MPPs being parliamentary assistants.
Doug Downey
Doug Downey is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario during the 2018 general election. He represents the riding of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, and is a member of the Progressive Conservative Part ...
,
Paul Calandra
Paul A. Calandra (born May 13, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as a minister in the Ontario provincial cabinet since 2019. Calandra has been the government house leader for the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since 2019, min ...
,
Stephen Lecce
Stephen Francis Lecce (; born November 26, 1986) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Ontario minister of education since June 20, 2019. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Lecce is the member of Provincial Parliame ...
and
Ross Romano
Rosario "Ross" Romano (born 1979) is a Canadian politician who serves as Chief Government Whip in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Romano has held a number of portfolios since the PCs form ...
were promoted to cabinet to be Attorney General, Government House Leader, Minister of Education, and
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education. This ministry is one of two education ministries, the other being the Ministry of E ...
, respectively.
Jill Dunlop
Jill Dunlop is a Canadian politician who is the Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities since June 18, 2021. She represents the riding of Simcoe North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a member of the Progressive Conservative Part ...
,
Kinga Surma
Kinga Surma (born ca. 1987/1988 in Polandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InLFRG5b8aw&t=373s "Kinga Surma Christmas PCParty"
YouTube video uploaded by GoniecTV Toronto, Surma reveals she was born in Poland, moved to Canada when she was 4, which wa ...
, and
Prabmeet Sarkaria
Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria () is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has been the president of the Treasury Board of Ontario since June 18, 2021. He has sat as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the riding of Brampton South since t ...
were promoted to be Associate Ministers. Rod Phillips became Minister of Finance, Jeff Yurek the Minister of the Environment, Todd Smith the Minister of Children and Youth Services, Caroline Mulroney the Minister of Transportation, Vic Fedeli the Minister of Economic Development, Lisa Thompson the
Minister of Government and Consumer Services
The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (formerly the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services) is a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Ontario. It is responsible for ServiceOntario, which, among other ...
Monte McNaughton
Monte Gary McNaughton (born March 11, 1977) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development in Ontario since June 20, 2019. A Progressive Conservative (PC), McNaughton has sat as a ...
the
Minister of Labour Minister of Labour (in British English) or Labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...
.
Bill Walker Bill Walker may refer to:
Australian rules football
* Bill A. Walker (1886–1934), Australian rules footballer for Essendon
* Bill Walker (Australian footballer, born 1883) (1883–1971), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy
* Bill J. V. Wal ...
and
Michael Tibollo
Michael A. Tibollo (born February 11, 1960) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, who is currently serving as Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial electi ...
were demoted from ministerial positions to be Associate Ministers, and Christine Elliott's portfolio split with Merrilee Fullerton taking over the newly created Ministry of Long-Term Care.
In February 2021,
Peter Bethlenfalvy
Peter Bethlenfalvy is a Canadian businessman and politician who has been the minister of finance for Ontario since December 31, 2020. Bethlenfalvy has sat in the Ontario Legislature as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Pickering†...
replaced Rod Phillips as Minister of Finance following criticism of his international vacations during the
COVID pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifi ...
, though he returned to cabinet in June as the Minister of Long-Term Care. That June shuffle removed 5 members (Jeff Yurek, John Yakabuski, Laurie Scott, Bill Walker, and
Ernie Hardeman
Ernie Hardeman (born December 4, 1947) is a Canadian politician who served as Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from 2018 to 2021 in the Doug Ford government and as Minister of Agriculture and Food from 1999 to 2001 in t ...
) and introduced 6 new members to cabinet, including David Piccini as Minister of the Environment,
Parm Gill
Parm Gill (born May 17, 1974) is a Canadian politician. He has represented the riding of
Milton in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018 and has served as the Ontario Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism since June 18, 2021. ...
as Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Khaleed Rasheed as Associate Minister of Digital Government,
Stan Cho
Stan Cho (born September 14, 1977) () is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. He represents the riding of Willowdale as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party o ...
as Associate Minister of Transportation,
Nina Tangri
Nina Tangri is a Canadian politician who was the Ontario Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction from June 2021 until June 2022. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. She rep ...
as Associate Minister for Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, and
Jane McKenna
Jane McKenna (born October 22, 1959) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2011 to 2014 who represented the riding of Burlington and subsequently again from 201 ...
as the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. Kinga Surma and Jill Dunlop were promoted from their associate minister roles to be Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Colleges and Universities, respectively, with Prabmeet Sakaria being promoted from associate minister to President of the Treasury Board.
First session
2018-19
The first session of the 42nd Parliament began on July 11, 2018, with the
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
delivered by Lieutenant Governor Dowdeswell on behalf of the Premier Ford and the Progressive Conservative government. In the summer session two bills were adopted. The first bill, adopted by the Parliament on July 26, was the ''Urgent Priorities Act'' (Bill 2) which enacted back-to-work legislation to end
strike action
Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Labor (economics), work. A strike usually takes place in response to grievance (labour), employee grievance ...
, canceled the White Pines wind project, and required
Hydro One
Hydro One Limited is an electricity transmission and distribution utility serving the Canadian province of Ontario. Hydro One traces its history to the early 20th century and the establishment of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario ( ...
create new compensation packages for their chief executive officer and board of directors which would be subject to government approval. The second bill, titled ''Better Local Government Act, 2018'' (Bill 5) removed the City of Toronto's powers to determine the composition of
City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
and the division of the City into wards and replaced it with a requirement that the City's wards follow the provincial riding boundaries, as well as eliminate elected chair positions in the regions of Peel,
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
,
Niagara
Niagara may refer to:
Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada
*Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River
*Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border
*Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ov ...
and Muskoka, in favour of appointed positions — all applicable to the 2018 municipal elections.
In the fall 2018 sitting of the first session, seven more bills were adopted. Bill 4 repealed the province's
emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. The concept is also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon emission t ...
legislation, the ''Climate Change Mitigation and Low-Carbon Economy Act'' and Bill 34 repealed the '' Green Energy Act''. Bill 32 amended the '' Ontario Energy Board Act'' to spread of the cost of expanding the natural gas distribution system to all rate-payers rather than those immediately benefiting from the expansion. Bill 47, ''Making Ontario Open for Business Act'', retracted the planned 2019 increase to the minimum wage while tying future increases to a calculation of inflation, replaced a mandatory provision for all employees to be provided two paid sick days with unpaid leave days, eliminated mandatory pay-equity for part-time and casual workers, deleted the allowance of a trade union to obtain a list of employees and closed the
Ontario College of Trades
The Ontario College of Trades was the regulatory body that governs skilled trades in Ontario. The College officially opened on April 8, 2013 and its activities are mandated by the ''Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009'' (OCT ...
. Bill 57 was an
omnibus bill
An omnibus bill is a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics. ''Omnibus'' is derived from Latin and means "to, for, by, with or from everything". An omnibus bill is a single document that is accepted in a single vote by a ...
that made numerous amendments to various acts, including closing the office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, and the office of the Environmental Commissioner, repeals the '' Ontario Place Corporation Act'' and the ''Trillium Trust Act'', expanding the area
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
provides service to while deleting the requirement that it consider all forms of transportation it is plans, exempting the
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans' organization) founded in 1925. Membership includes people who have served as military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, Royal ...
from property taxes, allowing professional full-time fire-fighters to also work part-time at a different fire department, increasing the maximum allowable contributions that can be made to political parties while removing the prohibition of MLAs from attending fund-raising events, proclaiming March 27, 2019, to be Special Hockey Day, creating a Low-Income Individuals and Families tax credit, closing the offices of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner and the French Language Services Commissioner while moving their duties to the offices of the Integrity Commissioner and the
Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
, respectively. Also, Bill 36 created a licensing system for private cannabis retail stores and allowed cannabis consumption in all areas where the smoking of tobacco is allowed and Bill 67 disallowed strike action by the unionized workers of the
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) is a Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation and "government business enterprise" that is responsible for approximately half of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is w ...
.
In the spring 2019 sitting, several more bills were adopted. The Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act (Bill 66) was another omnibus bill that amended numerous unrelated acts, as well as repealed the ''Pawnbrokers Act'', the ''Toxics Reduction Act, 2009'', and the ''Wireless Services Agreements Act, 2013''. Bill 48 amended several education-related acts to make provisions for
service animal
Various definitions exist for a service animal. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines the term as "dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities". Dogs are the most common service animals, havi ...
s in schools, require applicants for the
Ontario College of Teachers
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT; french: Ordre des enseignantes et des enseignants de l'Ontario EEOlinks=no) is the regulatory college for the teaching profession in Ontario and is the largest self-regulatory body in Canada. It was establi ...
to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics, and amend the provisions regarding teacher-student sexual abuse. Bill 68 repealed and replaced the ''Police Services Act'' and the ''Police Oversight Act'' with the ''Community Safety and Policing Act'' and the ''Special Investigations Unit Act''. In addition to repealing the ''Lung Health Act'', Bill 74 enacted the ''Connecting Care Act'' to create a new Crown agency titled
Ontario Health
Ontario Health (OH; ) is a Crown agency (Ontario), Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that was established on June 6, 2019. Described as a "super agency", Ontario Health will oversee much of the administration of the Ontario healthcare sy ...
intended to merge the 14
Local Health Integration Network {{for, the superseding agency, Ontario Health (agency)
Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) were the health authorities responsible for regional administration of public healthcare services in the Canadian province of Ontario. Legacy LHIN func ...
and several crown agencies such as
Cancer Care Ontario
Cancer Care Ontario was an agency of the provincial Government of Ontario that was responsible for improving cancer services. It was created by the government of Bob Rae in April 1995, and was formally launched in 1997. The agency was governed un ...
eHealth Ontario
eHealth Ontario is the agency tasked with facilitating the development of Ontario's proposed public Electronic Health Record system.
Health Informatics in Canada is run provincially, with different provinces creating different systems, albe ...
,
HealthForceOntario
HealthForceOntario was a collaborative initiative, announced May 3, 2006, involving two Ontario Canada ministries: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ontario) and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. It was subsequently subsum ...
, and provide the ability for the government to create Integrated Care Delivery Systems (or Health Teams) to deliver health care services. Bill 115 terminated the province's agreement with
The Beer Store
Brewers Retail Inc., doing business as The Beer Store, is a privately-owned chain of retail outlets selling beer and other malt beverages in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Founded in 1927, it was owned at its inception by a consortium of Ont ...
in favour of making alcoholic beverages available for sale through grocery stores and convenience outlets. Bill 107 transferred, to
Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
from the City of Toronto, the responsibility for designing and developing rapid transit within the city. Bill 108 amended 13 acts, including the ''Endangered Species Act'' by inserting new abilities for the Ministry of the Environment to delay listing species on the endangered list and provide exemptions from the protections under the act for listed species, the ''Environmental Assessment Act'' by allowing for exemptions to routine class environmental assessments, the ''Ontario Heritage Act'' by creating a formal process for property owners to appeal a heritage designation, the ''Development Charges Act'' and ''Planning Act'' regarding what and how certain services may be charged development cost charges, community benefits charges and municipal parkland acquisitions, allow for
inclusionary zoning
Inclusionary zoning (IZ), also known as inclusionary housing, refers to municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes. The term ''inclusionary'' zon ...
and create lower timelines for local governments to decide on rezoning and subdivision applications, and the ''Local Planning Appeal Tribunal Act'' by amending the practices and procedures of the tribunal.
Few bills were adopted during the fall 2019 sitting but they amended, created or repealed numerous acts. Bill 136 repealed the ''Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act'' and replaced it with the ''Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act''. Bill 124 caps public sector wage increases to no more than 1% per year. Bill 138 repealed the ''Toronto Stock Exchange Act''; enacted the ''Egyptian Heritage Month Act'', the ''Hellenic Heritage Month Act'', the ''Provincial Day of Action on Litter Act'', and the ''Supply Chain Management (Government, Broader Public Sector and Health Sector Entities) Act''; repealed and replaced the ''Liquor Licence Act'' and the ''Wine Content and Labelling Act'' with the new ''Liquor Licence and Control Act''; amended cannabis-related acts to allow for online and telephone purchases from private cannabis retail stores and allowed peace officers and judges to refer a youth to an education program rather than pursuing conviction of a cannabis offense, and created a lower aviation fuel tax rate applicable to purchases made in Northern Ontario. Bill 132, aimed at
red tape
Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
reduction eliminated or lowered certain penalties for contravening the ''Environmental Protection Act''; repealed the ''Residential Complex Sales Representation Act'', ''Local Planning Appeal Support Centre Act'', ''Farm Products Grades and Sales Act'', ''Partnerships for Jobs and Growth Act'', ''Paperback and Periodical Distributors Act'', ''Statute Labour Act'', and the ''Freshwater Fish Marketing Act''; permits Algoma University and
Ontario College of Art & Design University
Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...
to award degrees and diplomas in all branches of learning; and amended ''Pesticides Act'' to allow for more use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes, among other provisions.
2020-21
The legislature reconvened in 2020 but the events of the
Covid pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifi ...
came to dominant the agenda. Covid-related legislation adopted in 2020 included budgetary measures in Bill 188; Bill 186 to create an unpaid leave of absence within the ''Employment Standards Act'' for infectious disease emergencies and to repeal the ''SARS Assistance and Recovery Strategy Act''; Bill 187 to allow local governments to hold meetings through electronic means; Bill 189 to suspend loan repayments in the
; Bill 190 to allow provincially-regulated organizations to conduct business remotely (e.g. use of electronic signatures, filings, affidavits); Bills 192 & 204 to suspend evictions of commercial tenants and freeze residential rents; Bill 195 to allow the
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. Under its provincial mandate, the OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways, protects provincial government buildings and officials, patrols unincorpo ...
to enforce covid-related regulations on gatherings; Bill 218 indemnified workers and organizations from legal actions relating to covid exposures; and Bill 283 enacted the ''Covid-19 Vaccination Reporting Act''.
Other bills adopted in 2020 included Bill 197 to amend the ''Environmental Assessment Act'' to prioritize assessments by anticipated impact, allow for a streamlined-class of assessment, and reduce mandated timelines of other assessments; amend the ''Planning Act'' addressing community benefits charges and enhancing order making powers for the minister responsible; amend the ''Education Act'' to allow for demonstration schools; create an appeal process for those denied farm business registration; amend the ''Payday Loans Act'' to cap fees for dishonoured cheques, pre-authorized debits, and loans under $1,500; create the new ''Transit-Oriented Communities Act''; and repeal and replace the ''Burden Reduction Reporting Act, 2014'' and the ''Reducing Regulatory Costs for Business Act, 2017'' with the new ''Modernizing Ontario for People and Businesses Act, 2020''. Bill 213, titled the '' Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020'' was adopted to repeal the ''Ontario Highway Transport Board Act'', grant university status and rename several Christian colleges, remove residency requirements for corporate directors, and allow the Ministry of the Environment to levy new fees for providing documents. Bill 215 removes local government ability to regulate noise associated with the delivery of goods, and increases fines for unlicenced ridesharing. Bill 229 reduces the authority of conservation authorities and allows municipalities to opt out; removes promotion of renewable energy generation from the list of objectives of the
Ontario Energy Board
The Ontario Energy Board regulates natural gas and electricity utilities in the province of Ontario, Canada. This includes setting rates, and licensing all participants in the electricity sector including the Independent Electricity System Operato ...
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario, Canada. It is responsible for the province's lotteries, charity and Aboriginal c ...
; creates the Ontario Centres of Excellence Inc.; exempts forestry operations on crown land from complying with the ''Endangered Species Act''; updates and modernizes the ''Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act''; repeals and replaces the ''Film Classification Act'' with the new ''Film Content Information Act''; and repeals the ''Financial Services Commission of Ontario Act''. Bill 236 creates government regulations applicable to
food delivery
Retail food delivery is a courier service in which a restaurant, store, or independent food-delivery company delivers food to a customer. An order is typically made either through a restaurant or grocer's website or mobile app, or through a food ...
services.
Bills adopted in 2021 included Bill 245 which enacted the ''Ontario Land Tribunal Act'' to consolidate several different boards and tribunals into one body; Bill 251 which enacted the ''Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act'' and repealed and replaced the ''Hotel Registration of Guests Act'' with the ''Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act''; Bill 283 which created the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority; and Bill 282 which enacted the ''Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act'' to regulate towing services. Bill 246 mandated that school buses be equipped with four overhead amber signal-lights and four overhead red signal-lights. Bills 254 and 307 brought social media accounts under the purview of the ''Members' Integrity Act'' and invoked the "notwithstanding clause" to double the amount of time spending limits are imposed on political advertising by third parties. Bill 269 created
Invest Ontario
Investment is the dedication of money to purchase of an asset to attain an increase in value over a period of time. Investment requires a sacrifice of some present asset, such as time, money, or effort.
In finance, the purpose of investing is ...
and the Ontario jobs training tax credit while Bills 222 and 257 expedited certain transit and broadband projects that were deemed to be a priority. Bill 288 replaced the
Ontario College of Trades
The Ontario College of Trades was the regulatory body that governs skilled trades in Ontario. The College officially opened on April 8, 2013 and its activities are mandated by the ''Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009'' (OCT ...
with a new Crown corporation
Skilled Trades Ontario
A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of wo ...
and the Collège de Hearst into universities, dissolved the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council and the ''Ontario Drug Benefit Acts Pharmacy Council and a Citizens' Council,
and created a prohibition on recordings hearings of the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Second session
Speech from the Throne was read on October 4, 2021.
Timeline of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario
The following notable events occurred during the 2018–present period:
* July 11, 2018: The 42nd Parliament of Ontario begins its first session.
Ted Arnott
Theodore Calvin Arnott (born April 8, 1963) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on September 6, 1990, representing the Riding of Wellington. He is a member of the Progressive Conservativ ...
, MPP for
Wellington—Halton Hills
Wellington—Halton Hills is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2004.
The Member of Parliament for Wellington—Halton Hills is Michael Chong of the Conservative ...
speech from the throne
A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining th ...
.
*November 2, 2018: Progressive Conservative MPP Jim Wilson (
Simcoe—Grey
Simcoe—Grey is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997.
It was created in 1996 from parts of Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, Bruce—Grey, Simcoe Centre, Simcoe Nor ...
) resigns from cabinet and the PC caucus after allegations of sexual misconduct.
* November 29, 2018: Progressive Conservative MPP
Amanda Simard
Amanda Simard is the former MPP for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 42nd Parliament of Ontario. Simard was elected in the 2018 provincial election as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party ...
( Glengarry–Prescott–Russell) leaves the PC caucus after opposing the government's cuts to French-language services.
* February 20, 2019: Progressive Conservative MPP
Randy Hillier
Randy Alexander Hillier (born 1958) is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Provincial Parliament (Canada), member of provincial parliament (MPP) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2007-2022. Hillier represented the riding ...
( Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston) is suspended from the PC caucus by Premier Doug Ford for being disrespectful toward parents concerned about cuts to autism funding.
* July 31, 2019: Liberal MPP
Nathalie Des Rosiers
Nathalie Des Rosiers (born 1959) is a lawyer, academic and former politician in Ontario, Canada. She is the 6th and current Principal of Massey College at the University of Toronto. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontar ...
(
Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier (formerly known as Ottawa East) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1935. Previous to that date, it was part of the Ottawa electoral district ...
) resigns from the legislature accept a position as Principal of
Massey College
Massey College is a graduate residential college at the University of Toronto that was established, built and partially endowed in 1962 by the Massey Foundation and officially opened in 1963, though women were not admitted until 1974. It was mode ...
at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
2019 Canadian federal election
The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Member of Parliament (Canada), Members of the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the Fixed election dates in ...
.
* January 16, 2020: Independent MPP Amanda Simard (Glengarry–Prescott–Russell) joins the Liberal caucus.
* July 21, 2020: Progressive Conservative MPP
Belinda Karahalios
Belinda Carmen Karahalios is a Canadian politician who served as the member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Cambridge in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2018 to 2022.
Karahalios was originally elected in the 2018 provincial ...
(
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
) is removed from the PC caucus after voting against a government bill extending emergency powers for up to two years.
* January 15, 2021: Progressive Conservative MPP
Roman Baber
Roman Baber (born 1980) is a Russian-Canadian politician who was the Member of Provincial Parliament (Canada), member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for York Centre (provincial electoral district), York Centre from 2018 to 2022. Baber was elect ...
(
York Centre
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
) is removed from the PC caucus after releasing an open letter to end the province-wide lockdown, saying it was "deadlier than COVID".
* January 18, 2021: Independent MPP Belinda Karahalios (Cambridge) forms the
New Blue Party of Ontario
The New Blue Party of Ontario ( abbr. New Blue; french: Nouveau Parti Bleu de l'Ontario) is a minor socially conservative political party in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 2020, the party is led by Jim Karahalios, the husband of Be ...
caucus in the Legislative Assembly.
* August 17, 2021: Liberal MPP
Michael Coteau
Michael Joseph Coteau is a Canadian politician who serves as the Member of Parliament for Don Valley East in the House of Commons of Canada. From 2011 to 2021, he was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the ...
(
Don Valley East
Don Valley East (french: Don Valley-Est) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, Yor ...
Rick Nicholls
Frederick Rumball Nicholls (born October 11, 1950) is a former Canadian politician who sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2011 to 2022. He represented the riding of Chatham-Kent—Leamington.
Nicholls was originally a member of ...
( Chatham-Kent-Leamington) is removed from the PC Caucus by Premier Doug Ford for failing to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
* September 12, 2021: Ford prorogues the first session and states that the Second Session will start on October 4, 2021.
* October 22, 2021: Progressive Conservative MPP
Lindsey Park
Lindsey E. Park is a Canadians, Canadian politician from Ontario. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 Ontario general election, 2018 provincial election to represents the riding of Durham (provincial electoral dis ...
(
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
) resigns from the PC Caucus after allegations that she misrepresented her vaccination status to the Premier's office.
* March 17, 2022: New Democratic MPP Paul Miller ( Hamilton East–Stoney Creek) is removed from the NDP caucus after it is found during vetting for re-election that he had joined an Islamophobic Facebook group.
* April 22, 2022: New Democratic MPP
Kevin Yarde
Kevin Yarde is a Canadian politician and former weather presenter who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election for the riding of Brampton North. Initially elected as a member of the Ontario New Democrati ...
(
Brampton North
Brampton North (french: Brampton-Nord) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It encompass portions of Ontario formerly included in the electoral districts of Brampton—Springdale, Bramalea—Gore—Malton and Brampton West.
Br ...
) resigned from caucus after he loses the party's nomination for re-election in a challenge.
* May 3, 2022:
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
, on the advice of Premier Doug Ford, dissolves parliament in advance of the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
on June 2.
Summary of seat changes
Party standings
Membership changes
Seating plan
''Note: Bold text designates the party leader, John Fraser serves as the Parliamentary leader of the Ontario Liberal Party as their leader does not have a seat in the Legislature. ''
Ted Arnott
Theodore Calvin Arnott (born April 8, 1963) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on September 6, 1990, representing the Riding of Wellington. He is a member of the Progressive Conservativ ...
Other Chair occupants
*Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee of the Whole:
Rick Nicholls
Frederick Rumball Nicholls (born October 11, 1950) is a former Canadian politician who sat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2011 to 2022. He represented the riding of Chatham-Kent—Leamington.
Nicholls was originally a member of ...
(July 18, 2018 - October 5, 2021)
**
Bill Walker Bill Walker may refer to:
Australian rules football
* Bill A. Walker (1886–1934), Australian rules footballer for Essendon
* Bill Walker (Australian footballer, born 1883) (1883–1971), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy
* Bill J. V. Wal ...
(October 5, 2021 – present)
*First Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole:
Lisa Gretzky
Lisa Gretzky (born January 19, 1971) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, who was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. She represents the riding of Windsor West.
Back ...
*Second Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole:
Percy Hatfield
Percy Harper Hatfield (born ) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in a 2013 by-election. He represents the riding of Windsor—Tecumseh.
Early life and educa ...
*Third Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole: Jennifer French
Party leaders
*
Premier of Ontario
The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
: Hon.
Doug Ford
Douglas Robert Ford Jr. (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since March 2018. He ...
(Progressive Conservative)
*
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
:
Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath (; born October 24, 1962) is a Canadian politician who has been the 58th mayor of Hamilton since 2022. Horwath previously served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton Centre from 2004 to 2022, as leader of t ...
(New Democratic)
* Leader of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
:
**
John Fraser John Fraser may refer to:
Politics
*John Simon Frederick Fraser (1765–1803), commanded the Fraser Fencibles in Ireland and was (M.P.) for Inverness-shire
*John James Fraser (1829–1896), 5th Premier of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, 18 ...
(interim, June 14, 2018 - March 7, 2020;
parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are the ...
, March 8, 2020 – present)
**
Steven Del Duca
Steven Alfonso Del Duca (born July 7, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has been serving as the 5th mayor of Vaughan since 2022. Del Duca previously served as the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2020 to 2022 and was an Ontario cabin ...
(March 7, 2020 – present)
* Leader of the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
:
Mike Schreiner
Mike Schreiner ( ; born 9 June 1969) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the Green Party of Ontario since 2009. Schreiner sits as a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), representing Guelph; his 2018 election made him th ...
Jim Karahalios
Jim Karahalios is a Canadian politician who has never been elected to public office, and lawyer who ran as the New Blue candidate for Kitchener—Conestoga in the 2022 Ontario general election. He is the co-founder and leader of the New Blue Pa ...
Floor leaders
* Government House Leader:
Paul Calandra
Paul A. Calandra (born May 13, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as a minister in the Ontario provincial cabinet since 2019. Calandra has been the government house leader for the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since 2019, min ...
* Opposition House Leader:
Gilles Bisson
Gilles C. Bisson (born May 14, 1957) is a Franco-Ontarian politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 until his defeat in the 2022 Ontario general election. From 1999 to 2022 ...
* Liberal House Leader:
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
Whips
* Chief Government Whip: Lorne Coe
* Official Opposition Whip:
John Vanthof
John Vanthof (born ) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2011. He represents the riding of Timiskaming—Cochrane. On August 23, 2018 he was named one of ...
* Liberal Whip:
Mitzie Hunter
Mitzie Jacquelin Hunter (born September 14, 1971) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was first elected in a by-election on August 1, 2013 and later re-elected in the elections ...