Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to move a motion without notice arranging the ceremony for honorifics for former Clerks of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

That at that time, Mr. Claude DesRosiers and Ms. Deborah Deller be permitted to attend the floor of the chamber while it is in session; and

That the government House leader be permitted to present orders in council to be laid upon the table; and

That the Speaker shall read the orders in council to the House; and

That the Speaker be authorized to make statements in recognition of Mr. DesRosiers and Ms. Deller; and

That following such statements, Mr. DesRosiers and Ms. Deller be invited to take honorary seats at the table; and

That the remainder of the morning routine shall continue following the ceremony; and

That the standing orders of the assembly be amended as follows:

The following new order is added:

“148. Former Clerks of the Assembly, while entitled by the order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council made pursuant to section 77.4 of the Legislative Assembly Act, 1990, to use the honorific title ‘The Honourable’ and after such order is laid upon the table, are permitted to attend the floor of the chamber while it is in session and take an honorary seat at the table at their pleasure.”

The following are the titles of the bills to which His Honour did assent:

An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system / Loi visant à modifier et à édicter diverses lois en ce qui concerne le système de santé.

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to infrastructure / Loi modifiant diverses lois sur les infrastructures.

An Act to amend the Mining Act / Loi modifiant la Loi sur les mines.

An Act to enact the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat Act, 2023, and to make certain amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur le Secrétariat de la restauration de Queen’s Park et apportant certaines modifications à la Loi sur l’Assemblée législative et à la Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée.

An Act to implement Budget measures and to amend various statutes / Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à modifier diverses lois.

An Act to revive Artgem Granite and Marble Inc.

An Act to revive 1753461 Ontario Ltd.

An Act to revive 816537 Ontario Inc.

An Act to revive Flight Level Canada Inc.

An Act to revive J2M Collingwood Holdings Inc.

An Act to revive 414087 Ontario Limited.

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to lead off third reading of Bill 91, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023. Once again I’ll be sharing my time with my parliamentary assistant, the member from Niagara West.

Our government has made it a priority to continuously track down and remove unnecessary, redundant and outdated regulations that hold Ontario’s economy back. Since 2018, we have eliminated more than 16,000 individual compliance requirements for businesses, reducing our total regulatory burden by 6.5%. These changes have helped save businesses, not-for-profit organizations and the broader public sector nearly $700 million in annual regulatory compliance costs. That’s $700 million that can now be reinvested in Ontario’s economy.

This ongoing work is necessary because red tape causes frustration, expenses, needless delays and complications for everyone: individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and for the broader public sector. We are proud of our progress but continue to look for ways to do more on a daily basis, because regulatory burdens are barriers to our productivity, to innovation and to our economic competitiveness and development. And they result, of course, in real cost.

Just look at Ontario’s track record during the last 15 years of the previous Liberal government, of course supported by the official opposition. Our province had the highest regulatory burden in the country. Companies were tangled in endless regulations. Debt, deficits and taxes went up. Hydro rates spiralled out of control. More than 300,000 manufacturing jobs packed up and left our great province.

When we formed government in 2018, we knew that there had to be a change, and we worked hard to make that happen. Under the leadership of our Premier and this government, we have brought forward 11 different red tape reduction and regulatory modernization packages that have helped get our province back on the right track. We are committed to continuing this important work while maintaining those important rules and regulations that are necessary to keep people safe and protect the environment.

But make no mistake, Speaker, reducing red tape is not just about counting the number of regulations and trying to reduce them; it is about the impact those changes are having on real people and businesses across our great province—changes like accelerating timelines for municipal approvals for broadband projects to support our goal of bringing high-speed Internet to every community in Ontario by 2025; changes like helping businesses embrace new technologies so they can improve safety standards for their workers and reduce their carbon emissions; and changes like saving people time and frustration when they access government programs, by offering more services online so people don’t have to wait in line.

This package is the result of continued collaboration across government with other partner ministries and extensive consultations with a range of stakeholders and people across the province to develop an unparalleled inventory of red tape reduction ideas. I’m proud to say that the proposed Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is our government’s 10th burden-reduction bill and our largest one to date, with 37 different schedules. It sets out mea-sures to build a stronger economy, improve services and save Ontarians their most valuable resource, which is time. It’s an important part of our larger spring 2023 red tape reduction package, which contains additional regulatory amendments and policy changes that contribute to a common goal of reducing red tape. If passed, Bill 91 will streamline processes and modernize outdated practices across multiple areas of government and several sectors of Ontario’s economy.

Speaker, we find ourselves in uncertain economic times, and while Ontario has remained resilient, we cannot take anything for granted. That’s why it’s so important we continue our effort to streamline Ontario’s regulatory climate so we can make it easier to invest and do business in our province. How we work together to address regulatory burdens will affect us now and for generations to come.

A wide-reaching red tape reduction bill like this one simply isn’t possible without the assistance of our partner ministries across government, who best understand the issues that their sectors are facing and how we can implement solutions to solve them. Our goal with the burden-reduction initiative in our proposed bill is not to get rid of rules and regulations for the sake of doing so, but rather to ensure that we no longer rely on ones that are burdensome, inefficient, inflexible or outdated, and that the ones we do rely on are current, and enforced properly, predictably and consistently. With those principles in mind, Speaker, I would like to take another opportunity to speak to some of the items with the spring 2023 red tape reduction package and how they will make life better for people right across our great province.

I’d like to start with a change from the Ministry of Infrastructure, which is playing a leading role in our government’s plan to build Ontario, with transit, highways, hospitals, universities and broadband. As a government, we have committed to connecting every community across the province to high-speed Internet by the end of 2025, because high-speed Internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. Speaker, this is a goal we are getting closer and closer to meeting each day. Yet some Internet providers are still facing unnecessary delays in receiving required municipal permits and approvals when they go to build the broadband that our residents so desperately need. That’s why our bill is proposing amendments to the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, that would enable more efficient collection of utility infrastructure data to optimize routing for projects, to plan networks and to prevent delays in the permitting process between municipalities and Internet service providers. This will ensure that ISPs can plan, design and build a high-speed Internet project as quickly as possible, connecting more communities across Ontario to high-speed Internet faster.

But it’s not just broadband that our government is building. In the last two and a half years, the government has attracted billions of dollars in new manufacturing investments, including from global automakers and suppliers of batteries for electric vehicles. These are top-tier companies and employers who are looking for new opportunities for industrial facilities and mineral extraction in Ontario. It’s huge news for our economy, but these projects are going to require access to many critical minerals. We have a responsibility to ensure the miners who do the difficult work of supplying those critical minerals or other raw materials our province needs are kept as safe as possible.

That’s why, working with our colleagues at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, we have amended various provisions in the mines and mining plants regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to improve ventilation requirements in underground mines and lower exposure to harmful diesel exhaust to the most protective levels in North America. Amendments were also made to requirements for ventilation systems and equipment, management-of-change procedures, ground control, hoisting and explosives. These include allowing for new technologies, like track-mounted robots, to identify loose rocks, misfired explosives and other safety hazards, while keeping workers out of danger. It’s a great example of enhancing safety protections for workers while providing employers with more flexibility to meet these requirements—an ideal example of what reducing red tape can accomplish.

Speaker, working with the Ministry of Transportation, we’ve also brought forward new initiatives to help move people and goods safely and efficiently across the province. We’re proposing an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act that would prohibit drivers from overtaking snowplows working in a staggered formation across highway lanes. This is intended to help reduce motor vehicle collisions with snowplows on higher-speed, multi-lane highways, making the public safer and reducing the burden on emergency responders, health care services and the insurance sector, including our legal system.

We are also proposing to remove duplicative requirements for the towing and vehicle storage sector. To improve safety for people needing a tow and those working in the towing industry, the province is taking steps to implement a certification program that would require tow operators, tow truck drivers and vehicle storage operators to meet certain requirements to operate in Ontario. But as we roll this out province-wide, the ministry is also proposing amendments to the Municipal Act and City of Toronto Act that would ensure operators and drivers in the towing and vehicle storage industry are not required to pay multiple licensing and certification fees or adhere to different municipal requirements when the provincial certification program is in effect.

We are also proposing additional measures in our red tape reduction package to encourage and reinforce the need for pre-consultation with the Ministry of Transportation for any Planning Act submissions, such as official plans, development proposals or housing proposals that include work adjacent to provincial highways. Pre-consultation with MTO would help streamline and ensure timely comments, approvals and permits by ensuring proponents and municipalities are aware of MTO requirements before starting significant work. This could translate into tangible cost savings of thousands of dollars by avoiding project implementation delays and reduce the potential for frustration and dissatisfaction for proponents and municipalities.

Next, I’d like to share three modernization measures coming from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. First, Bill 91 is proposing enhanced administrative monetary penalty collection for long-standing non-compliant private career colleges. Under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, administrative monetary penalties are levied against career colleges and other institutions that contravene the legislation. These rules, of course, help to address bad actors who prey on students, protect compliant institutions and uphold the integrity of the private career college sector. That’s why we’re proposing to strengthen collection of outstanding administrative monetary penalties for non-compliant career colleges by leveraging enhanced collection tools. This will ensure the accountability of training providers, protect students and promote a healthy and vibrant private training sector.

The Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is also proposing to require legislative reviews of the Private Career Colleges Act every five years. When originally passed, the Private Career Colleges Act included a requirement for review seven years after its coming into force. This requirement was completed in 2013, and now there is no requirement in the legislation for any further review. By introducing regular reviews of the Private Career Colleges Act, Ontario is supporting career colleges in staying responsive to the needs of the economy and employers in preparing students for great careers and keeping Ontario open for business. Finally, we’re also proposing to update the name, to the Ontario career colleges act, to signal the importance of career colleges in preparing students for high-demand professions.

Speaker, working with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, we have also proposed new legislation to implement the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, also known as the 2007 Hague Convention. The 2007 Hague Convention is an international treaty that applies to obtaining, changing and enforcing spousal and child support orders when parents or spouses live in different countries. If legislation is passed to implement the convention in the province and the government of Canada ratifies the convention, Ontario would be able to enforce support for Ontarians from 34 additional countries, for a total of 55 countries across four continents. This amendment would make Ontario one of the first provinces in Canada to implement the 2007 Hague Convention. If passed, current procedures would also be streamlined to provide Ontarians with access to faster, more efficient and easier processes to establish, vary and enforce support orders internationally, so that payments flow more quickly and reliably. This would help save time and reduce frustration for families in Ontario’s support orders system.

In our bill, we have also proposed amendments to the legislative framework for financial protection programs administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Financial protection programs, or FPPs, help protect farmers from financial risks, like a dealer defaulting on a payment of a farmer’s grain or livestock, or an elevator operator who doesn’t return grain to a farmer upon demand. They are currently governed under three separate acts: the Grains Act, the Livestock and Livestock Products Act and the Farm Products Payments Act. The legislative framework of having three separate acts has made it burdensome to administer. That’s why we’re proposing to replace them with one consolidated, updated and streamlined act, which would, if passed, support the current and future needs of the sector.

While we’re talking about farmers, Speaker, I’d also like to highlight a proposed regulatory amendment under the Milk Act, one that has come directly from ongoing conversations with the Ontario Dairy Council. As with other industries, Ontario’s dairy industry has changed over the last several decades and regulations have not kept pace with new technologies, practices and products. Some legacy requirements remain in regulation, resulting in unnecessary costs for dairy producers and processors. By modernizing the regulations under the Milk Act, we would help the burden and costs for dairy processors, while maintaining the high food safety standards that people have come to expect from Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Next, I would like to speak to a very important proposed amendment from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. As part of a phased approach in creating a framework to regulate carbon storage in Ontario, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is proposing amendments to the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act to accommodate innovative technologies. This regulatory framework would give Ontario the ability to establish protective checks and balances for testing and demonstration projects on private land, including for carbon storage. We’re talking about piloting technology that has the potential to store 30 years’ worth of carbon emissions. Carbon storage plays an important role in Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen strategy, which sets out a vision for a low-carbon hydro economy in our province, one where we can develop a self-sustaining sector in the province, evolve our energy system, create local jobs and attract investments, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a win-win for Ontario.

We are also proposing amendments to the Courts of Justice Act. Each year, the Office of the Children’s Lawyer’s financial position and records are reported in public accounts. We are proposing changes to the act that would remove the requirements that the Auditor General also audit the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, saving them both time and resources. In addition to this, we are looking to amend the Substitute Decisions Act to clarify that an attorney has the power to access personal information about an incapable person. These amendments would provide clarity, simplify processes and make it easier for substitute decision-makers to do their job.

Building on this, we are also proposing an update to the Creditors’ Relief Act to modernize the delivery of court services and make communications quicker and easier by allowing the sheriff’s office to send enforcement documents by email.

We’re also looking to fix legislation under the Execution Act for collection of judgment awards, including seizure of debtors’ property, to clarify when the principal residence exemption in forced sales can apply.

The bill also includes proposed changes to the Trustee Act that would make it clear that investment managers of trust properties may invest in mutual funds, pooled funds or segregated funds on behalf of a trustee.

And we have proposed amendments to the Cannabis Licence Act which would reduce costs and red tape for retailers who wish to transfer their operating licence, retail authorization and cannabis inventory to a new cannabis retail licence holder.

We also have some exciting amendments to the Ontario Energy Board Act, which would allow the Ontario Energy Board to facilitate innovative pilot and demonstration projects, such as exploring the idea of peer-to-peer energy trading. There is a vast potential for energy innovation that could modernize the way we produce, distribute or consume energy, and eliminating red tape associated with pilot and demonstration projects has the potential to reveal real value for the sector and for customers. The bill also proposes changes to keep energy rates affordable for Ontarians by amending the Ontario Energy Board Act to prohibit any administrative monetary penalties, fines or fees imposed by energy utilities from being recovered from customers through energy rates.

In addition to this, we’re also looking to allow mutual insurers incorporated under the Corporations Act to decide the size of their board of directors to give companies greater flexibility, and to amend the Pension Benefits Act to remove requirements for plan administrators to provide additional notices to members who have already opted to receive communications in electronic format when they retire.

In addition to these measures, we are also proposing to save time and reduce burdens by amending Ontario’s business law statutes and regulations to permanently enable businesses, not-for-profits and condominium corporations to hold virtual or hybrid meetings, facilitate virtual or hybrid voting, and enable certain notices or documents to be sent electronically.

And we’re making updates to the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act to authorize the fund to make statutory payments from a designated purpose account, consistent with the recommendations by the Auditor General.

We’re also looking to strengthen board governance for Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies by reducing unnecessary red tape and delays in appointment processes, supporting business operations, increasing flexibility in appointments to support strengthened agency oversight, and clarifying board governance rules to reduce confusion and support business success.

Building on this, we are also proposing to modernize legislation for eight public agencies and a publicly funded organization to follow the best practices of their provincial agencies by incorporating a “protection from personal liability” provision for board members. The proposed changes would clarify rules for public appointees and align these agencies with governance best practices, modernizing the governance framework for these organizations and making it easier and more attractive to serve on their boards.

The Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023, also proposes changes to the Niagara Parks Act which would make it easier and faster for routine land easements to be granted on the Niagara Parks Commission’s properties. This change would allow for routine utility work to take place quicker, giving residents of Niagara much-needed access to utilities such as cable, natural gas and water systems.

With that, Speaker, I’d like to turn it over to my parliamentary assistant, the great member from Niagara West.

Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

I recognize the government House leader.

Interjection: Dispense.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Gill moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 91, An Act to enact two Acts, amend various Acts and revoke various regulations / Projet de loi 91, Loi visant à édicter deux lois, à modifier diverses lois et à abroger divers règlements.

My thanks to the minister for his inspiring words this morning. I know, on a Monday morning, it’s exciting for all the new pages who are here in the House. This is some of the first debate that they’ve had the opportunity to enjoy and I can tell you, the way it started off this morning, they’re going to be getting a lot more of this sort of interesting discussion of the affairs of state that we have here to discuss in the Ontario Legislature.

I just wanted to begin by thanking the minister for his leadership, for his vision and for his steadfast tenacity in fighting job-killing red tape and in fighting unnecessary regulations that waste time, that waste money and that don’t serve a practical purpose. When it comes to good regulations that protect health, that protect safety, that protect our environment, I know that the minister is one of the first to say we need to keep those important regulations in place. Yet, at the same time, when it comes to cutting unnecessary, onerous and duplicative processes that do nothing to add value, that do nothing to protect health and safety and the environment, this is a minister who listens and then acts, who doesn’t just speak but gets the job done. I would say he’s an example of some of the best that this government has to offer in serving the people of the province of Ontario. My thanks to the minister for his participation in debate this morning. I’m honoured to be able to build on the work that the minister has spoken about and worked closely with my team on.

I also want to begin this morning just briefly by acknowledging that my beautiful wife, Keri, and my son, Sullivan, are at home right now watching this. Hi, Sullivan. I hope you understand some of what dad’s talking about this morning. I know for them too it’s a good Monday morning when we can discuss red tape reduction and what we’re doing to keep a strong future for my son and for so many others here in the province of Ontario.

Before I dig into some of the details of the legislation that the minister didn’t have the opportunity to get into yet this morning, I do want to take a few moments and remind everyone about why what we’re doing to reduce burdens is so important.

Last year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimated that red tape costs small businesses in Canada approximately $11 billion each year—$11 billion, Speaker. And that’s just small businesses. Ontario used to be known as the most heavily regulated province in the country. When we formed government in 2018, we knew that had to change urgently. We set out to make that happen, to remove the unnecessary and outdated regulations that cost Ontarians time and money. And we did. Since July 1 of 2018, our government has reduced the number of regulatory compliance requirements affecting businesses by 6.5%. Why does this matter? Because these changes ensure that we’re able to increase jobs and investment in Ontario, making it less expensive, faster and easier to do business, to set out one of the best regulatory service standards in North America.

It’s not just what we’re doing, Speaker, it’s why we’re doing it: to ensure that future generations continue to see an Ontario that is the economic driver and innovator of this country. We’re delivering on that commitment. Our government has taken more than 450 burden-reducing actions to date, reducing 16,000 individual compliance requirements while continuing to look for ways to improve.

We’ve continued the practice of introducing two high-impact red tape reduction bills every year, one each fall and one in the spring. In fact, this government has delivered some nine high-impact pieces of red tape reduction legislation in the last five years. And here we are today, at the third reading of our 10th and largest red tape burden reduction bill to date.

We have made a commitment to save Ontario businesses, including not-for-profit organizations in the broader public sector, at least $400 million in annual compliance costs by March of 2022, not to mention the numerous hours that have been saved as well. I’m pleased to state that for the record, we have not only met but actually exceeded this goal. Our red tape reduction measures have so far saved businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, school boards, colleges and universities, and hospitals nearly $700 million in annual compliance costs. That’s $700 million each year that Ontario businesses and public-serving organizations can put to better use. Our newest red tape reduction bill, the proposed Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, will save Ontario businesses even more when fully implemented.

Speaker, we’ve come a long way. We continue to be grateful for the ideas that we’ve received from stakeholders, from people across the province and from our ministry partners, who have worked diligently to streamline processes and modernize outdated practices across multiple areas of government. It’s what has allowed us to continue delivering on our commitment to support economic competitiveness and create high-quality, well-paying jobs and an attractive investment climate.

I’m going to tell you a little bit more about how we do the work that we do. Every time the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction gathers together and considers a new idea, a new bill or change to the regulatory structure or the legislative structure, we draw on seven guiding principles, which consistently direct our efforts to reduce red tape. These principles are enshrined in the Modernizing Ontario for People and Businesses Act.

The first principle is that recognized national and international standards should be adopted when possible. This is because we know that harmonizing requirements across jurisdictions reduces costs, reduces the time that it takes for compliance and makes it easier to do business across borders. On this note, I think of last week’s announcement from the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development with the news that engineers are now going to be able to practise here in Ontario as soon as they arrive in this great province.

The second pillar is that small businesses should have less onerous requirements when it comes to compliance when compared to larger businesses. It recognizes that smaller businesses, the mom-and-pop shops, don’t have the same resources as their larger counterparts to focus on compliance. I’m sure this is something we’ve all seen when we visit job creators in our communities. Small businesses don’t have large legal divisions. They don’t have the resources to be able to dig through mountains of paperwork and they’re not able to meet some of the same requirements in some heavily regulated areas that a larger business would.

The third is that any entity subject to regulations should be provided accessible digital services whenever possible, because in 2023, we shouldn’t be asking people or businesses to have to fill out long paper forms anymore.

The fourth principle we operate under is that regulated entities, such as businesses, services and broader public sector organizations, which demonstrate excellent compliance should be recognized. Businesses which have been known to break the rules should be penalized, while those which are known to follow the rules should be given a break.

The fifth pillar is that unnecessary reporting should be reduced and steps should be taken to avoid requiring regulated entities to provide the same information to the government again and again and again, for little to no reason. Nothing is more frustrating than filling out the same form over and over and over, or having to repeat the same story to multiple ministries or different levels of government. The Premier sometimes has called this the merry-go-round. You go around the circle, around the circle, and every time, you fill out all the requirements; one person makes one change at one point, and you’ve got to go back around the merry-go-round and make changes all over again.

The sixth pillar is that instruments should prioritize the user by using clear communication, setting reasonable response times and establishing a centralized point of contact. This is a straightforward requirement. People and businesses should be able to understand the requirements imposed on them by government. You shouldn’t need a legal background. You shouldn’t need to speak bureaucratese or governmentese, as I know so many in this building do, in order to be able to access the services that you rely upon.

The seventh principle is that an instrument should specify the desired result that regulated entities must meet, rather than the specific methods used to attain that result. Good outcomes are really, at the end of the day, what we’re concerned about, and we recognize that there can be many different ways to get to that same result. We want to encourage innovation, not discourage it.

As the minister mentioned in his remarks earlier this year, this year’s spring red tape reduction package focuses on three key themes: (1) paving the way for better services; (2) helping Ontario businesses grow; and (3), saving Ontarians time. I’m going to spend a few minutes this morning speaking to a few more initiatives from our spring package which help us realize these three commitments.

First, when it comes to paving the way for better services, I’d like to highlight an initiative that’s coming from the Ministry of Transportation which looks to modernize agency governance at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission is an agency which has an important role to play in our government’s plan to build a stronger Ontario. We’ve committed to restoring passenger rail service from Toronto to northern Ontario, and we’re well on our way to delivering on that promise, with planning under way and three new state-of-the-art trainsets on order from Siemens Mobility.

Along with this work, our government is proceeding with developing a new and clearly defined transportation-focused mandate for Ontario Northland, which will be brought forward in this House in the future as part of new, modernized legislation. This is a necessary change because the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Act is a legacy statute from 1902, which has seen limited changes and does not align with modern agency legislation. Speaker, 1902: To remind everyone, that’s six years before the Ford Motor Co. invented the Model T and 34 years before the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility was born. Clarifying the agency’s mandate will help increase agency alignment with the government’s strategic vision and empower that agency to deliver on priority projects like the Northlander.

Another way we’re proposing to improve access to services is by proposing amendments to the Ontario Energy Board to better protect ratepayers. Speaker, I was elected in the fall of 2016 on a theme of hydro and hard work. Those who weren’t perhaps here in the bad old days under the former Liberal government don’t remember the havoc that skyrocketing hydro rates played in Ontario’s economy. It led to manufacturing jetting out of this province as fast as they could go. It led to residents in my community speaking about having to make the choice between heating and eating. And, I would argue, it led to my by-election victory in the fall of 2016. But since that time, Speaker, our government has been able to move forward on taking actions which protect ratepayers and ensure we have a clean, reliable and affordable source of hydro.

But Speaker, you might be surprised to learn that currently, utilities can pass on costs that they’ve incurred from failing to comply with their statutory obligations to ratepayers through increases to rates. You heard that right: They break the rules, and you pay the tab—absolutely mind-blowing. We’re putting an end to that practice. This amendment will protect ratepayers from paying for the costs incurred because of non-compliant situations and help to keep rates predictable—a step in the right direction, and yet another demonstration of our government’s commitment to keeping hydro rates low.

Speaking of the Ministry of Energy, I would love to share some more information about another way that this red tape reduction package is actually helping some innovative businesses grow here in the province of Ontario. We know that Ontario’s clean energy grid is a competitive advantage in attracting investments and jobs to the province. We’ve heard about this from businesses, and we’ve heard about this also internationally. Speaking with the Minister of Energy, when he went to eastern Europe, there was a huge amount of interest in our nuclear grid, our amazing combination of clean, reliable nuclear power and our hydro stations, of course, that in the Niagara region are not just part of our history but an integral part of our industry. As we see the energy sources of the future coming online, we know that there’s more that can be done in this space.

That’s why we’re proposing amendments through this legislation to the Ontario Energy Board Act. This would allow the Ontario Energy Board to remove certain regulatory barriers to innovative pilot and demonstration projects. The Ontario Energy Board has put forward a proposal which will expand the Ontario Energy Board’s authority to facilitate innovative pilot and demonstration projects, such as exploring the idea of peer-to-peer energy trading. There is a vast potential for energy innovation that will revolutionize the way we produce, distribute and consume energy, and eliminating the red tape associated with these pilot and demonstration projects has a real potential to demonstrate value for consumers, ratepayers and the broader economy. Now, innovative projects which come from this program and are scalable could provide electricity ratepayers benefit, not just through lower rates and a more reliable and resilient system, but also by providing a positive impact to Ontarians by making it easier for businesses that provide stable, well-paying jobs to thrive.

Speaker, we’re also proposing amendments to reduce costs and red tape for retailers though the Cannabis Licence Act for those who wish to transfer their operating licence, retail authorization and inventory to a new retail licence holder. These changes would also apply to licence holders who have changed their ownership structure. It’s important to emphasize these proposed changes would not change any of the existing eligibility rules for a cannabis retail authorization or an operating licence, including limits on the number of stores that can be owned by a single operator or restrictions that exist around the location of stores.

Speaker, something I also care about that this legislation helps move forward on is what we’re doing to save the most valuable resource that any of us have, which is time. At the end of the day, I believe, we have around two billion seconds in our average lifespan, and so if you think about each of those seconds, it’s the most finite resource that any one of us will ever have. To be able to use that time wisely, to be able to use that time well, is a gift, and not to have to waste that time on endless government bureaucracy, endless government red tape and regulations, especially when they’re unnecessary or outdated, is an important way that we as legislators can help safeguard for our constituents their most important resource: time.

For this example, I would like to highlight an initiative coming from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development—say that three times fast, eh? The ministry is seeking to clarify the concept of “survivor” in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act in relation to terms such as “surviving spouse” and “cohabiting” as well as other related issues. Modernizing the approach that the WSIB takes in relation to survivors will improve operational consistency in decision-making, reduce administrative burdens and enable the WSIB to process claims faster and save Ontarians time.

Now, there are a few other ways we are working to save Ontarians time as well. We have proposed amendments to electronic forms of delivery under the Pension Benefits Act. Currently, pension plan administrators are required under the act to provide reminder notices to members by regular mail, even if they’ve opted in to receive communications in electronic form. In other words, you get a note saying, “Sign up for a digital copy of this particular notification for your pension plan,” and being someone who wants to not just save time but also perhaps save emissions and reduce your paper output, you go online, you go to the website connected through the paper notification you got and you sign up to receive these email notifications. And you do, which is great. You get your first notification, and perhaps a week later, all of a sudden you get the duplicate of this information in the mail. Okay, perhaps they missed it. The next notification comes out perhaps a month later and once again, you get it through email—great—and a week later or a few days later, you get it again via mail. That’s because it’s mandated under Ontario law that you have to get those notifications, even if you opt in to the electronic form, by regular mail. But the proposed amendments in this legislation would eliminate that need to send retiring plan members unneeded reminder notices. In other words, they would still be able to get those notices if they wanted them, but they would also be able to not get those notices and have it only online if they want. This will also in turn reduce costs and duplication for the pension plan administrators, and we all know that if we can cut that management fee just a little bit, that’s savings directly in the pockets of those pension plan holders.

We’ve also proposed changes to allow for virtual board meetings to be made permanent. You might recall the early days of the pandemic, when so much happened so quickly and we were forced to take processes that had always been done on paper or in person and put them online. At that time, temporary legislative amendments were made to several business law statutes and the Condominium Act as well to generally allow corporations, including not-for-profits, to hold virtual meetings regardless of requirements in their governing documents or in the legislation. It goes without saying that this has been extremely popular and a very successful measure, particularly for smaller organizations who may not have had the physical infrastructure, such as the office space, to host these meetings in person. That’s why the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is proposing to implement permanent changes to replicate the purpose of the temporary measures with respect to virtual meetings and to enhance additional virtual processes related to notices and records. We believe that this change will modernize virtual process rules, reduce the burden and make life easier for individuals as well as for businesses and corporations.

Alongside this change, we’re proposing to amend the Corporations Act to modernize the board composition requirements for mutual insurers. Currently, the Corporations Act requires the boards to constitute insurer boards in multiples of three. The ministry proposes to amend the act and remove that requirement by making it consistent, rather, with similar requirements under the Business Corporations Act. The proposed change, if approved, would give these companies flexibility and save money for their insurance policy holders.

These are all measures that impact people directly, but we know that a significant part of red tape reduction is also about reviewing the way we do things here in government to make them more efficient and more effective. A great example of this is the three initiatives in our bill put forward by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. One of the proposed changes is to amend some outdated legislation to strengthen board governance for Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies. The proposed amendments would reduce unnecessary red tape and delays in the appointment process, and support business continuity as well as increased flexibility in appointments to support strengthened agency oversight and governance. For example, this legislation will standardize board terms of office to be up to three years at pleasure, rather than a fixed term, which will provide for flexibility to meet operational, policy or business needs. These are relatively straightforward amendments that just make sense. They’re about allowing Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies to run more efficiently and effectively.

The ministry is also seeking to modernize agency governance and clarify rules for Ontario’s public appointees by incorporating “protection from personal liability” provisions in legislation and regulations for their agencies and transfer payment entities. The amendments would strengthen board governance and make it easier to attract the best candidate for board service, allowing the ministry agencies and transfer payment entities to maximize their economic impact.

Additionally, the ministry is proposing legislative amendments that, if passed, would streamline approvals for Ontario’s people, businesses and agencies. The proposed changes to the Niagara Parks Act, for example, would make it easier and faster for routine land adjustments to be made on or near Niagara Parks Commission properties. The change would allow for routine utility work to take place faster, giving the residents of Niagara much-needed access to things such as cable, natural gas and water systems. The proposed changes to the Art Gallery of Ontario Act would support the government and the AGO’s commitment to transparency by getting annual reporting information to the public faster.

There are also several modernization measures of this type that originate from the Ministry of the Attorney General. The ministry is proposing to amend the Courts of Justice Act to remove the requirement that the Auditor General examine and report on the accounts and financial transactions of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. This is a historical and antiquated requirement. It dates back to a time when the Office of the Children’s Lawyer was not embedded within the Ministry of the Attorney General. But today it operates as a program area of the Ministry of the Attorney General, and it doesn’t have any funds in the bank or trust accounts outside of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. It means that its financial position is already reported in the province’s public accounts and there’s no other set of books maintained for the office to report on its own finances. As a result, to comply with the Auditor General’s audit requirements, the office is required to create a separate set of financial documents which are not used for any other purpose; solely for this audit. Even with our proposed amendment, the Auditor General will still retain the ability to audit the Office of the Children’s Lawyer as part of the Auditor General office’s normal scope and powers; the only difference is that it will no longer be compulsory to do so on an annual basis.

The ministry is also proposing to update the Creditors’ Relief Act, 2010, which governs the distribution of money among eligible creditors where the sheriff has enforced a court or tribunal order for the payment of money. Currently, the only way a sheriff can deliver this notice is by mail or in person. Speaker, it’s 2023. We know that there are faster, better ways to communicate. This change, if approved, would permit the sheriff to serve documents by email, improving and simplifying communications between sheriffs’ offices and stakeholders. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it just makes sense.

We’ve also proposed to make amendments to the Execution Act which, if passed, would clarify when the principal-residence exemption in forced sales can apply. It’s a housekeeping change which would provide clarification as to the original intent of the act.

The Attorney General ministry is also proposing a change to the Trustee Act to make it clear that investment managers of trust property may invest in mutual funds, pooled funds or segregated funds on behalf of a trustee. This would remove the current limitations on investment-manager activities and make the law more consistent with current industry practice.

Speaker, the minister spoke about this, but there’s a lot of work that goes into the consultation and development of these red tape reduction packages. We’ve been working collaboratively with stakeholders from across our ministry partners. We’ve been consulting with a wide range of partners, people and stakeholders from across the province to build an unparalleled inventory of ideas. I want to encourage those who are watching today who may have ideas to go to ontario.ca/redtape, and provide your feedback and solutions and ideas and ways that we could unleash the potential of Ontario through that portal. I want to take a moment to recognize some of the pieces coming out of this package that directly address ideas and requests such as those that came from stakeholders and people across the province.

Earlier, the minister spoke about an initiative coming from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development which updated mining regulations to reflect current practice and technology, keep the regulations up to date and reduce regulatory burden on the sector. We know that Ontario’s mining sector is a crucial part of our economy, providing jobs, investments and raw materials which are essential for the manufacturing and construction industries. That’s why I want to thank the labour partners and the management leaders of the mining sector advisory committee for helping our government identify these much-needed amendments. They will help us to strengthen occupational health and safety for miners who support this vital sector by leveraging new technology, such as drones, to better protect them from airborne hazards.

Another example is that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks recently repealed outdated recycling regulations for soft-drink containers. This was supported by the Canadian Beverage Association. Before curbside blue box programs became common, Ontario required a portion of soft-drink containers to be refillable to encourage their diversion from landfill. As you can imagine, a lot has changed with time, and the regulations in place are no longer reflective of current recycling practices or consumer behaviours. So we’ve revoked out-of-date regulations associated with soft-drink containers because producers already have ambitious targets and collection diversion requirements under Ontario’s new blue box regulations.

One last example is the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’s intention to make regulatory amendments under the Milk Act. Dairy farmers are a vital component of the province’s agricultural sector, and coming from a long-time dairy family, I know how important it is to ensure that they’re supported. While Ontario’s dairy industry has evolved significantly over the last decades, regulations haven’t kept pace with the new technologies, practices and products. This has resulted in unnecessary costs for dairy producers and processors. So after receiving a request from the Ontario Dairy Council, the ministry set out to find ways to amend the regulations to minimize the regulatory burden, enable innovation and improve consistency with other jurisdictions. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’re ensuring our dairy farmers can focus on what’s important: producing the highest quality milk and dairy products.

Speaker, I’m very proud of the work that’s gone into today’s legislation, and I’m proud of the work that’s happened because of so many coming together to work together to reduce the regulatory burdens on people and business. I’m eager, as I know every member in this House is, to support this great work going forward. The 42 initiatives in the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act and in the spring red tape reduction budget will pave the way for better services, helping Ontario businesses grow and saving the people of this province time and money. The items in this, our 10th and largest burden reduction bill to date, build on over five years of progress, moving forward in modernizing legislation, regulations and policies that are burdensome, inefficient and inflexible for the people of Ontario. Simply put, this bill will lead Ontario to more economic certainty, confidence and stability and continue to position Ontario as a key player in the North American and global landscape now and for generations to come.

The member from Niagara West.

Speaker, good morning. You’ll know that under the Liberals’ watch, we lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs that left the province altogether. Now, the people in my riding expect that our government will implement measures that will pave the way for better services and make it easier for businesses to invest in Ontario and succeed. I’d like the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Red Tape Reduction to expand further on what steps we have in place within this legislation, if passed, to help businesses in Ontario succeed and create new jobs.

Before we move on to questions and answers, I want to welcome back to the House Cheri DiNovo, member for Parkdale–High Park in the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Parliaments. Welcome to the House.

Questions?

Well, I appreciate the advice from the member opposite, but I do have to say, it always seems passing strange to me when I hear the members of the opposition stand and start talking about listening to stakeholders when it comes to red tape reduction. I don’t think I’ve seen any member of the opposition actually bring forward ideas to reduce red tape. I haven’t been invited to any consultations in the member opposite’s riding with stakeholders to get their ideas about reduced red tape.

We on this side of the House have an open-door policy. We want to sit down with people who have suggestions. We want to get their ideas. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen that same willingness to partner, to be collaborative, to have a meaningful dialogue with partners and with stakeholders on the opposite benches. So I’m hoping that the member opposite, speaking about the importance of consultation with stakeholders, will learn something about our government’s actions and ensure that he does open those doors in his constituency office, get those ideas and bring them to ontario.ca/redtape.

Only this government could open up almost all of the laws in Ontario and fail to address the challenges that so many Ontarians face. It’s deeply ironic, Speaker, that the minister, the parliamentary assistant and this government have the audacity to speak of modernity and outdated legislation and then go backwards on animal welfare.

In 1997, under the Harris government, this House was united in support of Bill 139, which stopped training and trialing areas from getting new licences or transferring licences. A letter from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, the Animal Alliance of Canada, Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, World Wildlife Fund and the Bear Alliance all supported this Bill 139.

Will this government listen to the people of Ontario, remove schedule 14 and listen to all stakeholders before moving backwards on animal welfare?

The month of May has been eventful as I made my way around Etobicoke–Lakeshore. I was honoured to attend and be a judge and hand out awards at the Fusion of Arts and Hearts Competition, hosted by our Catholic district school board trustee, Teresa Lubinski. The event was a celebration of artistic expression from students in over 18 schools in the community.

I also joined constituents at the Franklin Horner Community Centre for the Ridley’s Mother’s Day high tea, where many seniors got all dressed up to enjoy a day together.

I was proud to bring greetings to the Rotary Club of Toronto Tibetan for their new District 7070 club charter celebration.

With the parliamentary assistant of agriculture, food and rural affairs, we held a local consultation on upgrading the Veterinarians Act.

Last week, I participated in a town hall on affordable housing at LAMP community centre, an issue for many in our community. I want to thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for removing development fees for not-for-profit and affordable housing. This will make did difference.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I was at the Dorothy Ley Hospice with my colleague MPP Cuzzetto for their annual charity event hike. I want to thank them for their support, and I want to thank them extremely for their support during my mother’s illness over the last couple of months.

Next week I’ll be debating Clare’s Law. Behind it is a story of tragedy but also of hope, and I’ll speak on that in more detail on that day. I hope all members will be present and lend their support.

Ontario is warming up. Lakes and rivers up north are unfrozen, and tourism will reach its peak in northern communities. As the seasons change, the north comes to life and is ready to welcome Ontarians to celebrate nature and wildlife through various activities like camping, fishing and hiking.

Je veux prendre le temps de rappeler des mesures de précaution pour plusieurs activités estivales afin d’assurer la sécurité des résidents, des visiteurs et, surtout, celle des enfants.

Le nord de l’Ontario est connu à travers le monde comme regorgeant de lacs, rivières, baies et ruisseaux qui n’ont rien à envier aux autres pays. Pour des activités nautiques comme la pêche, le kayak et le bateau, les vestes de sauvetage—les « personal flotation devices »—sont fortement encouragées en tout temps lorsque vous êtes sur l’eau. Assurez-vous que vos enfants portent les vestes de sauvetage adéquates. Vous devez aussi être équipés d’une trousse de secours dans vos bateaux en cas d’urgence.

Our region is also known for breathtaking hikes and outdoor activities like camping. To ensure your safety, always let someone know of your location and itinerary. Also, be informed of fire restrictions in your area and take precautions when attending your fires, as well as properly extinguishing it when leaving the grounds.

Finalement, n’oubliez pas de laisser les lieux que vous avez visités dans leur état d’origine et de profiter de tout ce que la nature a à vous offrir. N’empruntez que les routes formelles et n’endommagez pas la flore.

Most of all, enjoy every bit of what the north has to offer.

Questions?

My question to my colleague: In my rural area of Simcoe–Grey, we know that Internet connectivity is a huge issue. For our local farmers that rely on connectivity for monitoring their herds, for the dairy farmers, and their broods, for the chicken farmers, it’s an essential connectivity. We also see it locally through the pandemic with school and education going online. Many families did not have adequate access to Internet.

I’m wondering if the member could speak to the issue of promoting and supporting a drive to get Internet to all Ontarians so that my residents in Simcoe–Grey have an idea of what’s coming forward.

Thank you very much.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

My thanks to the member for Whitby, someone who is a strong advocate for his community and someone who understands the importance of getting it done when we build our economies and the value that that has for families to put food on the table, send their kids to university, have a good life, pay for a home. That really comes down to ensuring that we have a strong economy.

I’m born and raised in the Niagara region. I absolutely love the area that I call home, and I love the people who I have the pleasure and privilege of representing. But I remember for 15 years, when the Liberals were in office, that feeling of hopelessness that often I would encounter when I spoke with young people my age who were worried about being able to get into a good well-paying job, people who said, “I see manufacturing in Niagara leaving. I see high unemployment in the Niagara region,” and they were saying, “Where are we going to go?” Some of them had to perhaps move into the GTA in order to be able to get work.

Speaker, over the past five years, I’ve seen that change. I see people—young people, new Canadians, those who are moving to Niagara because of its opportunity, and that’s directly because of the measures that we’re taking in this legislation and in the nine previous packages.

This legislation is really about reducing the amount of time and energy that people have to spend in being able to do regular business practices. But if the member opposite is interested in bringing forward legislation to decriminalize more drugs—I don’t know about other members in this House; for myself, I think we’ve seen in BC the impact of those policies that the New Democrats brought forward, and we’ve seen the impact of those policies on the streets of downtown Vancouver and the east side of Vancouver. I’m not sure what that has to do with the legislation today.

Today what we’re talking about is legislation to ensure we’re building good jobs, that people have hope and opportunity, that they’re able to put food on the table for their families. That’s what we’re focused on doing.

I appreciate the member speaking about the impact that it has on agriculture, because the member is absolutely right. When you don’t have access to good high-speed Internet, it becomes increasingly difficult to do the work of a farmer in the 21st century, especially with the high-tech requirements that farmers today have and especially when it comes to their ability to update crop data, to be able to have their GPS systems in place and build off that work.

We’re taking actions to reduce the time that it takes to get approvals to get those broadband projects moving, and we’re doing that in collaboration with the Minister of Infrastructure—with our rural municipalities as well, who have been fierce advocates for these kinds of investments. And really what we’re saying is we shouldn’t have to wait months and months and months for the approvals in order to be able to drive that broadband through the ground and to be able to expand it to more areas. So we’re cutting the timelines that are required and associated with that, to make it faster, easier and make sure that we’re getting more people connected when and where they need to be.

In May, a resident of University–Rosedale, Lateef Baloch, attended the annual general meeting of Barrick Gold. Mr. Baloch attended the AGM because Barrick Gold has just signed an agreement to mine in the province of Baluchistan, his former home, without informing or consulting local residents. Instead of answering questions, the CEO undermined and discredited Mr. Baloch, using his refugee status to distract the shareholders from the company’s actions. He told Mr. Baloch to go back to Baluchistan.

Mr. Baloch is a law-abiding resident of Canada and has every right to be here. If he did go back to Baluchistan, he would face persecution for his work as a human rights advocate standing up against oppression and the forced disappearance and killing of people.

Canadian companies have a responsibility to not escalate conflict in regions around the globe and Canadian companies have a responsibility to secure free, prior and informed consent from impacted people and governments before beginning a mining project in Canada and around the world. That is what I am calling on Barrick Gold to do.

This past week has been a busy one in my riding of Oxford. I had the pleasure of attending several events on Victoria Day and throughout the week. First, I participated in the Victoria Day parade in Woodstock Monday morning. I had a great time connecting with my constituents and seeing familiar faces. The parade featured marching bands, horses, floats from local organizations and businesses, vintage cars, entertainers and more. Later that day, I made my way to the Thamesford Calithumpian parade. The antique cars, tractors, stilt walkers, clowns, dancers, jugglers and other entertainers did a phenomenal job of getting the crowd excited.

On Friday I joined the Minister of Long-Term Care for peopleCare Tavistock’s construction-start ceremony for their all-new building. For years, peopleCare has been working with the municipality, the county and the province to build more beds, and I’m delighted to see that our government has approved 100 upgraded and 28 new long-term-care spaces in Oxford with this new facility.

Sheena Campbell, the vice-president of communications and engagement at peopleCare, said that the ministry has a strong commitment to get these beds built and I saw that on Friday. PeopleCare is also proposing to offer specialized dementia care services when their new, fully air-conditioned building is built.

It was great to have spent an exciting long weekend with my constituents and to witness our government’s efforts to fix long-term care in Oxford.

Schedule 5 of this bill is focused on regulations around cannabis. It’s interesting that this government is attempting to make business for retail cannabis easier while possession charges continue to affect a disproportionate number of racialized and other marginalized people across Ontario. I think this is a really great example of how this bill is so far removed in its entirety from the everyday experiences of our combined constituencies.

While focused on businesses who continue to make profit off of this industry, will this government also focus on the full decriminalization related to cannabis possession?

In 1905, Spanish American philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I was thinking of this quote when I stood at a solemn ceremony yesterday at Legion Memorial Field, Maple Leaf Cemetery, in Chatham-Kent.

Yesterday, our Royal Canadian Legion Branch 642 celebrated Decoration Day, a tradition dating well back before Remembrance Day was proclaimed as our nationally designated day to celebrate the lives of the brave men and women who gave their lives in military service so that we could be free. As I stood along veteran soldiers and their families under a cloudless, sunny sky, at the graves of men and women from my community who wore our country’s uniform, I was humbled to think so many volunteered to defend our nation at its most perilous times.

Yesterday, people of all ages came out to pause and reflect on our precious democracy, on a world that remains mired in conflict and on the sacrifices of those who gave their today so we could have our tomorrow. The gravesites of our fallen were tidied, some attendees read aloud the names of the fallen and the small, humble tombstones were decorated, as is tradition, with new Canadian flags, a small gesture of remembrance and gratitude. Lest we forget.