Our government has brought forward a historic plan to modernize consumer protection law in Ontario by extending the order-making powers of Consumer Protection Ontario to cover any businesses whose actions have the effect of assisting in violating the CPA.

We hear that the NDP opposes our plan to go after bad actors. Through you, Speaker, can the member opposite please tell us how they plan to deter bad actors if they are unwilling to give the government the chance to empower Ontarians to do so many—

Thank you very much to the member for Humber River–Black Creek for always being informative and helping us understand a bill like this and how it affects people. My question to you is—I know you spoke about this, but can you just explain a little bit more about the people who are most vulnerable to these kinds of malpractices when it comes to consumer protection? You know: seniors, for example; young folks. Can you explain how this bill could have been better to protect those folks?

I appreciate the question from the member and my friend. I think he misunderstands me. In fact, I’ve spoken rather supportively of this legislation. I’ve said it’s positive in many different ways, and it will improve consumer protection in Ontario.

The only difference is that what I’ve asked for and what I’m pushing for is to bring us to that gold standard. What I’m calling for is the establishment of a consumer watchdog, in parallel to what the government is trying to achieve here. I think we can all agree that consumer protection is a priority and I think we all want what’s best for consumers.

That’s the current state of the system. So even as we continue to improve the consumer protection laws, as we continue to put laws more and more—I don’t want to just say in the favour of consumers, but actually fair laws that should be there. The problem is they continue to have to go to court. As I have said and as you repeated, we’d better arm them with these consumer protection laws, but regardless, when they go up against entire industries or big corporations, they remain ungunned.

There are many ways to do that. One would be to implement a consumer watchdog here in Ontario. Another way would be to find a way to work harder and to support and perhaps even fund organizations that have consumer protection at their heart so that they could stand up for all of us and be a counterbalance to an industry that works so hard to tell government to do what they want.

As part of my speech, I think a lot of the heaviest criticisms of this bill came from those same home warranty advocates that I quoted, and they are justly frustrated, because they continue to be reached out to by new home purchasers that feel that they’re not continuing to be protected. So I think there are a lot of areas within the realm of consumer protection that need to be addressed, specifically in the areas of new home warranties.

I appreciate the member for that question and continuing speaking for those advocates because we haven’t forgotten them, and there’s a lot more we need to do to protect new home purchasers here in Ontario.

We are in agreement that consumers need way more protection than they have had to date and that this bill does do that—but I think that, really, what is concerning is that people still are required to seek redress in court. So my question would be—particularly for vulnerable people; seniors, for example; young people who don’t have the means or the resources to go to court—do you think that this is a barrier in seeking redress and justice, and can you think of ways that the government could have improved this to make sure that people who have been transgressed have the ability to see some justice?