The Ontario legislature is set to resume this week with a busy agenda, including the repeal of a law that capped public sector wages and the introduction of a bill that would require a referendum for any future provincial carbon tax.
Bill 124 ruled unconstitutional by court
The Ford government announced that it will repeal Bill 124, a law that limited annual salary increases for public sector workers to one per cent for three years. The law, which affected teachers, nurses, and other public servants, was challenged by several unions and labour groups as a violation of their collective bargaining rights.
In February, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that found Bill 124 to be unconstitutional. The government decided not to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada and instead agreed to scrap the law.
The repeal of Bill 124 is expected to cost the province billions of dollars in back pay for the affected workers, who have been underpaid since the law came into effect in 2019. The government said it will work with the unions to negotiate fair and reasonable compensation.
Get It Done Act to require referendum for carbon tax
The government also plans to introduce an omnibus bill called the Get It Done Act, which contains several measures that reflect the premier’s 2022 election campaign slogan. The most controversial one is a proposal that would require any future government to hold a referendum before implementing a provincial carbon pricing system.
The Ford government has been a vocal opponent of the federal carbon tax, which it argues is hurting the economy and making life more expensive for Ontarians. The government has launched several legal challenges against the federal tax, but has lost in every court so far.
The proposed referendum bill would not affect the current federal carbon tax, which applies to provinces that do not have their own equivalent system. It would also not prevent a future government from repealing the bill or introducing a different climate policy.
Critics of the bill have accused the Ford government of playing political games and distracting from the real issues facing the province, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care crisis, and the education funding gap.
Other items on the legislative agenda
The government also intends to reverse a previous decision to dissolve Peel Region, which consists of Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. The move comes after the former mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie, became the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, which is the main opposition to the Ford government.
The government said it will respect the wishes of the local municipalities and maintain Peel Region as a separate entity. However, some critics have suggested that the reversal is motivated by political calculations and an attempt to undermine Crombie’s leadership.
Another item on the government’s agenda is to announce its plan to address the financial challenges of the post-secondary education sector, which has been struggling with low and stagnant funding levels for years. The government commissioned a panel to review the situation and make recommendations, which included increasing student aid, unfreezing tuition, and raising operating grants for the institutions.
The government has not yet revealed its response to the panel’s report, but it has ruled out a tuition increase and told the schools to find efficiencies. The colleges and universities minister is expected to make an announcement early in the session.
