MPPs Back at Queens Park

The OGCA has diligently positioned itself well with all MPPs in the house. Notable Ministers that the association will continue to work closely with are: Monte McNaughton - Minister of Labour, Laurie Scott - Minister of Infrastructure, and Doug Downey - Attorney General. 

The house has taken its longest break in 25 years. The historically long break will likely push the government to get back to introducing and passing legislation at a feverous pace. An update of the Province's fiscal outlook as of the second quarter of the fiscal year is included in the Fall Economic, which will be released on November 6. It will lay out the government's priorities leading into the spring 2020 budget.  

Key areas of focus for the PC government will be: 

• Teacher Negations: Between the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA).
• Retail alcohol sales: The movement to allow corner stores to sell beer pretty much ground to a halt in recent months.
• Fiscal update: The statement will include a new, more accurate deficit figure for the 2019-20 fiscal year, as the shortfall projected back in April in then-minister Vic Fedeli's budget was $10.7 billion. Expect Phillips to revise the 2019-20 number downward by several billion dollars.
• Health sector reforms: The government is poised to announce the creation of its first wave of Ontario Health Teams.
• Housing plan: In front of a business-friendly audience last week, Ford revealed that his government will soon reveal a plan for what he calls "affordable ownership" of homes.
• Public sector wage cap: On the next-to-last-day before the legislature adjourned in June, the government introduced a bill that would cap public sector wage increases at one per cent annually for each of the next three years.
• Carbon pricing battle: After hinting in August he'd consider dropping Ontario's court challenge of the federal carbon tax if Justin Trudeau's Liberals won the federal election, Ford slammed the door on that less than 48 hours after the Liberals actually won the election.
• Autism program changes: The government has hit the reset button, with the new Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Todd Smith admitting the previous plan was a mistake.
• Ontario Place: Last month was the deadline for bids to redevelop Ontario Place, the province's theme park space along Toronto's waterfront.