Legislative & Policy Update-March 24-30

This Week at Queen’s Park

The main focus of all parties this week in the Legislative Assembly has been the provincial budget, which was released on Wednesday afternoon.

As set out in our email to members sent Wednesday, the budget signals the government's willingness to increase spending and run a deficit for the time ahead.
General highlights of the budget announcements include:

• Spending to exceed revenues by a total of $6.7B in the next fiscal year with projected deficits of over $6B per year until the end of 2020-21 and a return to balance not foreseen until 2024-25.
• Significant investments in child care, hospital funding, mental health and addictions services, a new Ontario Drug and Dental Program, and seniors’ care.
• A plan to amend the Solicitors Act to remove the prohibition against including legal costs in a contingency fee agreement without court approval, and to apply contingency fee regulation to paralegals as it currently applies to lawyers.
• Stable funding for the justice sector over  the next three years with ongoing investments in discrete areas, such as bail/remand reform and repair, rehabilitation and construction of courts and correctional facilities, including an expansion of the Brampton Courthouse project.
• A general reference to expanding access to legal aid, which the OBA has encouraged..

Absent from the budget was any specific funding to accommodate the recently announced additional judicial appointments for Ontario.

Budget Reaction and Next Steps

For their part, the provincial opposition parties voiced displeasure with the budget. The provincial PCs pointed to concerns regarding deficit spending, while the provincial NDP suggested the government’s policy choices don’t go far enough to assist Ontarians.

Following the budget’s release, the Minister of Finance introduced a budget bill in the Legislature. The OBA Policy & Public Affairs department will be working with members and Section Executives in the coming days to review and analyze the bill’s contents.

Law Society of Upper Canada

Convocation meets next on April 26, 2018.

Legislation

NOTABLE GOVERNMENT BILLS (UPDATES FOR THIS WEEK)

Bill Number & Name	Status
Bill 3, Pay Transparency Act, 2018 Flynn, Hon Kevin Daniel Minister of Labour	March 26, 28 – Second reading debate.
Bill 6, Correctional Services Transformation Act, 2018 Lalonde, Hon Marie-France Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services	March 27, 29 – Second reading debate.
Bill 31, Plan for Care and Opportunity Act (Budget Measures), 2018 Sousa, Hon CharlesMinister of Finance	March 28 – First reading carried.

NOTABLE PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS (UPDATES FOR THIS WEEK)

Bill 21, Liability for Climate-Related Harms Act, 2018 Tabuns, Peter	March 26 – First Reading.
Bill 22, Prohibiting Driving with Unlawful Handguns Act, 2018 Colle, Mike	March 26 – First Reading.
Bill 23, Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act, 2018 Jones, Sylvia	March 27 – First Reading.
Bill 24, Pathways to Post-secondary Excellence Act (Post-secondary Educational Report), 2018 Baker, Yvan	March 27 – First Reading.
Bill 26, Fee Waivers (Photo Card and Birth Certificate) Act, 2018 Kiwala, Sophie	March 27 – First Reading.
Bill 27, Stop the Calls Act, 2018 Baker, Yvan	March 27 – First Reading.
Bill 28, What You See is What You Pay Act (Consumer Protection Amendment), 2018 Baker, Yvan	March 27 – First Reading.

Regulations

Permitting the Payment of Variable Benefits from Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Plans Description of Proposed Regulations for Variable Benefits Comments Due Date:  May 4, 2018

Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 Exemptions and Operational Requirements This proposal describes the specific types of screening that are being considered for exemption from the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. If approved, police record checks conducted for these types of screening would not have to follow certain requirements set out in the legislation. It also includes operational procedures and protocols that providers would be required to follow when conducting police record checks under the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015. Comments Due Date:  April 9, 2018

Public Appointments Available

• Forensics Advisory Committee - Member (Part-Time)

• Forensics Advisory Committee - Chair (Part-Time)