Queen’s Park Highlights - April 1, 2010

This issue of Queen’s Park Highlights covers a two-week period. The Legislature adjourns today and reconvenes on April 12 following a one-week break to allow MPPs to return to their ridings for Constituency Week, April 6 – 9.

1. Government announces 2010 Provincial Budget

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan presented the 2010 provincial Budget on March 25. He announced that the deficit is forecast to be $21.3 billion, less than the $24.7 billion forecast in the fall. He also indicated that the government planned to eliminate the deficit over a number of years, achieving a balanced budget by 2017-18.

Education Funding

Funding for elementary and secondary education will increase by $694 million in 2010-11 (a 3.6% increase over this year). The government projects that the overall funding for education will rise to $22.3 billion in 2011-12 and $23 billion in 2012-13, an 11.5% over this year’s allocation.

The Budget also announced that the government would provide an additional $245 million in capital funding to school boards over a two-year period to support the implementation of the Early Learning Program.

Public Sector Restraint

Integral to the government’s deficit reduction target is a plan to adopt restraint measures for the public sector.  To set an example, the government is extending the one-year salary freeze for MPPs for an additional two years and freezing the salaries of political staff and non-unionized legislative staff for two years. 

The government, through legislation, will freeze the “compensation structures” for non-unionized employees in the Ontario Public Service and the broader public sector for two years. On the same day as he delivered the Budget, the minister introduced Bill 16, a bill that implements the various budget initiatives. The bill includes provisions to freeze salaries of non-unionized employees in the public and broader public sectors. Unionized employees, including those employed by school boards, will not be directly affected by the wage restraint provisions of this bill.

The government has indicated, however, that its fiscal plan does not include funding for salary increases for unionized employees in the public sector and broader public sector when their respective agreements come due for renegotiation.  ETFO is still waiting for more details regarding this policy to determine the extent to which this plan may affect ETFO members.

Child Care Funding

A positive highlight of the Budget is the government’s decision to step in and replace the $63.5 million in federal funding for child care that expired at the end of March. While the provincial government was reluctant to step in and fill what it feels is a federal responsibility, failure to do so would have led to a significant loss of child care spaces as numerous programs would have been forced to shut their doors. Child care programs are struggling with funding pressures which are being exacerbated, in some instances, by the loss of four- and five-year-olds moving from child care to the new Early Learning Program that begins for 15 per cent of eligible students this fall.

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, a number of organizations, including ETFO, and the Ontario NDP Caucus have lobbied extensively for the provincial government to step in with the $63.5 million.

Poverty Agenda

Beyond the funding for child care and the scheduled increase in the minimum hourly wage to $10.25, the Budget does not move the province forward in terms of its commitment to reduce poverty rates by 25 per cent. Allowances under the Ontario Disability Program and Ontario Works will increase by 1 per cent, less than the 1.9 per cent inflation rate projected for 2010.

2. Legislative Committee holds Hearings on Early Learning Bill

The Legislature’s Social Policy committee held three days of public hearings on Bill 242, the Full Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010:  March 22, 23, and 29.  ETFO President Sam Hammond presented to the committee on March 23. The federation’s key concerns relate to the need to clarify that teachers have primary responsibility for the delivery of the Early Learning Program and that they are not to have any responsibilities connected to the extended day programs provided before and after school.

To read the ETFO submission, click here: http://www.etfo.ca/Publications/BriefstoGovernmentAgencies/Pages/Brief%20on%20Bill%20242%20-%20the%20Full%20Day%20Early%20Learning%20Statute%20Amendment%20Act%202010.aspx

The Social Policy committee will review proposed amendments to the bill on April 12, 2010 and report the bill back to the Legislature. Third Reading of the bill could take place later that week or the following week.

3. Government touts Increase in High School Graduation Rates

On March 22, the government announced that last year 79 per cent of high school students graduated, an increase of two percentage points over 2007-08 and 11 percentage points higher than 2003-04, the year the Liberal government was elected.

For the government, graduation rates, along with EQAO results, figure as a key indicator of the success of the provincial education system. The government attributes the increase in graduation rates to its new Specialist High Skills Majors, dual credits, an increase in Student Success teachers, and an expanded co-op program for high school students.

4. Ontario PC Policy

On March 23, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak released a list of proposals to promote job creation and to support small business. Click here to read the list:  www.10for2010.ca

On March 30, the PC Caucus held a Queen’s Park reception for education organizations and announced its plan to consult with stakeholders as it prepares to develop the party’s 2011 election platform.  Education organizations, including ETFO, have been invited to make presentations to the caucus on April 21.

For more information, check the website of the Ontario Legislature:  www.ontla.on.ca