Queen’s Park Highlights - April 16, 2010

MPPs returned to Queen’s Park on April 12 following an early spring Constituency Week.  The next Constituency Week is scheduled for May 24 – 28, the week that includes the Victoria Day holiday.

1. Legislative Committee amends Bill 242

On April 12, the Standing Committee on Social Policy reviewed a package of more than forty amendments submitted by all three parties.  The amendments responded to concerns raised during the public hearings held on March 22, 23, and 29.

The government has a majority on the committee; only government amendments were adopted. These included key changes sought by ETFO. Specifically, the amendments clarify that teachers will have overall responsibility for the Early Learning Program and that principals will not be able to delegate responsibility for the extended day programs to a teacher except in emergency situations.

An NDP motion that called for a hard cap of 26 for Early Learning Program class size was not adopted.

Bill 242 was reported as amended to the Legislature on April 13.  It will come forward for Third Reading debate and a final vote this coming week.

To review the amended version of the bill, click here: http://www.ontla.on.ca/bills/bills-files/39_Parliament/Session2/b242rep.pdf

For the latest updated information from ETFO about the Early Learning Program, click here: http://www.etfo.ca/elp/pages/default.aspx

2. Government takes on Pharmacies

The headline issue this week has been the government’s announcement that it will be intervening to reduce the costs of generic drugs. The government is targeting the $750 million a year that the drug companies pay pharmacies to sell their products, an expenditure which drives up the cost of drugs which are considerably higher in Ontario than in other provinces. The drug prices are driving up the costs of government-supported drug plans.

The large drug companies are threatening to shorten hours and reduce customer service, including charging for drug deliveries.  In response to this pressure, the government has offered to establish a $100 million fund to support expanded drug store provision of vaccinations and a further $140 fund to support pharmacists to conduct medication checks and to cover higher dispensing fees.  So far the drug stores aren’t pulling back on their public campaign against the government proposal and are blaming Queen’s Park for the cuts in customer service.

On April 14, PC MPP Christine Elliott took up the pharmacists’ cause and stated:

“You are cutting almost a billion dollars in health care in the front-line services that pharmacists provide. That's a billion-dollar cut. That's what Premier McGuinty wasted on the Liberal-friendly consultants in the billion-dollar eHealth boondoggle. What front-line health care should Ontario patients expect Premier McGuinty to cut next?”

Health Minister Deb Matthews replied:

“Let's be really clear: This is all about getting fair prices for drugs for the people of Ontario. It's about getting lower prices and it's about expanding the access to drugs for people in this province who need drugs to be healthy or to stay healthy. This is absolutely the right thing to do.
“It's also about cleaning up a system of payments that were paid from generic companies to pharmacy owners in exchange for stocking those drugs on their shelves. It cleans up that system. It allows us to pay directly for those front-line services that are so enormously valuable, services provided by those front-line pharmacists.”

3. NDP MPP raises Concerns about Cuts to Social Assistance

In the provincial Budget released last month, the government announced that it would be replacing the “special diet” allowance available to people on social assistance with another program that would be more strictly administered based on “medical need”.

On April 14, NDP Michael Prue drew attention to a recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision regarding the special diet:

“On February 17, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ordered the government to increase special diet allowance rates for special assistance recipients with various medical conditions within three months. Instead of increasing those rates, the McGuinty government, through the Ministry of Community and Social Services, is asking for a one-year extension so it can eliminate the special diet allowance and reduce the same benefits that were awarded.”

“Why won't the government comply with the Ontario Human Rights Commission ruling and provide adequate special diet allowance payments as ordered?”

Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur replied:

“The government will comply with the decision of the Human Rights Tribunal. We need more time to investigate and to see who qualifies for this new addition, to respect the decision of the human rights.”

In response to a supplementary question, Minister Meilleur acknowledged that the government was planning to appeal part of the Tribunal’s decision and had requested time to review all of the applications for the special diet.

4. International Pink Day

April 14 was Pink Shirt Day, the day that commemorates students who wore pink in support of a Nova Scotia high school student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.  Liberal MPP Glen Murray used the occasion to give the government an opportunity to outline its anti-bullying initiatives.  In response to his question Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky outlined the focus of the new safe schools legislation:

“The Keeping Our Kids Safe at School Act came into effect February 1, and it does require all board employees-if they witness an act of bullying, that must be reported to the principal. Principals and staff have been trained to understand this.”

The minister acknowledged the contribution of PC Education Critic Elizabeth Witmer to promoting anti-bullying measures.

5. PC MPP accuses Labour Unions of Intimidation

On April 15, PC MPP Randy Hillier raised complaints about union activity on behalf of a number of businesses and accused the government’s “support” for unions as destroying businesses and suggested it was in return for financial contributions:

“The McGuinty Liberals support union tactics that promote collusion and are illegal in other jurisdictions, including the practice of salting, where union organizers infiltrate companies, even against the will of employees.

“Arc Electrical is not alone. The same is happening to firms all across Ontario, firms like Abacus, and Blenheim Electric.

“Minister, your policies are costing us jobs and destroying businesses. Did union donations to your party buy these unfair labour laws?”