December 1, 2006 Highlights

On this Page:

1. Ontario Principals Lobby on Supervision Time
2. Bill 52, Learning to 18 Legislation
3. Fast Tracking of Human Rights Bill Criticized
4. Clawback of National Child Benefit Supplement

1.  Ontario Principals Lobby on Supervision Time

On November 29 the Ontario Principals’ Council went to Queen’s Park for the association’s annual lobby of MPPs.  The organization’s main issue is the new negotiated limits on elementary teachers’ supervision time.  OPC representatives are looking to the government to intervene. They maintain that in a number of schools the limits are creating concerns for student safety.

MPP Jeff Leal asked Education Minister Kathleen Wynne to address the OPC concerns.  She replied:

“The advice that I'm going to receive from the minister's principal reference group is going to be very important to me as we move forward on this.

One of the issues that has been raised is the issue of supervision. That's the time that a teacher is assigned to supervise students outside the instructional day. I know that we're going to be having an ongoing conversation with the principals. The Provincial Stability Commission was set up to actually facilitate a discussion about specific instances where there was a conflict, where there were issues between teachers and a board.

I think what's really important is that we recognize that during the previous regime -- and the member from Peterborough has mentioned this -- the relationships were frayed by the previous government. The relationships between teachers, principals and boards were undermined, and what we're doing by having the reference group, by having the Provincial Stability Commission, by our attempts with the ministry to have ongoing conversations with the principals and move forward in concrete ways, is we're re-establishing those relationships.

2.  Bill 52, Learning to 18 Legislation

On November 29 NDP Leader Howard Hampton accused the government of lowering graduation standards through Bill 52, the “learning to 18” legislation.  He asked:  “Why is the McGuinty government intent on granting high school credits without the requisite curriculum elements and skills components? Why does the McGuinty government favour McCredits?”  Education Minister Kathleen Wynne replied:

“What we've done is specify that every high school credit that is attributed in this province is going to be issued by the principal of a high school. That is ensconced in the legislation.

“I want to read a quote: "The SWAC program allows students to explore the `trades' while being treated as adults." This is a student from Brantford speaking. "I love the college setting and find it less distracting than high school. I like working at my own pace to make up credits and find that I try harder than ever to complete work. Students are able to recover credits in order to graduate and now they feel like they have a future."

“That is what this is about: more students in high school, more teachers in our high schools, more students graduating and more students being able to go –“

On November 28, a question about Bill 52 from Liberal MPP Jeff Leal (Peterborough) allowed the Minister to provide more information about programs for at-risk secondary students:

“What we're doing is expanding co-op credits through increased partnerships so that students can graduate, counting up to two credits towards their diploma, two co-op mandatory credits. We're allowing students to bundle their courses into a high-skills major so that when they go out into the workplace, they have a certification that says they have acquired certain skills in their high school years. We're allowing students to earn credits towards a diploma through college and apprenticeship and university courses, so we're allowing students who might not otherwise go on to post-secondary to have a taste of what post-secondary might be like, and they will go on.”

3. Fast Tracking of Human Rights Bill Criticized

On November 28 PC Leader John Tory raised once again the government’s decision to apply a time allocation motion on Bill 107, the human rights legislation.  The motion fast-tracked debate on the bill and resulted in a number of presentations to the legislative committee reviewing the bill being cancelled.  Mr. Tory stated, in his question to Premier McGuinty, that the Tories had proposed a timeline that would have allowed for more consultation and a commitment to have the bill passed by March 29, 2007.  He asked the Premier why he wouldn’t agree to the proposal.  The Premier replied:

“I don't know whether or not the leader of the official opposition has secured the agreement of the NDP to this particular proposal, but I'd be very surprised if he obtained their consent.

Our position has been very clear for quite some time now. We believe that there is something that seriously ails the human rights system in the province of Ontario. In fact, criticism has been levelled against this system, which we inherited, for many, many years now. Complaints take too long to be heard. Five to 10 years, in some cases, for resolution is simply unacceptable.

We believe there has been a healthy debate. We've heard from many people. Legislation has been under discussion now for over 200 days. We've heard from over 80 separate presenters. The Attorney General in his own capacity through his office has also met with more than 40 groups over the past six months. We've heard from many Ontarians, we have received their advice, and we're acting on their advice, even more recently -- well, tomorrow, in fact -- with the introduction of still more amendments."

On November 29, the Standing Committee on Justice Policy adopted a number of government amendments to Bill 107.  The bill was reported to the Legislature on November 30.  It was adopted, through a vote with the Liberals supporting and the Opposition parties voting against it.  It will likely receive Third Reading before the Legislature adjourns on December 14 for the winter break.

4. Clawback of National Child Benefit Supplement

On November 27 NDP MPP Michael Prue once again pressed the government for its failure to fully end the provincial clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement paid to low-income Canadians.  He stated:  “Campaign 2000 reports that for every $1 earned by the poorest 10% of families with children, the richest 10% earn $14. The national child benefit supplement aims to shrink that gap by providing low-income children with $1,500 a year for food, shelter and clothing.”

Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur defended her government’s record by replying:

“Our government recognizes that it is difficult to live on a low income and particularly on social assistance. But since we have taken office, we have made steady progress each and every year to help Ontario's poorest citizens. We have made certain that every single increase to the national child benefit supplement stays in the hands of the people who need it the most. We are continuing to flow through these increases, and by the end of March 2008, social assistance recipients with children will have received an additional $75 million in support. That is a significant investment.”