Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The committee met at 1340 in committee room 1, following a closed session.

Petitions

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): We’re now in open session of the Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly. We concluded report writing on e-petitions.

Shall the draft report, as amended, carry? Carried.

Shall the subcommittee sign off on the draft report? Carried.

Shall the report be translated? Carried.

Shall the report be printed? Carried.

Shall I present the report to the House and move the adoption of its recommendations? Carried.

I am to let everybody know that the date for dissenting opinions is one week today, December 2, 2015.

Mr. Steve Clark: Point of order.

Interjection.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Sorry; first, Eleanor.

Ms. Eleanor McMahon: I don’t know if this is a point of order, so forgive me, but while we’re on the record, Mr. Chair, I just wanted to recognize and thank our table researcher for all of her excellent work.

I thank my colleagues opposite for a very good discussion, impassioned at times, but always instructive, and I’d like to thank you, Mr. Chair, as well.

Committee business

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Mr. Clark on a point of order.

Mr. Steve Clark: A point of order: In the introduction of this report, it states the motion of February 18: “That, prior to commencing consideration of Bills 12, 27 and 42, the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly”—and it goes on and on about this report. My question to you, Chair, as I read this motion: Next week, we’ll be dealing with Bill 12 at this committee. Is that correct?

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Mr. Clark is right. That is what it says. If it’s the will of the committee, we’ll begin with Bill 12 next week.

Interjections.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): We’d need a subcommittee.

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: Can we refer that to the subcommittee, to come back with an order?

Mr. Steve Clark: No, no. With all due respect, we had a motion at this committee programming these three bills, and the government brought an amendment to that motion. This motion is very clear that, before we deal with these three bills, we do a review of e-petitions. We’ve done it, we’ve passed it, and now we go back to that original motion. That’s the correct parliamentary procedure.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): We will need the details on how we proceed with Bill 12.

Mr. Balkissoon?

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: I hear Mr. Clark clearly. It has been eight months, nine months since that occurred. I think in fairness to all of us—and there are some new members on the committee—that that item be referred to you, as the Chair, with the subcommittee, to come back with a subcommittee report to us to proceed. If it comes at our meeting next Wednesday, that’s fine too. I just think it should go there and get worked on.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Ms. Wong?

Ms. Soo Wong: With regard to Bill 12, which the member opposite is talking about, it has been customary practice for all standing committees that the subcommittee has the first priority to review any private member’s bills—because this is not a government bill. So I would respectfully ask, Mr. Chair, that we reconvene the subcommittee. It’s also customary practice that we consult the House leaders of all three parties, because in the past I have heard that they don’t want the committee as a whole to negotiate which private member’s bill. So I want to be respectful of all the House leaders in this place, and the fact that we, through your direction, Mr. Chair, first reconvene the subcommittee, but also bring notification to all the House leaders—because they do meet on a regular basis—with regard to this particular committee, because this is a private member’s bill that will come forward. I don’t know what’s a priority for the member opposite and I do not want to disrespect or not have been heard. I do know that, as a Chair of another standing committee, I have been informed, not to say about this committee, that they do not want a private member's bill to be discussed through the subcommittee. They want it to be done through the House leaders. That’s all.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Thanks, Ms. Wong. And just to remind you and the committee, this committee determines its own mandate. That’s how we will proceed. Mr. Clark?

Mr. Steve Clark: To me, we had a motion that was passed. The government amended it to do the standing committee review on e-petitions. I would think that Mr. Potts would want Bill 12, since it was programmed by a motion, to come before—I would think that Mr. Ballard would want Bill 42 to come forward. I would think the people of York region have waited very long for us to deal with Bill 42. We passed this motion at committee. This was amended at committee. I think we need to respect a duly passed motion and move forward with these bills. We agreed to this.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Mr. Ballard.

Mr. Chris Ballard: Simply, I just want to make the point—and it’s prior to commencing consideration of Bills 12, 27 and 42—that I don’t think there was any particular order that we wanted to consider those bills. I’m quite happy to send it back to our subcommittee to clarify for us how we want to move forward. Do we start with 12, 27 or 42? Do we put them all on the table at the same time?

Mr. Steve Clark: It’s clear it’s out of order.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Mr. Mantha.

Mr. Michael Mantha: Might I suggest a five-minute recess, please?

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): We can have a five-minute recess if there’s agreement amongst the committee.

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: I think he’s making a request and we should agree to that. I agree.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): A recess for five minutes.

The committee recessed from 1347 to 1352.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Okay, the committee is back in session. Mr. Clark.

Mr. Steve Clark: I just want to say that in our five-minute recess, I’ve had some second thoughts. I do agree with Mr. Balkissoon and Ms. Wong that because we’re done this week, we can go into subcommittee and decide. I take Mr. Balkissoon and Ms. Wong at their word, that they’re willing to have a subcommittee meeting and they’ll be able to answer those questions on advertising and moving forward for next week. So I’m satisfied, based on the comments of the government members, and I’ll let Mr. Mantha provide some comments.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Mr. Mantha.

Mr. Michael Mantha: My understanding is that it’s a custom to have PM discussions at the House leader’s office as well. So I echo the comments that my friend has made here, and it looks like we’re ready to adjourn today’s discussions.

Mr. Steve Clark: I don’t know if Ms. Wong or Mr. Balkissoon wants to make the motion they talked about, but I’m certainly willing to support Mr. Balkissoon and Ms. Wong and the way they wanted this to be dealt with at subcommittee. That would give an opportunity for the House leaders to talk about it as well. I agree with the government members’ suggestion.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): What I’m hearing is that the committee will meet next week, and the details will be worked out by the subcommittee in advance. Is that an agreement?

Interjection: Agreed.

The Chair (Mr. Monte McNaughton): Agreed? Okay, great. We’re done. Adjourned. Thank you.

The committee adjourned at 1354.

CONTENTS

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Petitions M-175

Committee business M-175

STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Chair / Président

Mr. Monte McNaughton (Lambton–Kent–Middlesex PC)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Président

Mr. Jack MacLaren (Carleton–Mississippi Mills PC)

Mr. Granville Anderson (Durham L)

Mr. Bas Balkissoon (Scarborough–Rouge River L)

Mr. Chris Ballard (Newmarket–Aurora L)

Mr. Steve Clark (Leeds–Grenville PC)

Mr. Jack MacLaren (Carleton–Mississippi Mills PC)

Mr. Michael Mantha (Algoma–Manitoulin ND)

Ms. Eleanor McMahon (Burlington L)

Mr. Monte McNaughton (Lambton–Kent–Middlesex PC)

Ms. Soo Wong (Scarborough–Agincourt L)

Clerk / Greffier

Mr. Trevor Day

Staff / Personnel

Ms. Joanne McNair, Table Research Clerk,
Table Research