The committee met at 0901 in room 151.

Selection of estimates

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): Good morning, everyone. The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will now come to order. On our agenda this morning is the selection of estimates for consideration.

On April 22, 2026, the Lieutenant Governor transmitted to the Legislative Assembly the estimates of certain sums required for the services of the province for the year ending March 31, 2027. Pursuant to standing order 62(b), the estimates, upon tabling, are deemed to be referred to the standing committees to which the respective ministries and offices were assigned pursuant to standing order 113(b).

The estimates for the following ministries and offices have been referred to the committee for selection and consideration:

—Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade;

—Ministry of Finance;

—Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development;

—Cabinet Office;

—Office of the Premier; and

—Treasury Board Secretariat.

The objective of this morning’s meeting is to select the estimates of certain ministries or offices for review by the committee.

All committee members should have received an electronic copy of the 2026-27 estimates and the corresponding briefing books from the Clerk.

Standing order 63 sets out the process by which the committee makes its selections. Each of the recognized parties on the committee shall select the estimates of up to one ministry or office in each turn. The official opposition selects first, followed by the third party and then the government. If members of one party decline to make a selection, the selection then passes to the next party in the rotation. The process concludes when either there are no further ministries or offices available to select, or if all recognized parties decline to make any, or any further, selections.

Pursuant to standing order 63(b)(ii.1) the estimates of the Office of Premier and the estimates of Cabinet Office will constitute one selection and represent a single turn.

Pursuant to standing order 63(c), these selections are to be reviewed in the order that they were chosen. This order may be altered by unanimous agreement of the subcommittee on committee business, or by order of the House.

Pursuant to standing order 63(d), the time for the consideration of the estimates of each ministry or office shall be determined by the respective committee.

The estimates of those ministries not selected for consideration will be deemed to have been passed by the committee. As Chair, I will report those unselected estimates back to the House, and they will be deemed to be adopted and concurred in by the House.

When making your selections, please look at the list of ministries and offices as they are listed in the estimates book, or as displayed on the screen in front of you, and provide the correct name when selecting a ministry or office for consideration. The Clerk has displayed these correct names on the screens in front of you and has provided a hard copy of the list, which should be in front of you.

Please note that the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction is not shown as a discrete option for selection on this list because its estimates were tabled as part of the estimates for Cabinet Office under vote 401-1, on page 56 of the expenditure estimates book. That ministry’s estimates will therefore be considered during the committee’s consideration of the estimates of Cabinet Office and the Office of the Premier, which are considered together pursuant to standing order 63(b)(ii.1).

Do members have any questions before we begin? No questions?

We will start with the naming of the estimates, and we’ll go to the official opposition for their first choice.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): Third party: MPP Cerjanec.

Mr. Rob Cerjanec: Treasury Board Secretariat.

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): We’ll now go to the government. MPP Smith.

Mr. Dave Smith: Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Ministry of Finance.

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): Okay, MPP Bell. Ministry of Finance.

MPP Cerjanec.

Mr. Rob Cerjanec: Cabinet Office.

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): MPP Smith.

Mr. Dave Smith: There are no other ministries to select. Cabinet Office and Premier are one.

The Chair (Hon. Ernie Hardeman): That concludes the selections. If all of them are picked, that concludes the selection process and the business of today on the agenda.

Are there any further comments from the committee? If not, the committee is adjourned.

The committee adjourned at 0908.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Chair / Président

Hon. Ernie Hardeman (Oxford PC)

First Vice-Chair / Première Vice-Présidente

Ms. Jessica Bell (University–Rosedale ND)

Second Vice-Chair / Deuxième Vice-Président

Mr. Rob Cerjanec (Ajax L)

Ms. Jessica Bell (University–Rosedale ND)

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady (Haldimand–Norfolk IND)

Mr. Rob Cerjanec (Ajax L)

Hon. Ernie Hardeman (Oxford PC)

Mr. Logan Kanapathi (Markham–Thornhill PC)

Mr. Joseph Racinsky (Wellington–Halton Hills PC)

MPP Bill Rosenberg (Algoma–Manitoulin PC)

Mr. Brian Saunderson (Simcoe–Grey PC)

Ms. Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas / Hamilton-Ouest–Ancaster–Dundas ND)

Mr. Dave Smith (Peterborough–Kawartha PC)

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North–Burlington / Oakville-Nord–Burlington PC)

Clerk / Greffière

Ms. Lesley Flores

Staff / Personnel

Mr. James Beange, research officer,
Research Services