Ontario.

• Author: Lim, Valerie Quioc
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Ontario Legislature, now in its third year as a minority parliament, continued to work through the Second Session of the Fortieth Parliament during the period from November 2013 to January 2014.

On December 9, the House withdrew from its usual proceedings to address two historic events--one local and the other international. First, each of the three parties made statements regarding the Huronia Regional Centre, a former institution for people with developmental disabilities that has been wrought with stories of abuse. Premier Kathleen Wynne issued an official apology as part of a settlement approved by a superior court judge in a class-action lawsuit between the province and survivors of the centre. The House also addressed the death of former South African President, Nelson Mandela with a tribute by the Premier and Opposition Party leaders Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath. Mr. Mandela, who is a Nobel Prize winner and an honorary Canadian citizen, visited Ontario three times during his life and has a Toronto elementary school named after him.

The resignations of Liberal MPP Kim Craitor in September and Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman in December created two vacancies. Premier Wynne called by-elections for both ridings for February 13, 2014. NDP candidate Wayne Gates and Progressive Conservative candidate Gila Martow were elected in Niagara Falls and Thornhill, respectively.

Committee Activities

On November 7, the House passed a motion to authorize the Standing Committee on Social Policy to conduct a year-long comprehensive review of the Local Health System Integration Act, and the regulations made under it, as provided for in Section 39 of that Act. The statute, which came into force in 2006, created 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) in the province to provide for an integrated health system.

The Committee began its review with a technical briefing from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, as set out by the motion; a number of organizations were invited to make presentations as well. The Committee then travelled to nine locations across Ontario for eight days in January and February 2014 to conduct public hearings.

The Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills considered two bills: Bill 6, An Act to protect and restore the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin and Bill 88, An Act to amend the Child and Family Services Act with respect to children 16 years of age and older. Bill 6 is a government bill...