Ontario.

• Author: Przezdziecki, Sylwia
• Position: Legislative Reports - Report

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on March 17, the House resumed sitting after the winter adjournment, and resumed its debate on the Speech from the Throne. The Throne Speech was delivered on November 29, 2007 by David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. A number of newly elected Members presented their inaugural speeches in the Legislature during the debate.

On the first day of the spring sitting, Speaker Steve Peters made a statement regarding the conduct of business in the House. Through the following weeks, the Speaker took several more opportunities to draw the House's attention to matters of procedure and practice, making statements regarding the use of language, tone, and interjections by Members; and clarifying the rules around the use of supplementary questions during Oral Questions, and statements of purpose during Introduction of Bills.

Two sets of Supplementary Estimates for the 2007-2008 fiscal year were tabled in the House and deemed to be received and concurred in. On April 1 the Speaker announced that Royal Assent had been granted to Bill 45, An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008.

On March 25, Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance, presented Ontario's 2008 Budget. The Budget forecasts total expenditures of $96.2 billion, and a surplus of $600 million. On April 2, after three days of debate, the House voted to approve in general the budgetary policy of the Government.

The Speaker ruled on a number of points of privilege that were raised in the House, concerning: a possible disclosure of Budget contents; Government announcements not made available to Opposition members; the proposed introduction of a tax not mentioned in the Budget; and events that occurred during a meeting of a Standing Committee.

Prayer Panel

A panel of Members of Provincial Parliament, chaired by the Speaker, was convened to review the traditional practice of reciting prayers at the beginning of each day of the Legislature. The Speaker has invited the public's submissions on the subject, which may be filed on the Legislative Assembly's website. The panel is expected to hold consultations with the public.

Changes to the Standing Orders

The House debated and passed a motion to amend the Standing Orders that will revise, inter alia, the weekly meeting schedule of the Legislative Assembly. The start time of the daily (Monday-Thursday) House sitting will move to 9:00 a.m. from 1:30 p.m. Evening sittings will be...