Ford government wants to limit debate, skip public hearings on bill to scrap speed cameras
CBC
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is proposing to limit debate and avoid public input on three pieces of legislation, including one that would end the province's speed camera program.
Government House Leader Steve Clark is proposing to fast track a red tape reduction bill that includes banning speed cameras, a labour bill and an emergency management bill.
The government plans to stop any further debate at the second reading stage for the three bills, then entirely bypass the committee stage that usually follows — a time to hear from the public on the bill and make any amendments — and limit debate time for the final, third reading stage.
Apart from banning speed cameras, the red tape bill would allow for greater movement of workers, largely in health care, between provinces and "streamline" the Clean Water Act.
Ford has been vocal over the past couple of months in his opposition to speed cameras, calling them a "cash grab" only meant to generate revenue for municipalities, but the communities themselves, as well as parents, police chiefs and researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children have said they save lives and should stay.
The labour bill includes requiring automatic external defibrillators on construction sites and requiring job posting platforms to have mechanisms to report fraudulent job advertisements.
And the emergency management bill sets out roles and responsibilities the government says would enable better communication and co-ordination.
Clark said the ministers responsible indicated they were good with the debate that had already occurred in the House for second reading. The bills will still get some debate, Clark noted.
"I could have decided to use closure, and I could have completely cut off debate," he said while debating the motion.
On speed cameras and the red tape reduction bill as a whole, the premier talked about speed cameras all summer and there has been spirited public debate, Clark said.
"No one should be surprised that the government wants to move this bill forward after we've been talking about it all summer into the fall," Clark said in the legislature.
NDP house leader John Vanthof stood in the legislature to read quotes from Clark when he was Opposition house leader and decried similar moves by the government of the day — as he has done before when the Progressive Conservatives limit debate.
But Vanthof first said that the government would not have to worry about scheduling if it had not waited until Oct. 20 to have the legislature resume from its summer break.
"The government house leader said, 'Well, it's part of scheduling, you know, and we have to solidify scheduling,"' Vanthof said.
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