Goldie Ghamari - March 29, 2019


Speech： Bill 66 - Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act

Topics
economic development roundtables reducing red tape Carleton constituency concerns
Hosted by
Goldie Ghamari
Mentioned
Carleton Speaker Marlene Black Shirley Dolan Restoring Ontario Cathie Wood Adam McCosham Dwight Foster Niagara Falls Charlie Stuntman Tom Blackwell Bill C-63 Legislatures Parks
Speech： Happy Norooz 2578 (2019) Speech： MPP Ghamari's first private member's bill

Episode Stats


Length

20 minutes

Words per minute

151.92

Word count

3,074

Sentence count

165


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Bill 66, also known as the Restoring Ontario's Competitive Act 2018, was introduced to better serve the people of Ontario and restore Ontario's competitiveness. Bill 66 was introduced by the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Michael Coteau, MPP for the riding of Carleton.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Topics generated with Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct.
Hosts, guests, and mentioned names generated with spaCy (en_core_web_sm), reconciled against Wikidata.
00:00:00.000 3.30 bays.
00:00:02.000 The member from Carleton.
00:00:04.000 Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:00:08.000 Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:00:10.000 I would like to start off.
00:00:12.000 I'm sorry to interrupt.
00:00:14.000 Stop the clock for her if it's possible.
00:00:16.000 If you can't, okay.
00:00:18.000 I have to read that I beg to inform the House,
00:00:20.000 that the following document was tabled,
00:00:22.000 the 2018 Annual Report
00:00:24.000 from the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.
00:00:28.000 Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:00:35.180 I would like to start off by taking this opportunity to thank the Minister of Economic Development,
00:00:40.280 Job Creation and Trade for introducing this incredibly important piece of legislation.
00:00:46.120 Just like every other bill that our government for the people has introduced, Bill 66, also
00:00:51.840 known as the Restoring Ontario's Competitive Act 2018, was introduced to better serve the
00:00:57.140 people of Ontario.
00:01:00.000 Mr. Speaker, nine months ago, Ontarians made a definitive statement with their vote.
00:01:06.560 Ontarians voted to bring hope back to the province of Ontario.
00:01:10.560 They voted to bring jobs back to the province of Ontario.
00:01:14.180 They voted to bring a brighter future for themselves, their families and future generations
00:01:19.820 back to Ontario. They voted to bring back a government that is open, transparent and
00:01:26.000 accountable. In sum, they voted to bring back a government that is here for the people.
00:01:32.800 What the people of Ontario expect and deserve from their government is reasonable. They
00:01:37.640 expect and deserve a government that will help bring the kind of common-sense changes
00:01:41.720 that will help, no matter how big or how small that help is, to make life more affordable
00:01:48.140 on a day-to-day basis. As a member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Carleton, I am
00:01:54.020 incredibly proud to be part of a government that is here for the people. I am incredibly
00:01:59.280 proud that the Premier of Ontario and all of our hard-working cabinet ministers, including
00:02:04.520 the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, have taken the time to
00:02:09.760 listen to the needs of the people of Ontario.
00:02:12.760 Mr. Speaker, it is so great to stand here in the House and to talk about Bill 66, Restoring
00:02:19.080 Ontario's Competitive Act, a bill that will restore Ontario's competitiveness.
00:02:25.720 After 15 years of waste, scandal and mismanagement that resulted in nothing but bungled and hastily
00:02:32.320 drafted policies that decimated Ontario's economy, it is truly refreshing to finally
00:02:38.700 see a bill that, if passed, will protect and grow jobs rather than force them out of our
00:02:44.620 great province.
00:02:45.620 Now, I don't want to say that we were perfect in crafting this bill.
00:02:51.160 As we all know, there is always room for improvement.
00:02:54.800 As we have demonstrated time and time again, our government has and always will be committed
00:03:01.180 to the people.
00:03:02.880 That means actually listening with both ears.
00:03:06.340 It means always making ourselves available to receive feedback.
00:03:10.700 Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, acting on that feedback.
00:03:16.200 That is what it means to be a government for the people.
00:03:19.780 There were legitimate concerns raised by people regarding this bill.
00:03:23.860 Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that we heard them loud and clear.
00:03:28.680 We listened to Ontarians, including many from my riding of Carleton, to ensure that this
00:03:34.620 This piece of legislation truly serves the people by making sure Ontario's competitiveness
00:03:40.120 is restored.
00:03:42.800 There are so many job-killing regulations that were introduced by the former Liberal
00:03:47.260 government.
00:03:49.260 I genuinely do believe that members of the formal government brought in these changes
00:03:55.320 to make life better for everyday Ontarians.
00:03:58.020 I truly do.
00:03:59.940 That being said, however, the previous government lost its way.
00:04:04.600 The actions of the previous government resulted in Ontario being the most overregulated province
00:04:10.100 in Canada.
00:04:11.620 We had over 380,000 regulations.
00:04:15.960 How did this happen?
00:04:17.820 How did the previous government lose its way?
00:04:20.280 Well, Mr. Speaker, it happened because they forgot the reason that they were here.
00:04:26.520 They forgot that their sole purpose is to serve the people of Ontario.
00:04:31.220 They forgot to listen, they forgot to consult and they forgot to serve.
00:04:36.780 The unintended consequences of the former Liberal government's policies, in fact, did
00:04:41.260 the exact opposite of what they were supposed to do.
00:04:45.700 The overall sum, taking into account all of the policies, regulations and legislation
00:04:51.720 introduced by the previous Liberal government, discouraged job creators from hiring more
00:04:57.000 workers.
00:04:58.140 It discouraged entrepreneurs from starting businesses, and it stunted the growth of small
00:05:02.820 businesses, killed jobs, and stunted Ontario's economic growth and development across all
00:05:08.700 sectors.
00:05:09.700 It is so refreshing to finally see a government and to be a part of government that takes
00:05:16.200 into consideration job creators.
00:05:18.920 Job creators like Earl Stanley from Stanley's Old Maple Lane Farms in Metcalfe, Adam McCosham
00:05:24.980 of Manitig Home Hardware, Marcel Moncyon of Moncyon's Independent Grocer in Riverside
00:05:30.580 South, Catherine Wood of Mahogany Salon and Spa in Stittsville, Gino Melito of Orchard
00:05:36.860 View Wedding and Events Centre in Greeley, and Dwight Foster of North Gore Grains.
00:05:41.700 I could go on and on, listing the hundreds of small businesses and job creators in my
00:05:46.780 riding of Carleton alone, but I think I've proven my point.
00:05:51.140 Our government is taking into consideration and listening to job creators like those I
00:05:56.260 have listed in Carleton and across the province, because we realize that it is these job creators
00:06:04.480 who will create and increase the number of jobs within our province, and it is these
00:06:09.420 job creators who, through the creation of jobs, will also help and support those very
00:06:15.300 same workers the previous government purported to be working for.
00:06:20.020 I'm proud to say that we have held consultations from Kenora to Ottawa, from Sarnia to Niagara
00:06:25.600 Falls.
00:06:26.860 In my riding of Carleton alone, Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that since being elected
00:06:31.280 in June, in just nine months, I've hosted not one, not two, not three, not four, not
00:06:39.180 five, but six.
00:06:41.640 Mr. Speaker, I've hosted six roundtables in Carleton.
00:06:45.320 My apologies for losing my voice.
00:06:52.700 Since being elected in June, I've had the opportunity to host roundtables for the Minister
00:06:56.820 of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for the Attorney General, for the Minister of
00:07:02.520 Municipal Affairs and Housing, for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
00:07:06.980 Trade, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and the President of the Treasury
00:07:12.320 Board Secretariat.
00:07:14.120 I've also attended roundtables in Ottawa with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care,
00:07:18.920 the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture
00:07:24.120 and Sport. Each of these roundtables has been a huge success. How do I measure success, Mr. Speaker?
00:07:31.400 I measure success by the number of opportunities I have given the people of Carleton, the people
00:07:37.000 that I am here to represent, the people who put their faith and their trust in me to be their
00:07:42.360 voice at Queen's Park. I measure success by seeing how many times I have been able to
00:07:48.120 give the people of Carleton an opportunity to speak directly with our government for
00:07:52.640 the people, while giving our government and our fantastic cabinet ministers an opportunity
00:07:58.660 to take that feedback and to use it to better serve the people of Carleton and, in fact,
00:08:04.120 better serve people all across Ontario.
00:08:07.180 And let's use my roundtable with the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
00:08:11.360 trade as an example of how I measure success.
00:08:15.420 Despite the fact that this roundtable was very hastily arranged because I did not know
00:08:19.900 that the minister was going to be in town until the last minute, on Friday evening my
00:08:24.660 office and I sent out invitations to business owners from across the riding of Carleton,
00:08:29.700 inviting them to a breakfast roundtable with the minister on Monday morning at 7 a.m.
00:08:34.800 On the minister's end, he was gracious enough to agree to come to Carleton for this last
00:08:39.140 minute roundtable if he got a ride. And so I told the minister that if he was kind enough to agree
00:08:44.480 to come to Carleton for a roundtable, I would drive to his hotel and pick him up myself and
00:08:50.120 drop him off afterwards. Needless to say, it was a very early day for me, Mr. Speaker. I woke up at
00:08:56.520 5 a.m. just so I could get ready and leave my house on time to make the 40-minute drive to the
00:09:02.620 minister's hotel and then make a 25-minute drive back to the Rideau-Carleton Raceway for a 7 a.m.
00:09:08.380 arrival time. You know what, Mr. Speaker? It was completely worth it. Even though I had planned
00:09:14.420 this roundtable last minute and I had sent out invitations Friday evening for a Monday morning
00:09:19.360 event, I had over 40 business owners from across Carleton waiting for the minister.
00:09:27.800 Imagine that, Mr. Speaker. Over 40 business owners made the trek to the Rideau-Carleton
00:09:33.160 Raceway, where I had booked a room, and were there at 6.45 a.m., waiting for the Minister
00:09:38.660 of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade to arrive so that they could speak with
00:09:43.400 him. This wasn't a fancy roundtable, Mr. Speaker. There was no fanfare, no decorations,
00:09:49.860 no prepared speeches. What it was, though, Mr. Speaker, it was an opportunity to give
00:09:54.940 40 business owners from different sectors and industries all across Carleton an opportunity
00:09:59.940 to speak directly to the minister and an opportunity to be heard.
00:10:03.960 Mr. Speaker, I know for a fact that the Minister of Economic Development, Job
00:10:09.260 Creation and Trade heard the people of Carleton at that roundtable. I know that
00:10:13.940 because this legislation and the changes made in this legislation reflect what
00:10:19.120 was said at that roundtable. The issues and concerns faced by people and
00:10:23.760 business owners of Carleton are not unique. They are shared far and wide
00:10:27.600 across Ontario. I am so proud to ensure that we can create the conditions to bring back good,
00:10:34.320 high-paying, quality jobs to Ontario by supporting the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act,
00:10:41.840 a piece of legislation that was written for the people.
00:10:46.160 We live in a world driven by globalization. Companies have the capacity to pick and choose
00:10:52.480 where to settle, where to create jobs, and where to invest in people and in capital.
00:10:58.160 As Legislatures and as Progressive Conservatives, it is our duty not to create jobs. Instead,
00:11:04.880 it is our duty to ensure that we create the appropriate economic conditions that will attract
00:11:10.960 not just any kind of job, but good quality, long-lasting jobs that will turn into lifelong
00:11:16.960 careers for Ontarians. It is also our duty to ensure that these jobs stay in Ontario
00:11:23.720 so that the money they bring to our province goes to our schools, hospitals, education
00:11:28.840 system, families and more. I want to take this opportunity to emphasize why reducing
00:11:34.660 red tape is so important. Under the previous Liberal government, the number of regulations
00:11:39.960 in Ontario grew to over 380,000 regulations. That's 380,000 pieces of regulation. That
00:11:48.820 is an incredibly difficult number to understand, more than any subnational jurisdiction. While
00:11:54.780 the number of regulations may be a little-known fact, the effects of this overregulation are
00:12:00.040 much easier to spot. After 15 years of overregulation and excessive red tape, companies have said
00:12:07.800 they had had enough of the high cost of doing business in Ontario. Many of them simply stopped
00:12:13.720 investing in modernization and expansion of their Ontario operations, putting them at risk of falling
00:12:19.240 behind their other provincial, United States and international competitors. At the same time,
00:12:26.120 under the previous government, other businesses in Ontario decided to take their capital,
00:12:31.240 their investments and their jobs to more welcoming jurisdictions. Some were even
00:12:36.360 actively exploring their options to relocate their entire base to other provinces or the
00:12:41.680 United States entirely.
00:12:43.880 Under the previous government, Mr. Speaker, at least five businesses, in my riding of
00:12:47.780 Carleton alone, permanently closed their doors in just the one year leading up to the election.
00:12:54.540 What is truly concerning is that this is not limited to one sector of our economy because
00:13:00.100 The amount of red tape in our province covers every industry in Ontario.
00:13:07.700 This is exactly the message that I have heard time and time again at roundtables in Carleton.
00:13:13.380 From farmers to construction workers, from local small business owners to construction
00:13:17.940 companies, they all share the same view when it comes to red tape in Ontario.
00:13:23.280 It needs to be reduced.
00:13:25.860 Rather than empty promises and vague guidelines, our government has committed to reducing red
00:13:31.080 tape by 25% in the next few years.
00:13:35.380 Quite simply, the kind of situation affecting companies in Carleton and around Ontario is
00:13:40.840 completely unacceptable.
00:13:42.840 The residents of Ontario depend on a strong economy to find jobs and to access the products
00:13:48.180 and services that we have all come to rely on.
00:13:51.660 It would be irresponsible for the government to let the situation continue, and that is
00:13:56.340 why we are taking swift action to fix it.
00:13:59.980 Fortunately for the residents of Ontario, we now have a strong PC government here at
00:14:05.100 Queen's Park, led by a Premier and a Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
00:14:10.280 Trade, who understand just how important it is to address the regulatory burden faced
00:14:18.460 by Ontario businesses.
00:14:20.720 Since forming government such a short time ago, there has been significant progress on
00:14:25.000 this front, and we are just getting started.
00:14:29.300 This Legislature passed into law Bill 47, which was an ambitious first step to making
00:14:34.260 Ontario open for business and open for jobs.
00:14:37.560 Bill 47 made it easier for Ontario's businesses to thrive while maintaining strong protections
00:14:42.900 for workers and changed regulation to allow businesses to hire more skilled workers.
00:14:49.060 Until 1966, the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, if passed, will continue to support Ontario's
00:14:56.100 businesses and foster a strong economy that will contribute to the creation, expansion
00:15:01.580 and retention of good quality jobs and careers, the kind that the people of Ontario deserve.
00:15:08.360 A short time ago, the Premier, alongside the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation
00:15:13.660 and Trade, announced the province's Driving Prosperity Plan, a necessary and ambitious
00:15:18.940 plan that will support Ontario's automotive sector. This plan helps to protect the industry
00:15:24.940 while ensuring that it can continue to meet the new demands of the 21st century.
00:15:29.580 This commitment to reducing red tape is a fundamental pillar of our work and the kind
00:15:35.020 of work that our government is doing. Our commitment to reducing red tape is reflected
00:15:43.420 in many of our other announcements as well. Whether we are eliminating the job-killing
00:15:49.500 carbon tax or simplifying the process for commercial carriers, our government is on
00:15:54.380 a mission to improve Ontario's prosperity, and we will not stop until the job is done.
00:16:01.180 The Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act covers a wide range of areas from pond brokers
00:16:06.700 to upholstery to telecommunications. In fact, Bill 66 increases competitiveness
00:16:12.700 in a vast number of sectors. Most notably, for the residents of Carleton, this includes
00:16:18.700 agriculture and farming. I'm sure that many of the people watching here in the Legislature today
00:16:26.140 or those watching at home on TV, some of these things might seem boring. Honestly,
00:16:31.500 this bill may not be the most entertaining or exciting piece of legislation,
00:16:35.580 but it doesn't have to be. Fixing 15 years of mess left by the previous government
00:16:41.020 is not exciting. It's hard work, but it needs to be done because this bill is going to help
00:16:47.500 the people of Ontario. I may not be a pawnbroker or a farmer or a telecommunications professional,
00:16:54.300 but many people in my riding of Carleton are. However, as a member of provincial parliament
00:16:59.660 for Carleton, as a legislature, and as Carleton's voice here at Queen's Park, it is my job and my
00:17:06.700 responsibility to first and foremost look after the interests of the
00:17:10.480 hard-working people of Carleton. That is the responsibility of every single
00:17:17.620 member of this House. It's all of our responsibility to look out for all
00:17:22.260 Ontarians, and that is exactly what our government is doing with this bill. Over
00:17:27.040 the course of the last nine months, it has been interesting listening
00:17:31.200 to the comments of my colleagues from across the aisle. I would, however,
00:17:34.420 suggest that they leave partisanship aside and actually take a look at the
00:17:38.560 news and take some time to listen to the feedback we have received on bill 66
00:17:43.180 because I can tell you mr. speaker we have heard far and wide from the people
00:17:47.980 of Ontario on bill 66 and we have acted on the feedback we have received a clear
00:17:53.380 example of this is our government's decision to repeal schedule 10 in my
00:17:57.460 constituency office alone I met with several local constituents and members
00:18:01.960 of the Carleton Landowners Association, including Tom and Marlene Black and Shirley Dolan.
00:18:07.100 We sat in my constituency office boardroom in Perth Street in Richmond,
00:18:14.280 and we spoke about Bill 66 for over an hour.
00:18:17.400 And what I'd like to say to Tom Black, Marlene Black, Shirley Dolan,
00:18:21.320 and to landowners all across the province is that we heard your concerns.
00:18:26.280 We listened with both ears, we took your feedback,
00:18:29.020 and we decided to repeal Schedule 10 of Bill 66.
00:18:33.600 And I view this repeal as a victory, Mr. Speaker.
00:18:36.800 You know why?
00:18:37.940 This is a victory for our government because it is proof,
00:18:41.140 it is irrefutable proof that our government is for the people
00:18:45.000 and that our government is here to listen
00:18:46.940 and our government takes feedback and consultation seriously
00:18:50.600 and that our government is here to serve.
00:18:54.080 And that is why, Mr. Speaker,
00:18:55.820 I am incredibly proud to stand today in this legislature and speak in support of Bill 66,
00:19:02.880 the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act.
00:19:06.620 Mr. Speaker, Carleton is home to a variety of businesses, small, medium and large.
00:19:13.520 Under the previous Liberal government, the cost of doing business was oppressive
00:19:17.720 and businesses of all sizes were facing unprecedented regulatory burdens and red tape.
00:19:24.240 It is clear that we needed to make changes to regain our competitive advantage, and it
00:19:30.640 is clear that we needed to make changes to foster a strong economy that would promote
00:19:36.140 job creation.
00:19:38.840 That is why I am proud to support Bill 66, because Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario's
00:19:44.800 Competitiveness Act, simplifies the regulatory environment and makes Ontario open for business
00:19:51.300 and therefore open for jobs.
00:19:54.400 Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hearing the comment and discussions from members on all
00:20:01.680 sides of the House, and I hope that all members of this Legislature will join me in supporting
00:20:07.000 this important bill as an important first step to making it a reality for the people
00:20:12.400 of Ontario.
00:20:13.400 Thank you.