Speech： Bill 66 - Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act
Episode Stats
Summary
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
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from the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.
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I would like to start off by taking this opportunity to thank the Minister of Economic Development,
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Job Creation and Trade for introducing this incredibly important piece of legislation.
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Just like every other bill that our government for the people has introduced, Bill 66, also
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known as the Restoring Ontario's Competitive Act 2018, was introduced to better serve the
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Mr. Speaker, nine months ago, Ontarians made a definitive statement with their vote.
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Ontarians voted to bring hope back to the province of Ontario.
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They voted to bring jobs back to the province of Ontario.
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They voted to bring a brighter future for themselves, their families and future generations
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back to Ontario. They voted to bring back a government that is open, transparent and
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accountable. In sum, they voted to bring back a government that is here for the people.
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What the people of Ontario expect and deserve from their government is reasonable. They
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expect and deserve a government that will help bring the kind of common-sense changes
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that will help, no matter how big or how small that help is, to make life more affordable
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on a day-to-day basis. As a member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Carleton, I am
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incredibly proud to be part of a government that is here for the people. I am incredibly
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proud that the Premier of Ontario and all of our hard-working cabinet ministers, including
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the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, have taken the time to
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Mr. Speaker, it is so great to stand here in the House and to talk about Bill 66, Restoring
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Ontario's Competitive Act, a bill that will restore Ontario's competitiveness.
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After 15 years of waste, scandal and mismanagement that resulted in nothing but bungled and hastily
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drafted policies that decimated Ontario's economy, it is truly refreshing to finally
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see a bill that, if passed, will protect and grow jobs rather than force them out of our
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Now, I don't want to say that we were perfect in crafting this bill.
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As we all know, there is always room for improvement.
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As we have demonstrated time and time again, our government has and always will be committed
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It means always making ourselves available to receive feedback.
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Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, acting on that feedback.
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That is what it means to be a government for the people.
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There were legitimate concerns raised by people regarding this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that we heard them loud and clear.
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We listened to Ontarians, including many from my riding of Carleton, to ensure that this
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This piece of legislation truly serves the people by making sure Ontario's competitiveness
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There are so many job-killing regulations that were introduced by the former Liberal
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I genuinely do believe that members of the formal government brought in these changes
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That being said, however, the previous government lost its way.
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The actions of the previous government resulted in Ontario being the most overregulated province
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Well, Mr. Speaker, it happened because they forgot the reason that they were here.
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They forgot that their sole purpose is to serve the people of Ontario.
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They forgot to listen, they forgot to consult and they forgot to serve.
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The unintended consequences of the former Liberal government's policies, in fact, did
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the exact opposite of what they were supposed to do.
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The overall sum, taking into account all of the policies, regulations and legislation
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introduced by the previous Liberal government, discouraged job creators from hiring more
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It discouraged entrepreneurs from starting businesses, and it stunted the growth of small
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businesses, killed jobs, and stunted Ontario's economic growth and development across all
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It is so refreshing to finally see a government and to be a part of government that takes
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Job creators like Earl Stanley from Stanley's Old Maple Lane Farms in Metcalfe, Adam McCosham
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of Manitig Home Hardware, Marcel Moncyon of Moncyon's Independent Grocer in Riverside
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South, Catherine Wood of Mahogany Salon and Spa in Stittsville, Gino Melito of Orchard
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View Wedding and Events Centre in Greeley, and Dwight Foster of North Gore Grains.
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I could go on and on, listing the hundreds of small businesses and job creators in my
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riding of Carleton alone, but I think I've proven my point.
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Our government is taking into consideration and listening to job creators like those I
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have listed in Carleton and across the province, because we realize that it is these job creators
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who will create and increase the number of jobs within our province, and it is these
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job creators who, through the creation of jobs, will also help and support those very
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same workers the previous government purported to be working for.
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I'm proud to say that we have held consultations from Kenora to Ottawa, from Sarnia to Niagara
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In my riding of Carleton alone, Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to say that since being elected
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in June, in just nine months, I've hosted not one, not two, not three, not four, not
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Mr. Speaker, I've hosted six roundtables in Carleton.
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Since being elected in June, I've had the opportunity to host roundtables for the Minister
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of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for the Attorney General, for the Minister of
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Municipal Affairs and Housing, for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
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Trade, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, and the President of the Treasury
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I've also attended roundtables in Ottawa with the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care,
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the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, and the Minister of Tourism, Culture
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and Sport. Each of these roundtables has been a huge success. How do I measure success, Mr. Speaker?
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I measure success by the number of opportunities I have given the people of Carleton, the people
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that I am here to represent, the people who put their faith and their trust in me to be their
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voice at Queen's Park. I measure success by seeing how many times I have been able to
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give the people of Carleton an opportunity to speak directly with our government for
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the people, while giving our government and our fantastic cabinet ministers an opportunity
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to take that feedback and to use it to better serve the people of Carleton and, in fact,
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And let's use my roundtable with the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
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Despite the fact that this roundtable was very hastily arranged because I did not know
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that the minister was going to be in town until the last minute, on Friday evening my
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office and I sent out invitations to business owners from across the riding of Carleton,
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inviting them to a breakfast roundtable with the minister on Monday morning at 7 a.m.
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On the minister's end, he was gracious enough to agree to come to Carleton for this last
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minute roundtable if he got a ride. And so I told the minister that if he was kind enough to agree
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to come to Carleton for a roundtable, I would drive to his hotel and pick him up myself and
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drop him off afterwards. Needless to say, it was a very early day for me, Mr. Speaker. I woke up at
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5 a.m. just so I could get ready and leave my house on time to make the 40-minute drive to the
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minister's hotel and then make a 25-minute drive back to the Rideau-Carleton Raceway for a 7 a.m.
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arrival time. You know what, Mr. Speaker? It was completely worth it. Even though I had planned
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this roundtable last minute and I had sent out invitations Friday evening for a Monday morning
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event, I had over 40 business owners from across Carleton waiting for the minister.
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Imagine that, Mr. Speaker. Over 40 business owners made the trek to the Rideau-Carleton
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Raceway, where I had booked a room, and were there at 6.45 a.m., waiting for the Minister
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of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade to arrive so that they could speak with
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him. This wasn't a fancy roundtable, Mr. Speaker. There was no fanfare, no decorations,
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no prepared speeches. What it was, though, Mr. Speaker, it was an opportunity to give
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40 business owners from different sectors and industries all across Carleton an opportunity
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to speak directly to the minister and an opportunity to be heard.
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Mr. Speaker, I know for a fact that the Minister of Economic Development, Job
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Creation and Trade heard the people of Carleton at that roundtable. I know that
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because this legislation and the changes made in this legislation reflect what
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was said at that roundtable. The issues and concerns faced by people and
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business owners of Carleton are not unique. They are shared far and wide
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across Ontario. I am so proud to ensure that we can create the conditions to bring back good,
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high-paying, quality jobs to Ontario by supporting the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act,
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a piece of legislation that was written for the people.
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We live in a world driven by globalization. Companies have the capacity to pick and choose
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where to settle, where to create jobs, and where to invest in people and in capital.
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As Legislatures and as Progressive Conservatives, it is our duty not to create jobs. Instead,
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it is our duty to ensure that we create the appropriate economic conditions that will attract
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not just any kind of job, but good quality, long-lasting jobs that will turn into lifelong
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careers for Ontarians. It is also our duty to ensure that these jobs stay in Ontario
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so that the money they bring to our province goes to our schools, hospitals, education
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system, families and more. I want to take this opportunity to emphasize why reducing
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red tape is so important. Under the previous Liberal government, the number of regulations
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in Ontario grew to over 380,000 regulations. That's 380,000 pieces of regulation. That
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is an incredibly difficult number to understand, more than any subnational jurisdiction. While
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the number of regulations may be a little-known fact, the effects of this overregulation are
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much easier to spot. After 15 years of overregulation and excessive red tape, companies have said
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they had had enough of the high cost of doing business in Ontario. Many of them simply stopped
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investing in modernization and expansion of their Ontario operations, putting them at risk of falling
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behind their other provincial, United States and international competitors. At the same time,
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under the previous government, other businesses in Ontario decided to take their capital,
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their investments and their jobs to more welcoming jurisdictions. Some were even
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actively exploring their options to relocate their entire base to other provinces or the
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Under the previous government, Mr. Speaker, at least five businesses, in my riding of
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Carleton alone, permanently closed their doors in just the one year leading up to the election.
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What is truly concerning is that this is not limited to one sector of our economy because
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The amount of red tape in our province covers every industry in Ontario.
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This is exactly the message that I have heard time and time again at roundtables in Carleton.
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From farmers to construction workers, from local small business owners to construction
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companies, they all share the same view when it comes to red tape in Ontario.
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Rather than empty promises and vague guidelines, our government has committed to reducing red
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Quite simply, the kind of situation affecting companies in Carleton and around Ontario is
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The residents of Ontario depend on a strong economy to find jobs and to access the products
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It would be irresponsible for the government to let the situation continue, and that is
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Fortunately for the residents of Ontario, we now have a strong PC government here at
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Queen's Park, led by a Premier and a Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and
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Trade, who understand just how important it is to address the regulatory burden faced
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Since forming government such a short time ago, there has been significant progress on
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This Legislature passed into law Bill 47, which was an ambitious first step to making
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Bill 47 made it easier for Ontario's businesses to thrive while maintaining strong protections
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for workers and changed regulation to allow businesses to hire more skilled workers.
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Until 1966, the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, if passed, will continue to support Ontario's
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businesses and foster a strong economy that will contribute to the creation, expansion
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and retention of good quality jobs and careers, the kind that the people of Ontario deserve.
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A short time ago, the Premier, alongside the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation
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and Trade, announced the province's Driving Prosperity Plan, a necessary and ambitious
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plan that will support Ontario's automotive sector. This plan helps to protect the industry
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while ensuring that it can continue to meet the new demands of the 21st century.
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This commitment to reducing red tape is a fundamental pillar of our work and the kind
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of work that our government is doing. Our commitment to reducing red tape is reflected
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in many of our other announcements as well. Whether we are eliminating the job-killing
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carbon tax or simplifying the process for commercial carriers, our government is on
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a mission to improve Ontario's prosperity, and we will not stop until the job is done.
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The Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act covers a wide range of areas from pond brokers
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to upholstery to telecommunications. In fact, Bill 66 increases competitiveness
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in a vast number of sectors. Most notably, for the residents of Carleton, this includes
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agriculture and farming. I'm sure that many of the people watching here in the Legislature today
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or those watching at home on TV, some of these things might seem boring. Honestly,
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this bill may not be the most entertaining or exciting piece of legislation,
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but it doesn't have to be. Fixing 15 years of mess left by the previous government
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is not exciting. It's hard work, but it needs to be done because this bill is going to help
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the people of Ontario. I may not be a pawnbroker or a farmer or a telecommunications professional,
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but many people in my riding of Carleton are. However, as a member of provincial parliament
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for Carleton, as a legislature, and as Carleton's voice here at Queen's Park, it is my job and my
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responsibility to first and foremost look after the interests of the
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hard-working people of Carleton. That is the responsibility of every single
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member of this House. It's all of our responsibility to look out for all
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Ontarians, and that is exactly what our government is doing with this bill. Over
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the course of the last nine months, it has been interesting listening
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to the comments of my colleagues from across the aisle. I would, however,
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suggest that they leave partisanship aside and actually take a look at the
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news and take some time to listen to the feedback we have received on bill 66
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because I can tell you mr. speaker we have heard far and wide from the people
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of Ontario on bill 66 and we have acted on the feedback we have received a clear
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example of this is our government's decision to repeal schedule 10 in my
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constituency office alone I met with several local constituents and members
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of the Carleton Landowners Association, including Tom and Marlene Black and Shirley Dolan.
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We sat in my constituency office boardroom in Perth Street in Richmond,
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And what I'd like to say to Tom Black, Marlene Black, Shirley Dolan,
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and to landowners all across the province is that we heard your concerns.
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We listened with both ears, we took your feedback,
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and we decided to repeal Schedule 10 of Bill 66.
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And I view this repeal as a victory, Mr. Speaker.
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This is a victory for our government because it is proof,
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it is irrefutable proof that our government is for the people
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and our government takes feedback and consultation seriously
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I am incredibly proud to stand today in this legislature and speak in support of Bill 66,
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Mr. Speaker, Carleton is home to a variety of businesses, small, medium and large.
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Under the previous Liberal government, the cost of doing business was oppressive
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and businesses of all sizes were facing unprecedented regulatory burdens and red tape.
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It is clear that we needed to make changes to regain our competitive advantage, and it
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is clear that we needed to make changes to foster a strong economy that would promote
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That is why I am proud to support Bill 66, because Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario's
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Competitiveness Act, simplifies the regulatory environment and makes Ontario open for business
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hearing the comment and discussions from members on all
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sides of the House, and I hope that all members of this Legislature will join me in supporting
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this important bill as an important first step to making it a reality for the people