Goldie Ghamari - March 29, 2019


Speech： Bill 66 - Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act


Episode Stats


Length

20 minutes

Words per minute

151.92

Word count

3,074

Sentence count

167


Summary

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

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
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.