Next week, MPPs have a constituency week that coincides with the Victoria Day long weekend. They return to Queen’s Park on May 29and will have 4 sitting days before they rise for summer recess on June 1, 2017. The following is an update on recent activity.

Provincial By-election Called in Sault Ste. Marie
A by-election will occur on June 1, 2017 to fill the vacancy from the resignation last December of Liberal MPP David Orazietti (MPP Sault Ste Marie). There are currently 8 candidates running in this by-election.

Bill 65, Safer School Zones Act, 2016
Introduced on November 15, 2016 by Transportation Minister Steve Del Duca.
Current Status: Third Reading.

School board impact:

• Use of automated speed enforcement (photo radar) in two areas: school zones and community safety zones

Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2016
Introduced on November 16, 2016 by Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro.
Current Status: Third Reading.

School Board impacts:

• Pregnancy/Parental Leave – government to extend the same pregnancy/parental leave requirements to school boards, as is proposed for municipalities under Bill 68 – 20 weeks, and a requirement for a policy on pregnancy/parental leave.
• Term start date will change from December 1 to November 15 effective in 2022, in order to give municipalities and school boards time to transition.
• Requirement for trustees to provide a written disclosure re: conflict of interest
• School boards to create a separate conflict of interest registry
• Conflict of interest applications to be brought by, “An elector, an Integrity Commissioner of a municipality or a person demonstrably acting in the public interest.”

Bill 114, Anti-Racism Act, 2017
Introduced on March 29, 2017 by Minister Michael Coteau, the Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism.
Current Status: Clausal Review at Standing Committee.

School boards impact:

• The legislation states that, “the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations requiring or authorizing public sector organizations to collect specified information, including personal information , in relation to specified programs, services and functions or the purpose of eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equality.”

For the 3 proposed bills above, OPSBA sent submissions to the relevant Standing Committee. These can be found on our Advocacy and Action webpage.

Rural and Remote Education Review
The Ministry consultations began May 5 and continue until May 26, 2017. OPSBA has posted information on our website and created a package of materials for our members that includes key messages and copies of our recent submission on the PARG, Funding and Community Hubs. The deadline for comments for this consultation is June 9, 2017. OSPBA will be gathering feedback from the sessions, as well as from discussion at the recent Policy Development Work Team.