Welcome to my community newsletter. Winter is in full swing and legislators have returned to the legislature for the spring session. You can catch some of the action here.
Need help? See my website to plan your visit: Contact-MPP Ted Hsu.
Here’s what you can find in this month’s issue:
Across Ontario
Back to the Legislature
211 Information
Omnibus Bill
Bill 124 Re-Affirmed as Unconstitutional
Local Issues
Kingston City Council Motion
Avian Flu
Childcare Challenges Continue
Opioid Crisis
University Funding
In Our Community
Joes M.I.L.L
Local Doctors Meeting
Lunar New Year
Health Innovation Showcase
Broom Factory
March Break Skating Party
Rental Property Owners
Slush Puppie Place
Professional Engineers of Ontario Meeting
Warm regards,
Ted
Across Ontario
Here are some of the big stories from Ontario over the last month.
Back to the Legislature
On February 20th, MPPs returned to the Legislature. I look forward to holding this government accountable and scrutinizing any legislation that comes to the table. I am committed to continuing to advocate for our community and for Ontario during this upcoming session.
The government recently introduced an omnibus bill nicknamed the “Get It Done Act” which references their party’s 2022 campaign slogan. The bill scraps the requirement for drivers to re-register their license plates online each year. Instead, the process with be automatic for drivers in “good standing” — those without any unpaid parking tickets or toll bills. The Premier also announced that the new legislation would require future provincial governments to hold a referendum before introducing new carbon pricing. Tolls on all 400 series highways would also be removed, with the 407 being the only highway that currently has tolls. The bill has also received attention for proposing changes to the Environmental Assessment Act which would streamline approvals for infrastructure projects. Omnibus bills can be difficult to debate and vote on because you must vote one way on a package of unrelated pieces of legislation. You can be sure that this omnibus bill will receive a high level of scrutiny from opposition MPPs.
211 Information
February 11th was 211 Day. 211 is a 24-hour helpline available to everyone in Ontario that provides information and referrals to social services, community programs, and government supports across the province. This service is available to everyone in Ontario — it’s there to help you, or to help you help a friend!
You can also visit their website at 211ontario.ca.
Bill 124 Re-Affirmed as Unconstitutional
In 2022, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Bill 124 infringed on public sector workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. This week, the Ontario Court of Appeal re-affirmed that ruling. The government has now said that they will repeal Bill 124, ending a long standoff between the government and public sector workers. Retroactive pay had already been awarded to several groups of workers, such as nurses and teachers. The Financial Accountability Office suggested that between 2022 and 2028 the fact that Bill 124 was wrong means we will have to pay back about $13.7 billion in retroactive pay, not to mention the accumulated lost time and energy, and disruption to workplaces and services.
If you want more frequent updates about provincial news, subscribe to my Weekly Wrap where I cover five of the top news stories of the week.
Local Issues
The City of Kingston passed a motion that calls on the Ontario Government to complete a “comprehensive social and economic prosperity review” of the state of municipal finances. Municipalities across Ontario are dealing with expensive burdens which are not neatly confined within city limits, from homelessness to mental health and addictions., Budgets are tight even with high property tax increases in many communities (Kingston, notably had a low increase). For example, Vale, the mining company, stepped in to fund a safe drug consumption site in Sudbury for one month when provincial funding ran out! Kingston is right to consider this motion. There are some battles municipalities shouldn’t have to fight on their own.
Earlier this month, the KFL&A Public Health confirmed the presence of Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, in deceased Canadian geese along the Lake Ontario waterfront. A Global News article reported that this is a global issue: since September 2023, over 3 million birds in flocks have been impacted by avian flu. The Kingston Public Health Unit is advising people to not handle or feed wild birds, keep pets away from sick or dead birds, avoid surfaces contaminated with bird feces, and wash hands immediately after being in contact with birds.
Earlier this month, I spoke with staff from the YMCA of Eastern Ontario about their challenges as childcare providers. They’re worried about staffing, particularly for before and after school programs, and the inadequate reimbursement by the province of inflating costs. They want to maintain affordable services for families, but there’s a lot more we must do to ensure that licensed providers of affordable simply stay open.
This month, the KFL&A Public Health issued an alert to Kingston residents in the wake of drug-related poisonings. The neighbouring city of Belleville declared a state of emergency after being overwhelmed by 23 drug overdoses in 48 hours. Belleville asked the province to step in and help with supports and services for those experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and addiction — specifically, a low-barrier community and social services health hub. Belleville is right to ask for provincial aid.
People struggling with homelessness or addictions don’t neatly come from and stay in single communities. The state of emergency in Belleville underscores the fact that the problem has been too big for municipalities to handle on their own.
This month the Minister of Universities and Colleges has been too quiet. In a period of financial uncertainty for many post-secondary institutions, when students and administrators need to make decisions for the next school year, the Minister has offered little reassurance. Staff and students at Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College— and other post-secondary schools across the province — need answers.
With the federal cap on international students in place, universities and colleges need to know what their financial future looks like. I recently posted a video calling on the government to enact the Blue-Ribbon Panel recommendations, which they’ve been sitting on since summer 2023. You can view the video here.
In Our Community
Appreciation for music is something that should be fostered in every community. Thankfully, Kingston has Joe’s Musical Instrument Lending Library to do just that. I was fortunate to be able to celebrate with Joe’s M.I.L.L. on their Ontario Trillium Resilient Communities grant. I know Joe’s M.I.L.L. will continue to enrich the lives of many.
I met with local doctors from Kingston over breakfast, where our conversation was captured by an AI Scribe, as an experiment. The Kingston Ontario Health Team has made AI Scribe technology available to all local primary-care physicians to alleviate the administrative burden of doctors. The use of AI Scribes is also included in the Ontario Medical Association’s recommendations to reduce physician burnout and help them spend more time with patients. I’m very interested to see how this technological innovation plays out. Check out some of the AI Scribe output above.
To celebrate the Lunar New Year, I attended the Great Panda Society’s student variety show for the Lunar New Year. The students went around campus asking people to write new year’s well wishes on red cards addressed Dear Stranger. I think we can all learn from this nice community building gesture during these fractious times.
I had a great time at the Health Innovation Showcase in Kingston. As a result of the $3 million grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency, many new companies have been started in our community. for everything from handling data, health research inpatient transfer. We need more health care innovation, and I’d like to see Kingston be a centre for it.
This month I celebrated with the Kingston Canadian Film Festival for receiving an Ontario Trillium Resilient Communities grant to open the Broom Factory, as a community arts venue with a dedicated manager. The venue is an accessible creative space that will add to our community’s resources in support of the arts. My hope is that the opening of the Broom Factory will continue to unlock Kingston’s creative potential and that we never forget the importance of funding the arts. The Kingston Canadian 2024 Film Festival runs from February 28th to March 3rd.
We will be jointly hosting a skating event with MP Mark Gerretsen’s Office on March 15th, from 1pm to 3pm at the Invista Centre. Complimentary hot chocolate will be available. Children 10 and under must wear a proper helmet. The event is free and open to all constituents – I hope you’ll be able to come by and chat! To help us plan, please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/FosnRDXPWgQg7ur87.
It was great to discuss housing and rental policy with the Kingston Rental Property Owners Association this month, as it is important to have open conversation about rent control. Some landlords are telling me that rent isn’t keeping up with inflating costs. But an overwhelming number of people are struggling with even controlled rent increases. It’s at the point where the cost of housing is destroying social cohesion. The Kingston Rental Property Owners Association is an important part of the broader housing sector, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to hear their perspective.
On Family Day, the City of Kingston welcomed Slush Puppie executives from the head office in Gatineau and ushered in the era of Slush Puppie Place before the Kingston Frontenacs game. This begins a 15-year sponsorship of our downtown arena. Kingston thumped Barrie 7-4 in the game, earning everybody a free Slush Puppie!
This month I had the privilege of speaking with the Kingston Chapter of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). We must acknowledge the importance of engineers in our society, as they will play a big role in resolving many of the problems currently plaguing our province. But engineers don’t just build, they take responsibility for building things and building things right. That’s why professional standards and licensing are serious matters for the PEO.