The Ford government is moving to scuttle debate on a law to make it harder for cities to build bike lanes and its new energy strategy, alongside truncated committee hearings, with the house leader blaming the shortened fall sitting for the move.
On Tuesday morning, House Leader Steve Clark moved debate on a motion to cancel the remainder of second reading for the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, the Affordable Energy Act and the Fall Economic Statement.
The move also substantially limited committee hearings for the laws — which will implement an energy vision the government spent weeks promoting — reduce the bike lanes cities can build and speed up the construction of Highway 413.
Clark said the unusual move was because there are less than five weeks left for the government to pass legislation before the winter break.
“I’ve been an MPP for 14 years. This is the shortest session that I can remember in recent memory and the government’s got a busy agenda,” Clark told reporters on Tuesday.
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“I’ve got lots of legislation that needs to be passed before we adjourn.”
The limited time for the government to legislate comes after the Ford government decided to rise early at the beginning of the summer and delay the return of the legislature by weeks.
The house rose in early June and did not return until Oct. 21.
“All I know is the people of Ontario want a government that works as hard as they do,” Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said.
“This whole government was willing to break for a record-long summer vacation when people in Ontario needed them focused on the priorities they have.”
Clark said that the decision to shorten the legislative session during the fall was made before he was appointed house in a June reshuffle. He wouldn’t be drawn on whether he agreed with the move.
“Our government needs to get people moving, my job as house leader is to get legislation moving,” Clark said. “I’m in a very short legislative session, tomorrow it’ll be four-and-a-half weeks left in the session and I’ve got to get those priority bills passed. And we’ve been clear that’s a priority bill.”
The Ontario Liberals, who have held a laser focus on health care in recent weeks, claimed the shortened session was to avoid questions about primary care.
“The government’s in a rush to get out of here,” Liberal MPP John Fraser said. “And the reason they’re in a rush to get out of here is they don’t want to talk about the fact that 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor.”