With the writ set to be drawn up Wednesday and the Lieutenant Governor granting royal assent to dissolve the legislature Tuesday, there are a number of bills that won’t become law in Ontario.
Eighty-eight bills were tabled before legislature during the last session and only 15 received royal assent — meaning 73 bills will die once the writ is drawn up ahead of the spring election on June 7.
The following are five bills tabled by MPPs that will die regardless of their current status within the house:
Bill 37: Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, 2018
Tabled by: NDP MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo)
Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife said during a press conference at Queen’s Park April 10 she re-tabled legislation aimed at protecting vulnerable road users in Ontario after the provincial legislature was prorogued in March and killed the original bill. The original bill, which was on the verge of a second reading, was intended to strengthen existing road and safety laws and add new measures to make roads safer.
The proposed changes included creating a new offence of careless driving causing death or bodily harm which carries with it a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine, up to two years in jail and a licence suspension of up to five years.
The existing offence of careless driving carries a maximum fine of $2,000, six months in jail and a license suspension of up to two years.
Bill 5: Home Care and Community Services Amendment Act (Dan’s Law), 2018
Tabled by: NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West)
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The bill tabled by NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky amended the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994. Under the act, people who have public health insurance in another province or territory and then move to Ontario would not be subject to a waiting period for publicly funded home care and community services, according to a description on the legislative Assembly of Ontario
Bill 11: Phones Down, Heads Up Act, 2018
Tabled by: Liberal MPP Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre)
Liberal MPP Yvan Baker said the bill would impose fines for anyone caught using their cellphone or any electronic device while crossing the street. He said in late October that if the bill were to become law, it would increase road safety by encouraging pedestrians to put down their electronic devices. The law called for fines ranging from $50 for a first offence to $125 for a third offence.
The only exceptions would be when pedestrians are calling emergency services or when they’re continuing a phone call which started before crossing the roadway.
Bill 29: Combatting Eating Disorders in Ontario Act, 2018
Tabled by: Liberal MPP Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre)
Another bill tabled by Baker on March 6 called for a disclaimer to be displayed on any commercial advertising (photos or video) that features models whose images have been digitally altered or retouched.
He said the bill would prevent advertisers from promoting “achievable standards of beauty.” The bill would have required advertisers to retain unedited copies of images used, which they would produce in the event of a complaint from the public. The penalty for non-compliance would be a fine from $25,000 on a first offence to up to $75,000 on a third.
Baker told 640 Toronto’s Matt Gurney in March that he knew the bill would not pass in the current legislation but said part of his intent was to start a dialogue about the issue.
Bill 45: Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Tenant Privacy), 2018
Tabled by: NDP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth)
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act brought forth by NDP MPP Peter Tabuns in March was specifically focused on the privacy rights of Ontario tenants and was an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.
According to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario website, the bill called for the following:
- A landlord would be required to give notice in writing before entering a rented unit to show it to a prospective tenant.
- A landlord, broker or salesperson would be required to give notice in writing seven days before holding an open house for a rented unit that is posted for sale – it limits the number and frequency of open houses.
- A landlord, broker or salesperson would be prevented from taking photographs or visual records of a rented unit except if the tenant consents — it sets out a process for seeking consent, with limits on taking, using and retaining the photograph on record.
On Sept. 1, new protections came into effect in Ontario that placed more requirements on landlords trying to evict tenants.
To see a full list of all bills brought forth during the last session of legislature, click here.
–With files from David Shum, Kerri Breen and The Canadian Press
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