By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.” – Simon Sinek (author)
I am like a broken record that there should be no monopoly on a good idea, especially when it comes to ideas that are best for you, and sometimes that means I stand with the government, but I also stand with opposition members as well. A good idea is a good idea…period.
I’ll start with the government’s Bill 2, the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025, which was before the Finance Committee this week. Oh yes, I’ve been reappointed to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. As the title infers, this legislation will make Ontario’s economy more competitive and open to trade and investment by removing trade barriers with other provinces and territories. The bill centres on mutual recognition, with reciprocating jurisdictions, of goods and services, the expansion of labour mobility, and the enabling of direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol products. In short, it will allow an electrician in Alberta to come to Ontario and work without all the red tape and duplication. It will hopefully ensure the contents of a first aid kit in Ontario is the same as every other Canadian jurisdiction.
Tearing down inter-provincial trade barriers is something that should have been done long ago; therefore, I commend the government on this legislation, and I will be voting in favour of it. I did support four amendments to the bill brought forward by the NDP – amendments I felt would strengthen the bill and make it better for you; however, the government said the legislation is fine the way it is written. We shall see. If we get it right, Bill 2 could be a pivotal moment in Ontario’s economic history.
Part way through the week I supported my colleague Wayne Gates and his call, via a motion, to establish the Ontario Caregiver Support Benefit—a direct monthly support payment for unpaid caregivers. I am hearing stories locally of families struggling and facing financial hardship because they are providing care to a loved one, whether it be a family member with Alzheimer’s/dementia, a physical or developmental disability, or an illness. I have heard from countless families who are not receiving the necessary supports due to government underfunding and labour shortages in certain sectors.
The way I see it, if government cannot fix the critical systems that support Ontario’s most vulnerable, then it is time we change gears.
When homecare doesn’t show up for example, many times a loved one has to call their employer to take the day off work to look after their loved one. If families knew that they had $1,000 coming in per month, they could make financial decisions and would not leave employers in a lurch.
There would be more consistency with work-related time off if families knew what they were dealing with in terms of having a backstop in the form of reliable funding or income.
The fiscal conservative in me appreciates that in this bill every dollar benefitting caregivers adds up to $2.69 in savings in the province’s long-term care budget and would replace 7.8 per cent of the beds in long-term care, which is a savings of $300 million for Ontario.
I am back to Queen’s Park for one last week before we break for the summer. It will be a busy one undoubtedly as the government moves bills through the House and me, I will continue to table motions, speak up on your behalf, and look for policy items beneficial to you.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk