The Ontario Progressive Conservative government said the Legislature will convene on Saturday to help “speed up” the passage of a bill that would slash the number of Toronto city councillors nearly in half ahead of the municipal election.
The Efficient Local Government Act, also known as Bill 31, was tabled on Wednesday after a judge ruled that a previous piece of legislation reducing the number of Toronto city councillors from 47 to 25 was unconstitutional.
Premier Doug Ford made it known that he would use the notwithstanding clause to overrule the court’s decision.
In a statement sent to CP24, Government House Leader Todd Smith confirmed that the Legislature would sit on Saturday to expedite the passage of Bill 31.
“While the NDP are playing procedural games to delay the passage of the Efficient Local Government Act, the PCs are willing to work around the clock through the weekend to speed up the passage of the bill,” he said in the statement. “We’re committed to ending the gridlock and dysfunction down at City Hall, saving taxpayers more than $25 million, and delivering smaller, better government.”
Thursday, Toronto’s city council voted in favour of challenging the provincial bill in court.
Toronto’s municipal election is currently scheduled for Oct. 22, but the city’s clerk now believes that it will be “virtually impossible” to carry out a fair and democratic election by that date.
