Skip to main content

Ontario legislature pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, expected to adjourn until after municipal elections

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell stand during a rendition of "God Save the Queen" following a ceremony officially proclaiming the accession of King Charles III at Queen's Park in Toronto on Monday, September 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alex Lupul Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell stand during a rendition of "God Save the Queen" following a ceremony officially proclaiming the accession of King Charles III at Queen's Park in Toronto on Monday, September 12, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alex Lupul
Share

The Ontario legislature is set to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday before it is expected to adjourn for about six weeks until after the municipal elections.

Members of Provincial Parliament will meet to reaffirm their oaths of allegiance to The King and offer the Royal Family their condolences.

They are also expected to hold a moment of silence in honour of 48-year-old Toronto police Const. Andrew Hong and 38-year-old Shakeel Ashraf, who were both killed in a shooting rampage that spanned the GTA on Monday afternoon.

MPPs have sat in the legislature regularly for the past five weeks in a summer session that saw multiple Progressive Conservative bills pass quickly into law.

The first was Bill 7, legislation that allows for the transfer of senior hospital patients to long-term care homes not of their choosing on a temporary basis.

The idea is that this will free up hospital beds for others that need it; however advocates argued that seniors will be “bullied” into moving to a home far away from family or face large fees from hospitals.

The PCs pushed this bill through without committee discussions or public hearings, something opposition parties have called anti-democratic.

The other notable piece of legislation was Bill 3, which gave the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa stronger powers just as candidates gear up for an election campaign. The powers include more control over the city budget and veto powers to override council decisions on matters of “provincial priority.”

The PCs argued that these powers will allow mayors to build housing more quickly.

MPPs are expected to return to Queen’s Park on Oct. 25, a day after Ontarians head to the polls yet again for the municipal elections.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Stay Connected