THUNDER BAY - The state of emergency in Ontario will soon be coming to an end, but new legislation proposed by the Ford Government will allow certain emergency measures to continue.
On Tuesday, the provincial government introduced new legislation to allow for flexibility in addressing the ongoing risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the economy continues to reopen after the state of emergency is lifted.
“Proposed legislation would allow us to extend certain orders,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “I don’t think there is anyone in Ontario who wants to go back to a full shutdown. The orders we are putting place is to ensure in measured ways we can protect certain regions or certain businesses if the need arises.”
The provincial government declared a state of emergency on March 17 and it has since been extended several times.
“The declaration is over imminently but we need certain restrictions to continue protecting people,” Jones said.
The Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, if passed, will allow the provincial government to maintain certain emergency orders as the province continues to reopen the economy.
These emergency orders include labour redeployment, closure of places or spaces and regulating how businesses can open to provide services, compliance with public health advice, and rules related to gatherings and organized public events.
“This legislation will not allow us to create any new emergency orders,” said Premier Doug Ford during his daily media briefing on Tuesday. “They will only be amended or removed.”
Ford added that allowing these emergency orders to be extended provides the provincial government with time to enact changes to protect the people of Ontario during an ever-evolving situation.
“If we have to make a quick decision on long-term care for example, we have to make it to ensure people are protected,” he said.
The legislation would allow emergency orders to be extended for 30 days at a time and limited to one year, unless the legislature votes to extend the orders.
Official opposition leader, Andrea Horwath, issued a statement following the announcement that the proposed legislation gives Ford unlimited power without accountability.
“The COVID-19 public health crisis has required the use of extraordinary powers under the Emergency Management Act,” Horwath said. “By design, these powers are time-limited and subject to checks and balances. The removal of these accountability measures may serve a political interest but do not serve the public interest.”
Horwath added that less accountability and transparency is the opposite of what Ontarians need during a public health crisis.
“By giving itself a year or two of extraordinary powers, it sounds like the Ford government is trying to give itself all the power with none of the accountability, debate or reporting requirements.”
Ford was asked during his daily media briefing if the legislation is granting too much power to his government.
“I am dead against the big brother nanny state telling people what to do,” Ford said. “If there are certain things we need to do to keep people safe, we can’t wait around three weeks, we have to move in hours.”
“Once we pass the legalization we will be done by the end of July hopefully on the overall state of emergency. There are certain orders that have to continue to protect the people.”
And with the state of emergency expected to be lifted very soon, there is still no definitive timeline for when the province will enter stage three of reopening.
Discussions are underway between the provincial government and public health officials on whether or not restrictions on social gatherings will be lifted or expanded to include more people.
But social gathering restrictions will not be lifted before any part of the province enters stage three.
“The public health doctors who have been advising us, are asking we proceed in stages and not do things incrementally because they want to see the effects of everything we’ve done at a particular stage,” Minister of Health Christine Elliott said. “It will be something that happens in stage three. The number is something that is being discussed right now.”
The province of Ontario has reported fewer than 200 new cases of COVID-19 in the last week. But Jones said the government will continue to take actions to protect the people of Ontario, including declaring a state of emergency again after it is lifted.
“If the data changes and the threat grows, our government will not hesitate to explore and exhaust all steps to protect Ontarians,” she said.