Frankly, I’m actually quite surprised, as a member of the justice policy committee, where the member opposite also sits, that you missed it. We talked about training; we’re talking about education. The proposed approach maintains the existing requirements to become a police officer, which are completion of secondary school or its equivalent. Nothing is changing. The member opposite keeps going on and on: “We’re going to have less training.” It’s the same now. We applauded the police officer from the van attack on Danforth. You applauded him. That person, when they applied for the job, did not need a post-secondary degree.

Stacey, whoever you are, thank you for calling in to your councillor. I’m sorry your MPP did not share that information with you, but there are no changes to the education requirement. It is the same across Canada.

What I also want to mention is that when you mention the—through you, Speaker, when they mention the Mass Casualty Commission, we heard during that committee that there is going to be more training once you become a police officer. So to the member opposite: Voting no is voting against public safety. Will you support this bill?

I am extremely proud that it was our government that implemented what is now recognized as the most comprehensive animal welfare legislation anywhere across Canada. If you see an animal in distress, you call the number 1-833-9-ANIMAL. We have inspectors; the minister saw some of the inspectors—37 of them—being trained. We’re very proud of our inspectors and the work they do.

Once again, if you see an animal in distress, please call 1-833-9-ANIMAL.

One of the important things in this bill is that we talk about the increased fines for those, if you are abusing an animal—and also make sure that we know who is going to pay for what.

One thing I’m extremely proud of is that we have one of the strongest penalties in animal welfare legislation of any Canadian province. Bill 102 will go even further by improving the existing legislation to help enhance the inspection powers.

As I mentioned earlier, the minister saw some of these inspectors getting trained. We want to continue to make sure we have the best robust force and make sure that they understand what animals they are looking for—because it may not just be a dog or a cat; it could be a cow or it could be a pig. There are lots of animals out there, and we want to make sure that they are trained for all.

It’s great to join in on this debate today. It’s my pleasure to rise and provide added details about Bill 102, the government’s proposed Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023.

As the Solicitor General shared with us, the government of Ontario is taking strong action to improve public safety across the province by transforming police legislation and making it easier for police services to recruit.

Once brought into force, the Community Safety and Policing Act will be the main vehicle for policing modernization in the province of Ontario. It will replace the current Police Services Act and make a significant change to Ontario’s legislative framework for policing.

There are still a number of operational and other changes for the policing sector, municipalities, First Nations and oversight bodies to be considered before the CSPA can come into force in order to support a smooth implementation. We are getting close to that day. The proposed amendments in the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, bring us a significant step closer. The proposed amendments that are part of Bill 102 are focused on clearer roles, stronger governance, and improved systems.

One key area is related to a proposed amendment to enable the potential expansion of the Ontario Civilian Police Commission’s—which is also known as the OCPC—authority after the CSPA comes into force. The OCPC will continue to act after the CSPA is enforced in relation to its adjudicative functions, such as the completion of hearings and appeals. The proposed amendment will allow the OCPC to continue to act in relation to its other functions, if prescribed in regulation. It is important work and must be part of a seamless transition to the CSPA.

The CSPA also broadens the scope of the current Ontario Police Arbitration Commission to include responsibilities related to police discipline after the CSPA is in force.

Under the CSPA, the OPAC—there are lots of acronyms in this ministry—will be continued and renamed the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission, also known as the OPAAC, with additional responsibilities related to the adjudication of police discipline matters. With this new function, the OPAAC will play a critical role in administrating independent discipline adjudication, where required under the act, to support the government’s goal to improve police accountability and oversight and strengthen public trust in the police disciplinary process.

A function of the OPAAC will also be to continue to assist police associations and polices services boards in resolution of labour relations disputes arriving out of negotiations and administration of their collective agreements. To support the effectiveness of the OPAAC’s labour arbitration function, there are also amendments related to removing police services as a party to arbitrations regarding the police association’s duty to fairly represent its members; providing flexibility to the arbitration decision time frame; clarifying the process for a dispute arising from an arbitrator’s award or decision; improving efficiency in the process for appointing an arbitrator for budget and First Nations funding disputes; and amending who is responsible for arbitrator fees in municipal budget disputes. Part of the adjustment needed, and it is included in this proposed bill, is to alter the composition of the future OPAAC by adding the role of one or more vice-chairs. This change is intended to improve good governance of the agency and to support the integrity of its arbitration and adjudication functions.

A third grouping of proposed amendments includes changes to provisions relating to recognition of education of police officers. This includes allowing municipal and First Nations officers to be eligible to obtain a King’s Commission on the same terms as an OPP officer. It also includes changes relating to police officer education requirements that, if passed, will provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purposes of being appointed as a police officer, thereby reducing barriers for those seeking a career in the policing business.

The CSPA was supposed to establish an Ontario Provincial Police governance advisory council to advise the Solicitor General regarding the use of OPP-related powers. It has been determined that such an advisory council is no longer necessary as a permanent body. The proposed amendments revoke the provisions for the governance advisory council. Additionally, there are proposed amendments to the governance provisions related to OPP detachment boards.

To be responsive to what we have heard from municipalities and First Nations, changes include allowing for no detachment boards in a detachment or having one detachment board responsible for municipal detachments. Also, most, but not all, regulation-making powers with respect to detachment boards will be transferred from the Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Solicitor General. This proposed amendment would include board composition as the ministry anticipates changes in composition from time to time and as decisions on participation or detachment boundaries change.

Lastly, we are proposing changes that would provide further clarity in the statute and improve alignment with other government statutes.

This government is modernizing the province’s police and community safety framework so that it is fair, so that it is equitable, and so that it is safe, transparent and effective. The proposed amendments to the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, are necessary to establish a modern and robust policing legislative framework that appropriately addresses the evolving nature of crime and meets the community safety expectations of Ontarians.

I just want to make sure I give a shout-out to Mark Baxter, and I want to thank all our police officers for the work they do. I want to thank our firefighters—all our servicemen and servicewomen in uniform—for the work they do every day. Especially, I would like to give a shout-out to 22 division in Etobicoke–Lakeshore. Thank you for you service.

I encourage all honourable members in this House to pass this bill.

As we know, later on today we’ll be debating something similar about missing and vulnerable people, who are extremely important to this government. We believe all people deserve to be safe in their homes and in their communities. We do have vulnerable people out there, seniors and young people.

Right now, we have an Amber Alert program for missing young people. Certain criteria are sent into the police and an alarm goes off. We’ve all received the Amber Alert.

We are certainly looking at your bill, Bill 74, and that’s something that we’re going to bring to committee to discuss. But I also look forward to the MPP from Sarnia–Lambton’s debate this evening.

But the other piece is removal of animals. We heard this from numerous stakeholders out there. Lynn, if you’re watching, we’ve heard you, and Donna as well. We hear all the time that there was a loophole that didn’t allow people to take animals away in dangerous situations. We want to make sure that our animals feel safe and are safe. If you see an animal in distress, the first thing you should do is call the PAWS hotline, making sure that an inspector goes out to deal with the situation immediately.

Edward.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s always nice to see you in the chair. What a great day to debate Bill 102.

Our safety for our community, for our families is so important. Our Solicitor General and our Premier have been at the forefront of this, and I just want to applaud their work to make sure we’re keeping Ontario safe.

As I said, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to provide additional details to Bill 102, the government’s proposed Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023. Our Premier, our government and our caucus believe that the most fundamental responsibility that we have is to keep the people of Ontario safe. Safety is our springboard to attracting jobs, to improving educational outcomes, to making Ontario a province where opportunity continues to thrive.

Ontario isn’t immune to the reality across Canada and around the world. Increases in serious violent crimes, repeat offences and complex cases such as mental health and addictions continue to be a concern. Our response is targeted, tactical and true to our values.

I am proud to stand in this House as parliamentary assistant to the Solicitor General and the MPP for Etobicoke–Lakeshore. I am proud to stand here to express my strong support of Bill 102, the Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act.

When I did a survey in my riding just recently, the number one issue was health care, but very close was crime in our community. So for the people of Etobicoke–Lakeshore, I want you to know we’ve heard you, and we are acting.

As colleagues will know, as parliamentary assistant I have been particularly focused on protecting victims of intimate partner violence, domestic violence and upholding the welfare of animals. As you know, I am a mom of two fur babies, Bruce and Edward—I thought I’d get their names out there and in Hansard. That’s why I’m particularly proud to support this bill: because it calls for increased training for judges to recognize situations of domestic abuse, particularly where child welfare may be at risk.

I want to applaud my colleague from Oakville North–Burlington for her private member’s motion in support of this initiative, which initially came forward as Keira’s Law—and I know her family is here today.

When children are not safe, it is our duty to step up and protect them. The Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act adds that much-needed protection. It does so by making amendments to the Courts of Justice Act and the Justices of the Peace Act to provide the necessary education to ensure our courts understand the risk of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence affects children, their families and the broader community. Today we are continuing to take a stand, and this legislation will make a difference.

Bill 102 does more to protect our communities and recognize the heroes who keep us safe. It does so by starting to put the amendments in place in order to bring the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, into force. Ontario’s Police Services Act has not been comprehensively updated in over 30 years. The previous Liberal government had 15 of those years to make the needed updates, and they did not. It is our government, under this Premier and this Solicitor General, that is getting it done.

The Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, represents a generational opportunity to build on the trust between police and the public by treating police with fairness and by enhancing oversight and improving governance, training and transparency. Once in force, the CSPA will:

—empower the new Inspector General of Policing to ensure adequate and effective policing with broadened authority to safeguard compliance with the act;

—require all police service board members to complete training on the roles and responsibilities of the board and its members before exercising their powers and executing their duties;

—require all police officers, special constables, service board members, oversight inspectors and investigators to complete training related to human rights, systemic racism, and the rights and cultures of Indigenous peoples;

—create fairer processes for police and greater transparency by requiring greater independence of adjudicators for certain disciplinary matters;

—improve public confidence by including a more accessible model for police oversight, providing the public with a one-window approach to filing complaints related to policing; and

—provide First Nations with the ability to opt in to Ontario’s policing legislation.

Madam Speaker, none of this can happen without the passing of these amendments that were proposed in this act that we’re discussing today, and I encourage all members of the House to join us in supporting this legislation.

I want to speak further on one of the proposals, the expansion of the Ontario Civilian Police Commission—it’s also called the OCPC, because we in government love acronyms—and its authority after the CSPA comes into force. This is a significant step in making our policing system more accountable. The civilian oversight offered through the commission is a valuable tool to ensure public transparency. Policing is changing and the public has different expectations about how police conduct themselves. These measures will ensure the commission will continue to act after the CSPA is in force in relation to its adjudicative functions, such as the completion of hearings and appeals.

The proposed amendment will allow the OCPC to continue to act in relation to its other functions if prescribed in regulation. Those functions might include investigating allegations of board member misconduct, a function the Inspector General of Policing will assume under the CSPA. It is important work that must be part of a seamless transition to the CSPA—and I think that’s it for acronyms.

Another grouping of the proposed amendments includes changes to provisions relating to recognition and education of police officers. This includes allowing municipal and First Nations officers to be eligible to obtain a King’s Commission on the same terms as an OPP officer. It also includes changes relating to police officer education requirements that, if passed, would provide that a secondary school diploma or equivalent is sufficient education for the purpose of being appointed as a police officer, thereby reducing barriers for those seeking a very rewarding career in policing.

Madam Speaker, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the animal welfare piece, the PAWS Act. This is something I’ve been particularly proud of. I’ve been involved with the government’s work under former Solicitor General MPP Jones since its passing in 2019. Animal welfare is a priority for this government, and I want those watching to know that it is a priority not just for this government, but particularly for me. We were very proud to bring forward some of the toughest penalties in Canada when it comes to animal abuse, and I think we can all applaud that measure here, because our animals have no political stripe and they have no voice, so we’re here to speak for them.

The PAWS Act was welcomed by many animal commodity groups and farm organizations, as it brought with it an updated, more uniform approach to delivering animal welfare enforcement in Ontario. We will be continuing consultations on the PAWS Act to ensure that we cross all sectors, and this includes our farmers and our animal welfare advocates.

Some of the proposed amendments to the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act, 2019, in this legislation will be:

—improved recovery for costs incurred to provide care for animals in distress that have been removed by animal welfare services;

—clarified Animal Care Review Board processes; and

—narrowed gaps related to AWS inspector authorities and strengthened protections for animals.

Speaker, I’m going to highlight several of the amendments. A statement of account is issued to an animal owner or custodian when animals are removed by animal welfare services and costs of care for the animals are incurred. The proposed amendments include specifying the types of costs incurred by animal welfare services that are recoverable through a statement of account.

The second proposed amendment would permit the immediate removal of an animal if it is in critical distress. I know many have called the minister’s office requesting this amendment, so I’m really pleased to see it in this legislation. This will address a gap in the current legislation, where animals in need of immediate intervention to prevent serious injury or death may be removed immediately from the owner’s or custodian’s care. I know there are many advocates out there who are applauding that initiative.

A third proposed amendment would create a requirement for owners or custodians to inform animal welfare services when ownership or custodianship of an animal changes in cases where there is already a compliance order outstanding.

The ministry has consulted with some stakeholders on these proposed amendments. Many other stakeholders and the public will also be able to comment on the proposals through Ontario’s regulatory registry. I’m sure that will be on everybody’s website so we can provide comment and feedback.

Our government is committed to building a safe community through policing legislation that enables efficient and accountable policing services to the public and continues to be responsive to Ontarians’ public safety needs. We owe our gratitude to everyone who helps keep us safe: our police officers, our firefighters, our 911 call operators, our correctional officers, our animal inspectors, our paramedics and many others. Passing the proposed Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, ensures that we continue our progress toward safer communities across Ontario. Madam Speaker, people watching, everyone in the Legislature: Let’s keep Ontario safe.