‘Silencing the people of Ontario’ Provincial legislature remains silent amid extended summer break

Ontario MPPs, unable to perform a critical function of their jobs at Queen’s Park, are expressing frustration as the extended summer break at the provincial legislature drags on until late October.

While the legislature was originally intended to resume on Sept. 14, the Ford government pushed that date until Oct. 27 after the Progressive Conservatives claimed the party didn’t want to interfere with municipal elections.

The move – part of a growing pattern of shortened legislative sessions at Queen’s Park – erased five weeks from the Legislative Assembly calendar, leaving the government with just 23 days to propose and pass new bills.

Opposition parties point out, however, that it also gives MPPs fewer opportunities to hold the government to account.

“124 MPPs come here. We speak for 16 million Ontarians. Their voices are voices that we amplify here at Queen’s Park,” said Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser.

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“It’s not us he’s silencing, he’s silencing the people of Ontario.”

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After shuffling his cabinet last week, Premier Doug Ford defended the extended summer break and said ministers “get so much more done” while away from Queen’s Park.

“When we get in the house, yes, it’s necessary to pass legislation, but my goodness, I can be out there making investments, getting people to invest, making changes,” Ford said.

While the premier has used the summer months to travel to various parts of the province, meet with the prime minister and his provincial counterparts, amp up Ontario’s response to U.S. tariffs and fight three byelections, the break also allows the government to duck questions from opposition parties.

The government has faced criticism over the PC MPP hotel expense scandal, lack of tariff support for small businesses and continued questions over the $2.5 billion skills development fund.

While those criticisms have mainly been aired in news coverage of the Ford government, direct questions will have to wait until the autumn.

“This is the least accountable government in the history of Ontario,” Fraser claimed.

NDP house leader John Vanthof said the government’s extended break also means perspectives on provincial policy don’t get shared with decision makers.

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“When you’re in tune with your riding, the government might put forward stuff that’s absolutely not going to work,” Vanthof said. “One of the ways to get to that is just walk across the floor and say have you thought about this?”

“Right now we’re facing an economic war with the United States and I don’t think there’s a more important time to be in the legislature.”

The Ford government has also used the truncated sitting periods, often seven weeks at a time, to fast-track multiple pieces of legislation and skip public hearings on bills.

In an effort to clear legislative hurdles, the government has also been forced to schedule night sittings – paving the way for PC MPPs to book downtown Toronto hotel rooms to stay close to Queen’s Park.

Ford said several Toronto-area MPPs who charged a combined $120,000 for hotel rooms have paid back the amount in full.