Half of Ontario NDP Kicked Out of Legislature After Ruckus Over Anti-Strike Law

The Ontario legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto on June 18, 2021. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

A heated outburst Wednesday over proposed back-to-work legislation to prevent school closures ended in half of New Democratic Party MPPs being escorted out of the Ontario Legislature.

A total of 16 NDP members were removed for the day.

The Legislature was discussing the province’s plan to use the notwithstanding clause to block a Nov. 4 planned strike by education support workers. Both Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have said the government intends to “keep kids in school.”

If support staff—which include librarians, janitors, ESL instructors, and other support staff—do go on strike, most schools will close in-person classes and move to remote learning.

The string of removals began with interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns asking Ford, “When will the premier and his ministers stop lying about the damage they are doing to the education system?”

Ted Arnott, speaker of the House, told Tabuns to “withdraw his unparliamentary comment.” Tabuns refused and said, “Ministers are lying,” and would not sit down. He was told to “leave the chamber for the day” and escorted out of the Legislature by the sergeant at arms.

His fellow MPPs then began banging on their tables and shouting. Sudbury MPP and Labour critic Jamie West was warned by the speaker to stop yelling. West shouted, “You are stealing their rights, their constitutional rights.” He was also told to leave and escorted out.

“Every one of you should be ashamed,” one MPP was heard saying. Jill Andrew, MPP for Toronto St. Paul, shouted, “Give me a break, these people work day and night. They are asking for pennies.” She was also named by the speaker and ejected from the chamber.

Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) education support staff wanted a salary increase of 11.7 percent. The province has ultimately offered a four-year contract with a 2.5 percent annual raise to workers earning less than $43,000 and 1.5 percent for those earning higher.

Workers are scheduled to walk off the job on Friday, but the proposed legislation, if passed, will see strikers fined $4,000 a day.

“Because CUPE refuses to withdraw their intent to strike, in order to avoid shutting down classes, we will have no other choice but to introduce legislation, which will ensure that students remain in class to catch up on their learning,” Lecce said.

Lecce said that the last teacher strike three years ago, plus the school shutdowns caused by COVID-19, was disrupting children’s rights to an education.