QUEEN’S PARK – Catherine Fife, the NDP Critic for Economic Growth and Job Creation and Sandy Shaw, NDP Finance Critic, is calling on the Ford government to strike an all-party select committee on the economic recovery from COVID-19.
“An all-party committee on economic recovery would take partisan politics off the table and ensure that all voices are heard as Ontario deals with the worst economic shock in our lifetimes,” said Fife.
The non-partisan select committee, in which no party would have a majority, would hear from all stakeholders including businesses, organized labour, municipalities, non-profit organizations, environmental NGOs and community groups, and everyday Ontarians, about the challenges they face as Ontario, deals with the fall-out from COVID-19 and the phased re-opening of the province’s economy.
“An all-party select committee properly structured would be more nimble, able to report quicker and cover more ground”, said Shaw.
Under the NDP’s proposal, there would be an equal number of government and opposition MPPs representing all parties in the legislature with a non-voting chair. The committee would have four weeks to report publicly on recommended measures to strengthen Ontario’s economic recovery and would be in addition to any work undertaken by the Finance Committee of the Legislature.
The Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee will support the province’s recovery efforts by consulting Ontarians and developing a plan to stimulate economic growth and job creation while maintaining health and safety.
The committee includes:
- Rod Phillips, Chair, Minister of Finance
- Vic Fedeli, Vice-Chair, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
- Peter Bethlenfalvy, President of the Treasury Board
- Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation
- Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
- Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
- Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs
- John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
- Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure
- Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries
- Lisa Thompson, Minister of Government and Consumer Services
- Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development
- Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction