PCs planned to shutdown Ontario Legislature on Wednesday, NDP says

A political battle appeared to be brewing Sunday amid word the Ford government had proposed to shut the legislature down as early as Wednesday.

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath said her New Democrats would not agree to any legislature shutdown until the Progressive Conservative government had reversed what she described as its “dangerous police-state orders” and replaced them with public health measures.

“We are not prepared to help Doug Ford go home, leaving a police state in place while he allows COVID-19 to run rampant, overrun hospitals, and steal the lives of Ontarians who would otherwise make it through this,” Horwath said in a statement.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s April 18th letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford

NDP Letter to Ont Gov April 18 by CityNewsToronto on Scribd

In response, government House leader Paul Calandra said the proposed closure was to protect legislature support staff from COVID-19, something he said could not be accomplished by a virtual sitting.

“The government presented options to adjourn the legislature to keep those who support elected officials safe,” Calandra said in a statement. “As is typical, the NDP have used this as an opportunity to score the cheapest of political points in the midst of a pandemic.”

The legislature is currently scheduled to sit until June. Calandra said only it would be in session this week.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca accused Ford of “hiding from the outrage he caused with his reckless actions and anti-science agenda.”

By closing the Legislature, Doug Ford is hiding from the outrage he caused with his reckless actions and anti-science agenda. He has tied the opposition’s hands and is forcing a closure, in the same week @coteau’s Bill on paid sick leave was to be debated. 1/ #onpoli

— Steven Del Duca (@StevenDelDuca) April 18, 2021

The simmering political tensions and questions about the point of restrictions shuttering most outdoor recreational spaces came as the province again set hospital admission records and intensive care units struggled to save a growing number of patients.

Ford has already walked back some broader police powers enacted Friday as part of a suite of new measures meant to curb the surging third wave. He also said playgrounds could stay open, reversing an announcement made the same day.

But other outdoor recreational areas, such as soccer fields, picnic tables and golf courses, are still ordered to remain closed.

Critics of the measures seized on the lack of scientific justification to denounce the emergency measures.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert with the University Health Network, called the outdoor restrictions misguided and said people should be encouraged to be outside.

“We know there’s very little risk of catching COVID-19 in outdoor settings,” Bogoch said. “We may as well focus on areas where the virus is actually being transmitted, which is indoor venues, predominantly among essential workers that don’t have the luxury of locking down or staying at home.”

One fast-growing online petition that called on Ford to reopen golf courses and allow pickleball blew through its 10,000-signature target Sunday.

It’s a question of health, both physical and mental, said Mark Kalbfleisch, of Oshawa, Ont., who started the petition.

“The government proved by opening golf last year, and pickle ball and rowing and things you can do to get outside, that it can be done safely,” Kalbfleisch, himself an avid golfer, said in an interview. “I don’t recall any cases of COVID being transmitted through golf.”

Amid a barrage of criticism and after police said they would not use their new powers to stop drivers or pedestrians at random and ask why they weren’t at home, Ford changed the rules again on Saturday. Officers must now have grounds to suspect a violation of stay-at-home orders before being able to demand information.

One lawyer, however, said the change was not much of an improvement because police officers could broaden their inquiries of people suspected of a breach.

“Based on responses to these questions, the police may take the position that they now have grounds to conduct a further investigation into that individual,” Nader Hasan said Sunday. “This power is ripe for abuse, pretext searches, and racial profiling.”