In today's edition -- please scroll down to find more information on:
1. Oral Questions: Sports and Recreation Funding
2. Introduction of Bills: Human Rights Code Amendment Act, Planning Amendment Act

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ORAL QUESTIONS
SPORTS AND RECREATION FUNDING
Mr. Dave Levac dlevac.mpp@liberal.ola.org: My question is for the Minister of Health Promotion. As all of us know, amateur sport plays a significant role in communities across the province. It contributes to Ontarians' physical and emotional well-being, among other benefits. Considering the health benefits, there is certainly a need for Ontarians' sport and physical activity participation levels to increase.

Promotion of physical activities focuses on active living and encourages Ontarians to look for enjoyable ways to make physical activity a regular part of their daily life. Amateur sport provides Ontarians of all ages with opportunities to participate in sports activities to suit their aspirations and abilities.
Whether it be children and youth, seniors, women, aboriginals or individuals with disabilities, all Ontarians should have access to greater opportunities to stay active.

Can the minister share with us the plans that are in place to ensure that we're providing Ontarians with appropriate support, and specifically, how those who most need it are getting it?

Hon. Margarett R. Best mbest.mpp@liberal.ola.org: I want to thank the member from Brant for that question. He's certainly a great advocate for his community.

Interjection: Hear, hear.

Hon. Margarett R. Best: Hear, hear.
The McGuinty government continues to work to increase opportunities for participation in sport among our most under-represented groups. I had the privilege of announcing on Monday, along with the federal Minister of State for sports, an investment of $5.3 million to assist disadvantaged and vulnerable Ontarians to gain access to physical activity and sports. Under the Sport for More bilateral agreement, the McGuinty government and the federal government collaborated in investing $2.65 million each. This is a total investment of $5.3 million.

This is another example of our government's commitment to Ontario's children and youth, Ontario's aboriginal communities, Ontario's ethnic minorities, Ontario's-

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary?

Mr. Dave Levac: Improving the health and quality of life of Ontarians through sport and physical activity is indeed vital and also proven by research. I'm pleased to hear that the funding will focus attention where the greatest needs exist.

This type of support will also work towards the goals of Canada's first-ever national physical activity targets for children and youth aged 5 to 19, set at the federal-provincial-territorial conference on sport in Victoria, on May 21 and 22, 2008.

Ontario's aboriginal community has a great history, heritage and traditions that enrich our province. It's important that members of the aboriginal community receive sufficient opportunities through this bilateral agreement. It's important to my riding of Brant, and indeed to those who are living inside the entire province of Ontario, especially those with disabilities. There is a great interest, in the residents of my community and the rest of the province, for the McGuinty government to provide for First Nations communities and Ontarians with disabilities. Could you elaborate on the level of-

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Minister?

Hon. Margarett R. Best: Our government, the McGuinty government, is committed to engaging all Ontarians in active, healthy lifestyles. That is why we are investing over $1 million in our aboriginal communities; that is why we're investing over $400,000 in support of organizations such are ParaSport Ontario, the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association and the Ontario Deaf Sports Association. As a result of this investment, over 10,000 children will have access to organized activity sessions from 60 First Nations communities across Ontario.

In addition, six new aboriginal community activators have been hired in First Nations reserves, bringing this to a total of 15. Over 5,000 vulnerable children and youth across Ontario will receive customized sports camps through the-

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INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
HUMAN RIGHTS CODE AMENDMENT ACT (FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION), 2009 / LOI DE 2009 MODIFIANT LE CODE DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE
EN CE QUI CONCERNE LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Mr. Klees moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 197, An Act to amend the Human Rights Code with respect to freedom of expression / Projet de loi 197, Loi modifiant le Code des droits de la personne en ce qui concerne la liberté d'expression.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.
First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement?

Mr. Frank Klees frank.klees@pc.ola.org: This bill, if passed into law, will repeal section 13 of the Ontario human rights act. This is the section that is being used by the commission to justify investigation into the views and opinions of citizens of Ontario. This has a chilling effect on freedom of expression and is contrary to that important value in our democratic society. Freedom of expression is a core value of democracy, from which rights naturally flow and without which our very political system would perish.

There are those who want to abolish the Ontario Human Rights Commission. I strongly disagree with that position. Abolishing the human rights commission and its tribunal is not the answer and would in fact send the wrong message to Ontarians and the international community about the importance we place on human rights in this province. That is why I believe the responsible solution is to reform and refocus the human rights commission, not to abolish it. That is why I'm proposing this legislation, and I'm asking members of this House, from all parties, to support us in quick passage.

PLANNING AMENDMENT ACT (ENABLING MUNICIPALITIES TO REQUIRE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING), 2009 / LOI DE 2009 MODIFIANT LA LOI
SUR L'AMÉNAGEMENT DU TERRITOIRE (INCLUSION DE LOGEMENTS ABORDABLES PAR LES MUNICIPALITÉS)

Ms. DiNovo moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 198, An Act to amend the Planning Act with respect to inclusionary housing / Projet de loi 198, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l'aménagement du territoire à l'égard de l'inclusion de logements abordables.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): The member for a short statement.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo dinovoc-qp@ndp.on.ca: The Planning Act is amended to include the adequate provision of a full range of housing with this bill, including housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households, as a matter of provincial interest.

Section 34 of the act is amended to allow the councils of local municipalities to pass zoning bylaws requiring inclusionary housing and regulating the required percentage of affordable housing units in new housing developments in the municipality.

The new section 37.1 of the act allows municipalities to pass bylaws requiring that a specified percentage of housing units in all new housing developments in the municipality be affordable to low- and moderate-income households.

Section 51 of the act is amended to allow the approval authority to impose, as a condition to the approval of a plan of subdivision, a requirement that a specified percentage of housing units in all new housing developments in the subdivision be affordable to low- and moderate-income households.