Ford/PCs Want 7 More Months of Emergency Powers

05/22/2021

Belinda speaks to Solicitor General Sylvia Jones's Motion 111, which extends the Ford government's emergency powers to December 2021.

On Thursday afternoon, May 20th, Doug Ford summoned the media to pretend that he was announcing a "reopening" plan. Ford failed to present any path that leads us to returning back to normal.

At the same time Ford was making his announcement, his Ontario PC MPPs were trying to ram through a motion at the legislature to extend Ford's use of extraordinary emergency powers for seven more months - until December!

PC MPPs tried to introduce and pass the lockdown motion;

  • in one day without advance notice;
  • right before the long weekend;
  • two months before the current use of emergency powers are set to expire;
  • while distracting the media with Ford's announcement; and
  • by using an unrecorded voice vote so that the names of PC MPPs would not be listed in the official minutes of the debate.

New Blue MPP Belinda Karahalios (along with MPP Roman Baber and other opposition MPPs) led the charge against the motion.

The publication Queen's Park Today described Belinda's statement like this, "New Blue MPP Belinda Karahalios blasted the motion as an underhanded attempt by the PCs to ram through extended emergency powers while everyone was distracted by the reopening plan announcement, and just before a long weekend."

The PC motion failed because of opposition from a few Ontario MPPs.

PC MPPs will now have to wait a week and a half for the legislature to return in order to pass the motion and they will be forced to vote on the record.

By rushing to extend the use of emergency powers for seven more months until December, Doug Ford and his PC government have made it clear they have no intention of returning life back to normal, any time soon.

-- Quoted from a New Blue Party of Ontario email

Remember the unlawful lockdowns when you vote!