Ontario legislature passes emergency coronavirus bill to help workers

The Ontario government passed emergency legislation Thursday afternoon aimed at protecting workers forced to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ford said it will apply to employees under investigation, supervision or treatment for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Workers in isolation or in quarantine and those who need to provide care to someone related to COVID-19, including for a school or daycare closure, would also be protected.

The bill passed with rare all-party support in just over an hour of debate during a special session of the legislature.

Given social distancing, only 26 members were in the house: 13 governing Progressive Conservatives, eight New Democrats, two Liberals, one Green, one Independent, and the Speaker.

The politicians sat spread across the chamber at Queen’s Park, with several desks between each member.

A bill that creates temporary exemptions allowing municipal councils to meet via teleconference and to waive noise bylaws to allow grocery deliveries 24 hours a day was also passed.

The legislature will now be suspended until March 25, two days later than it was previously set to return after March break. Finance Minister Rod Phillips is set to deliver a scaled-back economic forecast that day instead of the planned full budget.

Government house leader Paul Calandra acknowledged the unusual nature of the one-day sitting, but conceded there could be more like it as the Progressive Conservative government responds to the evolving situation.

“Like everybody else, I hope that this is resolved very quickly,” Calandra said. “But until the medical officer of health tells us otherwise, this could be the new norm for the Ontario legislature for the foreseeable future.”