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Presentation to North Bay Chapter on Government Relations

September 18, 2007

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Agenda

1. HRPAO Government Relations Strategy

2. GR Activities

3. Upcoming GR Activities

4. 2007 Provincial Election

5. Questions

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HRPAO Government Relations Strategy

Key Objectives:

• “Trusted Advisor” to the Government

• “Lobby” on behalf of the Profession

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HRPAO Government Relations Strategy

Methods:• Relationship Building with Key Individuals – Political

(Government and Opposition) and Civil Service

• Formal Meetings – Minister, DM, ADM, Directors, Staff

• Informal Meetings

• Making Submissions on Key Issues

• Sitting on Government Committee

• “High” and “Low” Profile Communications Activities

• Building Partnerships with other Associations

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HRPAO Government Relations Strategy

Key Players:• Chapter Government Relations Liaisons

• Subject Matter Experts

• Government Relations Committee

• Director of Government Relations

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Government Relations Activities

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Bill 14 – Access to Justice Act

Background:

• Bill introduced in October, 2005 to regulate paralegals• LSUC responsible for regulation• Needed to capture “activity” not “title” • Caught if “providing legal services”• Definition “ a person provides legal services if person engages in

conduct that involves the application of legal principal and legal judgment …”

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Bill 14 – Access to Justice Act

Examples of “providing legal services”:

• Gives a person advice with respect to the legal interests, rights or responsibilities of the person of another person.

• Selects, drafts, completes or revises, on behalf of a person, a document that affects a person’s interests in or rights to or in real or personal property

• Represents a person in a proceeding before an adjudicative body

• Negotiates the legal interests, rights or responsibilities of a person.

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Bill 14 – Access to Justice Act

Meaning for HR Professionals:

• Many HR Professions would be caught by definition• If caught would need to be licensing and carry E & 0 Insurance• Individual exemption possible

HRPAO GR Activities on Bill:

• Submission to Justice Policy Committee in September, 2006• Formal and Informal lobbying activities• Worked with other Associations

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Bill 14 – Access to Justice Act

Result of GR efforts:

• Amendments to Bill introduced and passed to exclude profession already governed by Acts of Legislature:

“A person who is acting in the normal course of carrying on a profession or occupation governed by another Act of the Legislature, or an Act of Parliament, that regulates specifically the activities of persons engaged in that profession or occupation”

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Bill 14 – Access to Justice Act

To meet test in Act:

• In good standing with HRPAO• Adherence with Code of Ethics• Acting in normal course of HR profession

Status:

• Bill passed with amendment on October 19, 2006• Act came into effect May 1, 2007• HRPAO has begun education campaign

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Bill 107 – Human Rights System Amendments

Background

• Human rights systems was hopelessly backlogged• Many Governments had try to address problems with additional

resources but not successful• Bill 107 introduced a “Direct Access” model similar to BC• Complaints could file directly with Tribunal• Created legal support centers for complaints • Commission to be focused on education and systemic

discrimination• Problem – Bill lacked important details

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Bill 107 – Human Rights System Amendments

HRPAO GR Activities on Bill:

• Put in a submission on Bill to Justice Policy Committee• Meeting with A-G and Human Rights Commission

Results:

• Bill amended to reflect some changes• Additional issues being addressed during implementation• HRPAO with monitor implementation

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OMA/MOH consultation on 3rd Party Use of Physician Notes

GR Action:

• Conducted a membership survey. Received over 100 survey responses from all sectors of membership.

• Participated in OMA/MOH roundtable consultations on issue and presented survey results.

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End of Mandatory Retirement

GR Action:

• Worked with Government during development and implementation of policy and Act

• Invited to participate in “launch event”• Involved in monitoring implementation

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Government Consultations/Committees

MOF Pre-Budget Consultations • Invited and participated in Ontario’s pre-budget round table

discussions.

Joint Forum Industry Panel on DC Plans • Invited to sit on Panel on revising Capital Accumulations Plans

rules.

Employment Accessibility Standards Development Committee• Invited to sit on Committee which is developing employment

standards under Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

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Federal Government Relations

C- 257 Banning Replacement Workers• Submitted position on Bill which attempted to ban replacement

workers in federally regulated workplaces.

Submission to Expert Panel Older Workers • Submitted position to Federal Government Experts Panel on

Older workers on issue.

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Relationship Building

Annual Conference GR Reception – January 2007

Annual Dinner with MOL – June 2007

Lunch with DM and ADM – August 2007

Meeting with MOL ADM and Directors – August 2007

Meeting with Government and Opposition parties – Summer 2007

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Upcoming Government Relations Activities

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Election Aftermath

GR Action

• Review Election platforms and review HR issues

• Survey political landscape after election (majority/minority)

• Build relationships with returning/ new Government

• Identify priorities and engaged Government early in mandate

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Employment/ Labour Law Reforms

ESA:• Weekly and daily rest,• Public holiday pay,• Emergency and family leave (abuse and lowering the 50 person

threshold)

Health and Safety:• Address issues in construction sector since accident rates have

not gone down • Compulsory health and safety training by employers.

General:• Trying to standardize the definitions of who is an employee or

worker under WSIA, ESA etc. 

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Upcoming Consultations

Employment Accessibility Standards Development Committee • Continues next 15 months

Consultation on Mandatory Skilled Trades Certification• Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities has appointed Tim

Armstrong to review compulsory certification in the skilled trades.

• Intent is to review the scope and impact of compulsory certification for skilled workforce where at present 21, of more than 140 skilled trades, in Ontario require compulsory certification.

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Mixed Member Proportion System (MMP)

Basic Facts:

90 members elected in ridings – the same way as now

39 members – elected province wide through party side of ballot

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Mixed Member Proportion System (MMP)Step 1: You vote for local candidate and party on ballot

• Ballot has two votes - party and local candidate

Step 2: Votes are counted. • Party vote determines total share of seats a party wins in

Legislature

Step 3 : Proposition members • If party does not have enough local members elected to match it

share of party vote, it gets a “top up” of seats in the Legislature. • These seats are filed by “list members” elected by votes across

the province through the party vote side of ballot. The list are used to compensate for lack of proportionality in election of local members.

• A party must have clear support – at least 3 % of total vote to get a “list seat”