Regular followers of the blog will know that we have spent the better part of the last 18 months preparing dentists for the changes to employment law in Bill 148. But it seems that it may have been all for naught.
The Premier today stated in the Ontario Legislature, in no uncertain terms, that Bill 148 is going to be scrapped.
Specifically, the Premier said:
- “We’re getting rid of Bill 148. We’re going to make sure we protect the front-line workers because 60,000 people lost their jobs under Bill 148.”
- Bill 148 “put us in more debt that we’ve every had, the largest sub-national debt in the entire world … thanks to the Liberal government.”
- “We’re going to make sure we tell the world Ontario is open for business. We’re going to make sure we’re competitive around the world.”
After Question Period, when the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (Jim Wilson) was asked if the province will be cancelling all parts of Bill 148, he said a final decision has yet to be made. He further said that the $14 minimum wage would be kept, but insinuated that everything else was on the chopping block.
We already know that the $15 minimum wage increase, scheduled to take place on January 1, 2019.
As always, DMC will keep you up to date on any and all employment law changes – including what parts of Bill 148 will be scrapped and which will be kept.
