From: AMO Communications

Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2020 3:54 PM

Subject: AMO Policy Update – COVID-19 Liability Protection, Municipal Elections Act; An Ontario Digital Identity; Public Health Orders; Child Care

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October 21, 2020

AMO Policy Update – COVID-19 Liability Protection, Municipal Elections Act; An Ontario Digital Identity; Public Health Orders; and Child Care

Bill 218 - Supporting Ontario’s Recovery and Municipal Elections Act

Attorney General Doug Downey introduced Bill 218 - Supporting Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act . If passed, the legislation will provide targeted liability protection for health and long-term care, non-profit and private sector workers, volunteers, and organizations that make an honest effort to follow public health guidelines and laws related to limiting the exposure of Ontarians to COVID-19. Bill 218 will also maintain the right of Ontarians to take legal action against those who willfully, or with gross negligence, endanger others. Municipal governments, workers, and by-laws that are aimed at protecting public health are referenced in the Bill, as AMO has advocated for. Similar legislation is in place in British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

The Bill includes changes to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 , proposing to remove the option to use ranked ballots for municipal elections, moving all municipal governments to First-Past-The-Post. This will impact a number of municipal governments that were contemplating the change and one already using ranked ballots. The rationale for this proposed legislative change is not known.

In addition, the nomination date for municipal elections will also be changed from the fourth Friday in July to the second Friday in September in the year of the election and there are proposed changes to the timelines leading up to municipal elections (see Section 42 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996). AMO advises that municipal clerks review the proposed changes for implications for their electoral planning processes. The rationale for this change is unclear and may have the effect of discouraging broader participation in municipal elections.