Is Dawn Gallagher Murphy MPP happy or sad that Ontario’s Court of Appeal has struck down Bill 124 as unconstitutional?

I only ask because Dawn is a Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and I suppose she must have a view.

Looking out for the nurses is part of her job description. It's her day job.

Wage Suppression

The Ontario Nurses Association says Bill 124 was "wage suppression legislation" that limited nurses’ pay rises to 1% for three years.

Dawn is everywhere on social media, opening things, shaking hands, congratulating people, awarding certificates and giving the official PC line on the issues of the day. Always with a smile. But I don't see anything about nurses' pay and how it has been held down by the Ford Government.

In retrospect - and with the benefit of the Appeal Court's ruling - does she think holding nurses' wages down was a good or a bad thing to do? 

I think we should be told. 

Unconstitutional

In late 2022 an Ontario court found Bill 124 unconstitutional. The Ford government appealed.

The Ontario Nurses Association described the Bill as

wage-suppression legislation negatively impacting registered nurses, nurse practitioners, health-care professionals and other public-sector workers. This bill limits wage increases to a maximum of one per cent total compensation for each of three years.”

Violating Charter Rights

Ontario’s Court of Appeal agreed. On 12 February 2024 the Court held that the Bill violated the constitutional rights of unionized employees to meaningful collective bargaining as guaranteed by s2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Here is the ONA’s take on the Court’s decision.

Dawn was of course personally selected by Doug Ford to be the PC candidate for Newmarket-Aurora within 24 hours of Christine Elliott announcing her retirement from elective politics. 

She owes him one.

Dawn would walk over broken glass for Ford. 

Even at the expense of the nurses.

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See also from TVO on 28 February 2024: Bill 124 is no more. Good riddance to bad legislation

On 23 February 2024, the Government repealed Bill 124 through an Order in Council bringing s40 of the Bill into force.   

The Bill contained the trigger for its own repeal:

40 On the day this section comes into force, this Act is repealed.

The Government’s News Release says:

“Repealing the Bill will solve for the inequality of workers created by the recent court decision.

The ONA translates this:

“The Court of Appeal confirmed Bill 124 to be unconstitutional insofar as it applied to unionized workers. It was held that s2(d) does not apply in the same way to non-represented employees and that Bill 124 remains valid as it applies to non-unionized employees.” 

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See also: Ford and the Judges

27 February 2024: Editorial from the Toronto Star: Why Doug Ford’s Plan for like-minded judges is a terrible mistake and 

In move called blatant patronage ex-Doug Ford staffers appointed to Committee that selects Ontario judges. and 23 February 2024: Ford defends appointments to judge selection committee.

See also Doug Ford's honesty is unique but his judgement on judges is dangerous