Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The following notable events occurred during the 2018–present period:

• August 8, 2022: The 43rd Parliament of Ontario begins its first session. Ted Arnott, MPP for Wellington—Halton Hills, is re-elected as the speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario defeating a challenge by fellow PC MPP Nina Tangri, who had been endorsed by Premier Doug Ford.[7]
• August 9, 2022: Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell delivers the speech from the throne.[8]
• August 15, 2022: Andrea Horwath, former leader of the Ontario NDP, resigns her seat as MPP for Hamilton Centre in order to pursue a bid to become the mayor of Hamilton, Ontario during the 2022 municipal election.[9]

Additional officers of the Legislative Assembly were created to protect certain public interests, these officers are appointed by unanimous votes of the legislature and report to the legislature through the Speaker rather than to the provincial government.[12] These officers include the Auditor General, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Integrity Commissioner, Chief Electoral Officer, Ontario Ombudsman, and Poet Laureate of Ontario.[13]

The coat of arms

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the first and only legislature in Canada to have a coat of arms separate from the provincial arms. Green and gold are the principal colours, as in the coat of arms of Ontario. A mace is the traditional symbol of the authority of the Speaker. Shown on the left is the current mace, while on the right is the original mace from the time of the first parliament in 1792. The crossed maces are joined by the shield of arms of Ontario.

The coronet on the wreath represents national and provincial loyalties, while its rim is studded with the provincial gemstone, the amethyst. The griffin, an ancient symbol of justice and equity, holds a calumet, which symbolizes the meeting of spirit and discussion that Ontario's First Nations believe accompanies the use of the pipe.

The deer represent the natural riches of the province. The Loyalist coronets at their necks honour the original British settlers in Ontario who brought with them the British parliamentary form of government. The royal crowns (left 1992, right 1792) recognize the parliamentary bicentennial and represent Ontario's heritage as a constitutional monarchy. They were granted as a special honour by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the Governor General.

In the base, the maple leaves are for Canada, the trilliums for Ontario and the roses for York (now Toronto), the provincial capital.

The first mace used by the Upper Canadian Legislature.

The ceremonial mace of the Legislature is the fourth mace to be used in Upper Canada or Ontario. It acts as a symbol, representing the authority of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to oversee the proceedings of the assembly.[14]

The first mace was used by the Chamber of Upper Canada's first Parliament in 1792 at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) and then moved to York (now Toronto).[15] The primitive wooden mace was painted red and gilt, and surmounted by a crown of thin brass strips. It was stolen by American troops as a Prize of War in 1813 at the Battle of York during the War of 1812. The mace was subsequently stored at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It remained in the United States until 1934, when it was returned to Ontario after President Franklin Roosevelt sent an order to Congress to return the mace.[16] It was initially kept at the Royal Ontario Museum for a time, and it is now located in the Main Lobby of the Ontario Legislative Building.[15]

A second mace was introduced in 1813 and used until 1841.

The third mace was not purchased until 1845. In 1849, it was stolen by a riotous mob in Montreal, apparently intent upon destroying it in a public demonstration. However, it was rescued and returned to the Speaker, Sir Allan Macnab, the next day. Later, in 1854, the mace was twice rescued when the Parliament Buildings in Quebec were ravaged by fire. The mace continued to be used by the Union Parliament in Toronto and Quebec until Confederation in 1867, when it was taken to the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, where it remained in the House of Commons until 1916. When the Parliament Buildings were gutted by fire during that year, the mace could not be saved from Centre Block. All that remained was a tiny ball of silver and gold conglomerate.[15]

The fourth, and current, mace used by the Legislature.

The current mace used in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario was acquired in 1867, after Confederation. It was provided by Charles E. Zollikofer of Ottawa for $200. The four-foot mace is made of copper and richly gilded, a flattened ball at the butt end. Initially, the head of the mace bore the crown of Queen Victoria and in a cup with her royal cypher, V.R. When she was succeeded by Edward VII in 1901, her crown and cup were removed and a new one bearing Edward's cypher on the cup was installed. Eventually, it was replaced with the current cup, which is adorned in gleaming brass leaves.[15]

Through some careful detective work on the part of Legislative Assembly staff, the original cup with Queen Victoria's cypher was recently found in the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection and returned to the Legislature. It is now on display in the Ontario Legislative Building.[15]

In 2009, two diamonds were installed in the mace. The diamonds were a gift to the people of Ontario from De Beers Canada to mark the opening of the Victor Mine near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario. Three diamonds were selected from the first run of the mine. Two stones, one rough and one polished, were set in platinum in the crown of the mace while the third stone, also polished, was put on exhibit in the lobby of the Legislative Building as part of a display about the history of the mace.[15]

The seating chamber for the Legislative Assembly features individual chairs and desks for its members.

The seating chamber is similar in layout to that of the British House of Commons and the original St. Stephen's Chapel in the Palace of Westminster.[17] The Parliament of Ontario, however, may be easily distinguished from this model by its use of individual chairs and tables for members, absent in the British Commons' design.

The legislature's former host building and site, home to the Upper Canada and Union Houses, once boasted of a similar layout.

Last update: August 17, 2022[18]

Note: Bold text designates the party leader.

• Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Ted Arnott (Progressive Conservative)
  • Deputy Speaker (Government): Donna Skelly (Progressive Conservative)
  • Deputy Speakers (Mixed-Party): Bhutila Karpoche (New Democratic), Patrice Barnes (Progressive Conservative), Lucille Collard (Liberal)

• Premier of Ontario: Doug Ford (Progressive Conservative)
• Leader of the Opposition: Peter Tabuns (New Democratic)
• Leader of the Liberal Party: John Fraser (interim)
• Leader of the Green Party: Mike Schreiner

• Government House Leader: Paul Calandra (Progressive Conservative)
• Opposition House Leader: Peggy Sattler (NDP)

• Chief Government Whip: Ross Romano (Progressive Conservative)
• Official Opposition Whip: John Vanthof (NDP)

• Executive Council of Ontario
• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 43rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario

A committee which exists for the duration of a parliamentary session. This committee examines and reports on the general conduct of activities by government departments and agencies and reports on matters referred to it by the house, including proposed legislation.[19]

Select committees are set up specifically to study certain bills or issues and according to the Standing Orders, consists of not more than 11 members from all parties with representation reflecting the current standing in the house. In some cases, the committee must examine material by a specific date and then report its conclusion to the legislature. After its final report, the committee is dissolved.[19]

• The Select Committee on Elections completed its work on June 30, 2009.
• The Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions completed its work on August 26, 2010.
• The Select Committee on the proposed transaction of the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange Group completed its work on April 19, 2011.