Legislative Assembly of Ontario · Committee

Monday, May 25, 2026

Standing Committee on Social Policy · Room 2

The official transcript of the meeting, from Hansard, by heading. Ministers, officials and witnesses appear as the transcript names them; committees have no live transcript, so the record appears once the Assembly publishes it.

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Meeting ended

1:00 p.m.Official transcript

The committee met at 1300 in committee room 2.

Official source

Selection of estimates

1:00 p.m.Official transcript

The Chair (Mr. Brian Riddell)

Good afternoon, everyone. The Standing Committee on Social Policy will now come to order. On our agenda this afternoon is the selection of the 2026-27 estimates for consideration. Pursuant to standing order 62(b), the estimates, upon tabling, are deemed to be referred to the standing committees to which the respective ministries and offices were assigned, pursuant to standing order 113(b). All committee members should have received an electronic copy of the 2026-27 estimates from the Clerk. The estimates for the following ministries have been referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy for selection and consideration: —Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services; —Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security; —Ministry of Education; —Ministry of Health; —Ministry of Long-Term Care; —Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. The objective of today’s meeting is to select the estimates of certain ministries for review by this committee. Standing order 63 sets out the process by which the committee makes its selections. With each turn, each recognized party may choose the estimates of one ministry. If members of one party declines to make a selection, the selection then passes to the next party in rotation. The process concludes when either there are no further ministries available to select or all parties decline to make further selections. The estimates of these ministries not selected for consideration will be deemed to have been passed by the committee. As Chair, I will report those unselected estimates back to the House, and they will be deemed to be adopted and concurred in by the House. With making your selections, please look at the list of ministries in the estimates book or as displayed on the screen in front of you, and give the correct names of the ministries when you select them for consideration. Do members have any questions before we begin? I recognize MPP Gélinas.

Official source

1:02 p.m.Official transcript

Mme France Gélinas

I was just curious to know, do we know when they will take place and how many we will have time to do? I know that there is a hard deadline of—I forgot—November 16?

Official source

1:03 p.m.Official transcript

The Clerk of the Committee (Ms. Vanessa Kattar)

The third Thursday in November.

Official source

1:03 p.m.Official transcript

Mme France Gélinas

The third Thursday in November is the fixed deadline. Do we know if we are going to do this during the summer recess or is this something we will do next fall? Any idea when we are going to do this?

Official source

1:03 p.m.Official transcript

The Chair (Mr. Brian Riddell)

Yes, it probably will be during the summer. I don’t know right now, but we’ll determine that. As soon as we know, we’ll let you know. It’s up to the committee to determine.

Official source

1:03 p.m.Official transcript

Mme France Gélinas

Okay.

Official source

1:03 p.m.Official transcript

The Chair (Mr. Brian Riddell)

I know nobody likes to sit during the summer, and I respect that. Any further questions? Okay. Selections: I would like to start with the official opposition for their first selection. MPP Gélinas?

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1:03 p.m.Official transcript

Mme France Gélinas

I’m sure everybody will be really surprised that my first choice is going to be the Ministry of Health.

Official source

1:04 p.m.Official transcript

The Chair (Mr. Brian Riddell)

Now I’ll go to MPP McMahon.

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1:04 p.m.Official transcript

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon

Thank you for having me, Chair and committee. I would like to choose the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, please.