# 39th Parliament of Ontario

The 39th Legislative Assembly of Ontario was a legislature of the government of the Province of Ontario, Canada. It officially opened November 29, 2007, and ended on June 1, 2011. The membership was set by the 2007 Ontario general election on October 10, 2007.
It was controlled by a Liberal Party majority under Premier Dalton McGuinty. The Official Opposition was the Progressive Conservative Party. It was initially led by John Tory but the leadership changed in 2009 when the PCs elected Tim Hudak as their new leader. The third party was the New Democrats led by Howard Hampton until they chose Andrea Horwath as their leader in 2009. The speaker was Steve Peters.

## Sessions

There were two sessions of the 39th Legislature:
| Session | Start | End |
| 1st | November 29, 2007 | March 4, 2010 |
| 2nd | March 8, 2010 | June 1, 2011 |

## Timeline of the 39th Parliament of Ontario

* November 28, 2007: The legislature conducted a secret vote to elect the Speaker of the legislature. Liberal Party of Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Steve Peters is elected as Speaker defeating incumbent Michael A. Brown. The former labour minister defeated Brown and three other candidates after four ballots.
* November 29, 2007: The session officially opened with the Speech from the Throne.
* February 23, 2008: John Tory's continued leadership of the Progressive Conservative party was endorsed by 66.9% of delegates at a leadership review.
* June 14, 2008: NDP leader Howard Hampton announced he would step down as party leader at the March 7, 2009 NDP leadership convention.
* June 20, 2008: A mini-cabinet shuffle of the Executive Council of Ontario saw David Caplan sworn in as Minister of Health and George Smitherman becoming Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
* January 9, 2009: Progressive Conservative MPP Laurie Scott announced her resignation from the legislature to allow party leader John Tory, who had been without a seat since his defeat in Don Valley West in the 2007 election, to re-enter the legislature.
* March 5, 2009: In the Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election following Scott's resignation, Tory was defeated by Liberal candidate Rick Johnson.
* March 6, 2009: John Tory resigned as Progressive Conservative leader pending the selection of an interim party leader.
* March 7, 2009: Andrea Horwath was elected leader of the Ontario NDP at the party's 2009 leadership convention.
* June 27, 2009: Tim Hudak was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative party at its 2009 leadership election and also became the new Leader of the Opposition.
* September 17, 2009: Eric Hoskins was elected as the MPP for the riding of St. Paul's following the resignation of Michael Bryant on June 7, 2009.
* February 4, 2010: Glenn Murray was elected as the MPP for the riding of Toronto-Centre following the resignation of George Smitherman on January 4, 2010.

## Party standings

Members :
| | Liberal | Dalton McGuinty | Dalton McGuinty | Government | 71 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tim Hudak | Tim Hudak | Official Opposition | 25 |
| | New Democratic | Andrea Horwath | Andrea Horwath | Third Party | 10 |
| | Vacant | | | | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 107 |
| Government Majority | Government Majority | Government Majority | Government Majority | Government Majority | 37 |

### Seating plan

| | | | Murdoch | Martiniuk | Clark | Bailey | Shurman | Savoline | Jones | Ouellette | Gélinas | P. Miller | | | Pendergast | Johnson | | |
| | | O'Toole | Hillier | Chudleigh | Arnott | Dunlop | Hardeman | MacLeod | Munro | Barrett | Prue | DiNovo | Tabuns | Bisson | Jaczek | Magnat | Moridi | Naqvi |
| | | | Wilson | Sterling | Witmer | N. Miller | Elliott | Hudak | Yakabuski | Klees | Kormos | Horwath | Marchese | Hampton | Balkissoon | Albanese | Carroll | Dickson |
| Peters |
| | | | Smith | Bradley | Dombrowsky | Philips | Duncan | McGuinty | Pupatello | Matthews | Wynne | Gerretsen | Ruprecht | Kwinter | Ramsay | Sorbara | | |
| | Leal | Brown | Takhar | Aggelonitis | Bentley | Bartolucci | Best | Duguid | Meilleur | Milloy | Hoskins | Gravelle | Crozier | Colle | Hoy | Lalonde | | |
| | Sergio | Caplan | Murray | Chiarelli | Jeffrey | Wilkinson | Mitchell | Broten | Chan | Sousa | McMeekin | Levac | Arthurs | Berardinetti | Brownell | Cansfield | | |
| | Craitor | Delaney | Dhillon | Flynn | Fonseca | Kular | Mauro | McNeely | Orazietti | Qaadri | Ramal | Rinaldi | Sandals | VanBommel | Zimmer | | Peters | |

## List of members

| Name | Party | Riding | First elected / previously elected | Notes |
| Joe Dickson | Liberal | Ajax—Pickering | 2007 | |
| Mike Brown | Liberal | Algoma—Manitoulin | 1987 | |
| Ted McMeekin | Liberal | Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale | 2000 | |
| Aileen Carroll | Liberal | Barrie | 2007 | |
| Michael Prue | New Democrat | Beaches—East York | 2001 | |
| Kuldip Kular | Liberal | Bramalea—Gore—Malton | 2003 | |
| Linda Jeffrey | Liberal | Brampton—Springdale | 2003 | |
| Vic Dhillon | Liberal | Brampton West | 2003 | |
| Dave Levac | Liberal | Brant | 1999 | |
| Bill Murdoch | Progressive Conservative | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | 1990 | Removed from caucus September 12, 2008; rejoined April 23, 2009 Suspended from the Legislature, November 30, 2009, pursuant to S.O. 15(c) |
| Bill Murdoch | Independent | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | 1990 | Removed from caucus September 12, 2008; rejoined April 23, 2009 Suspended from the Legislature, November 30, 2009, pursuant to S.O. 15(c) |
| Bill Murdoch | Progressive Conservative | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | 1990 | Removed from caucus September 12, 2008; rejoined April 23, 2009 Suspended from the Legislature, November 30, 2009, pursuant to S.O. 15(c) |
| Joyce Savoline | Progressive Conservative | Burlington | 2007 | |
| Gerry Martiniuk | Progressive Conservative | Cambridge | 1995 | |
| Norm Sterling | Progressive Conservative | Carleton—Mississippi Mills | 1977 | |
| Pat Hoy | Liberal | Chatham-Kent—Essex | 1995 | |
| Tony Ruprecht | Liberal | Davenport | 1981 | |
| David Caplan | Liberal | Don Valley East | 1997 | |
| Kathleen Wynne | Liberal | Don Valley West | 2003 | |
| Sylvia Jones | Progressive Conservative | Dufferin—Caledon | 2007 | |
| John O'Toole | Progressive Conservative | Durham | 1995 | |
| Mike Colle | Liberal | Eglinton—Lawrence | 1995 | |
| Steve Peters | Liberal | Elgin—Middlesex—London | 1999 | Speaker |
| Bruce Crozier | Liberal | Essex | 1993 | Died June 3, 2011. |
| Donna Cansfield | Liberal | Etobicoke Centre | 2003 | |
| Laurel Broten | Liberal | Etobicoke—Lakeshore | 2003 | |
| Shafiq Qaadri | Liberal | Etobicoke North | 2003 | |
| Jean-Marc Lalonde | Liberal | Glengarry—Prescott—Russell | 1995 | |
| Liz Sandals | Liberal | Guelph | 2003 | |
| Toby Barrett | Progressive Conservative | Haldimand—Norfolk | 1995 | |
| Laurie Scott | Progressive Conservative | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | 2003 | Resigned on January 9, 2009. |
| Rick Johnson | Liberal | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | 2009 | Elected March 5, 2009. |
| Ted Chudleigh | Progressive Conservative | Halton | 1995 | |
| Andrea Horwath | New Democrat | Hamilton Centre | 2004 | Leader of the New Democratic Party from March 7, 2009. |
| Paul Miller | New Democrat | Hamilton East—Stoney Creek | 2007 | |
| Sophia Aggelonitis | Liberal | Hamilton Mountain | 2007 | |
| Carol Mitchell | Liberal | Huron—Bruce | 2003 | |
| Howard Hampton | New Democrat | Kenora—Rainy River | 1987 | Leader of the New Democratic Party to March 7, 2009. |
| John Gerretsen | Liberal | Kingston and the Islands | 1995 | |
| John Milloy | Liberal | Kitchener Centre | 2003 | |
| Leeanna Pendergast | Liberal | Kitchener—Conestoga | 2007 | |
| Elizabeth Witmer | Progressive Conservative | Kitchener—Waterloo | 1990 | |
| Maria Van Bommel | Liberal | Lambton—Kent—Middlesex | 2003 | |
| Randy Hillier | Progressive Conservative | Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington | 2007 | Suspended from the Legislature, November 30, 2009, pursuant to S.O. 15(c) |
| Bob Runciman | Progressive Conservative | Leeds—Grenville | 1981 | Interim Leader of the Opposition until June 27, 2009. Resigned January 29, 2010 to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada. |
| Steve Clark | Progressive Conservative | Leeds—Grenville | 2010 | Elected March 4, 2010 |
| Khalil Ramal | Liberal | London—Fanshawe | 2003 | |
| Deb Matthews | Liberal | London North Centre | 2003 | |
| Chris Bentley | Liberal | London West | 2003 | |
| Michael Chan | Liberal | Markham—Unionville | 2007 | |
| Amrit Mangat | Liberal | Mississauga—Brampton South | 2007 | |
| Peter Fonseca | Liberal | Mississauga East—Cooksville | 2003 | |
| Harinder Takhar | Liberal | Mississauga—Erindale | 2003 | |
| Charles Sousa | Liberal | Mississauga South | 2007 | |
| Bob Delaney | Liberal | Mississauga—Streetsville | 2003 | |
| Lisa MacLeod | Progressive Conservative | Nepean—Carleton | 2006 | |
| Frank Klees | Progressive Conservative | Newmarket—Aurora | 1995 | |
| Kim Craitor | Liberal | Niagara Falls | 2003 | |
| Tim Hudak | Progressive Conservative | Niagara West—Glanbrook | 1995 | Leader of the Opposition and leader of the Progressive Conservatives from June 27, 2009 |
| France Gélinas | New Democrat | Nickel Belt | 2007 | |
| Monique Smith | Liberal | Nipissing | 2003 | |
| Lou Rinaldi | Liberal | Northumberland—Quinte West | 2003 | |
| Helena Jaczek | Liberal | Oak Ridges—Markham | 2007 | |
| Kevin Flynn | Liberal | Oakville | 2003 | |
| Jerry Ouellette | Progressive Conservative | Oshawa | 1995 | |
| Yasir Naqvi | Liberal | Ottawa Centre | 2007 | |
| Phil McNeely | Liberal | Ottawa—Orléans | 2003 | |
| Dalton McGuinty | Liberal | Ottawa South | 1990 | Premier, leader of the Liberal Party. |
| Madeleine Meilleur | Liberal | Ottawa—Vanier | 2003 | |
| Jim Watson | Liberal | Ottawa West—Nepean | 2003 | Resigned February 1, 2010. |
| Bob Chiarelli | Liberal | Ottawa West—Nepean | 1987, 2010 | Elected March 4, 2010 |
| Ernie Hardeman | Progressive Conservative | Oxford | 1995 | |
| Cheri DiNovo | New Democrat | Parkdale—High Park | 2006 | |
| Norm Miller | Progressive Conservative | Parry Sound-Muskoka | 2001 | |
| John Wilkinson | Liberal | Perth Wellington | 2003 | |
| Jeff Leal | Liberal | Peterborough | 2003 | |
| Wayne Arthurs | Liberal | Pickering—Scarborough East | 2003 | |
| Leona Dombrowsky | Liberal | Prince Edward—Hastings | 1999 | |
| John Yakabuski | Progressive Conservative | Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke | 2003 | |
| Reza Moridi | Liberal | Richmond Hill | 2007 | |
| Jim Bradley | Liberal | St. Catharines | 1977 | |
| Michael Bryant | Liberal | St. Paul's | 1999 | Resigned June 7, 2009. |
| Eric Hoskins | Liberal | St. Paul's | 2009 | Elected September 17, 2009. |
| Bob Bailey | Progressive Conservative | Sarnia—Lambton | 2007 | |
| David Orazietti | Liberal | Sault Ste. Marie | 2003 | |
| Gerry Phillips | Liberal | Scarborough—Agincourt | 1987 | |
| Brad Duguid | Liberal | Scarborough Centre | 2003 | |
| Margarett Best | Liberal | Scarborough-Guildwood | 2007 | |
| Bas Balkissoon | Liberal | Scarborough—Rouge River | 2005 | |
| Lorenzo Berardinetti | Liberal | Scarborough Southwest | 2003 | |
| Jim Wilson | Progressive Conservative | Simcoe—Grey | 1990 | |
| Garfield Dunlop | Progressive Conservative | Simcoe North | 1999 | |
| Jim Brownell | Liberal | Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry | 2003 | |
| Rick Bartolucci | Liberal | Sudbury | 1995 | |
| Peter Shurman | Progressive Conservative | Thornhill | 2007 | |
| Bill Mauro | Liberal | Thunder Bay—Atikokan | 2003 | |
| Michael Gravelle | Liberal | Thunder Bay—Superior North | 1995 | |
| David Ramsay | Liberal | Timiskaming—Cochrane | 1985 | |
| Gilles Bisson | New Democrat | Timmins—James Bay | 1990 | |
| George Smitherman | Liberal | Toronto Centre | 1999 | Resigned January 4, 2010. |
| Glen Murray | Liberal | Toronto Centre | 2010 | Elected February 4, 2010. |
| Peter Tabuns | New Democrat | Toronto—Danforth | 2006 | |
| Rosario Marchese | New Democrat | Trinity—Spadina | 1990 | |
| Greg Sorbara | Liberal | Vaughan | 1985, 2002 | |
| Peter Kormos | New Democrat | Welland | 1988 | |
| Ted Arnott | Progressive Conservative | Wellington—Halton Hills | 1990 | |
| Christine Elliott | Progressive Conservative | Whitby—Oshawa | 2006 | |
| David Zimmer | Liberal | Willowdale | 2003 | |
| Dwight Duncan | Liberal | Windsor—Tecumseh | 1995 | |
| Sandra Pupatello | Liberal | Windsor West | 1995 | |
| Monte Kwinter | Liberal | York Centre | 1985 | |
| Julia Munro | Progressive Conservative | York—Simcoe | 1995 | |
| Laura Albanese | Liberal | York South—Weston | 2007 | |
| Mario Sergio | Liberal | York West | 1995 | |

## Standings changes since the 38th general election

| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2009 | 2009 | 2009 | 2009 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
| Number of members per party by date | Number of members per party by date | Oct 10 | Sep 12 | Jan 9 | Mar 5 | Apr 23 | Jun 7 | Sep 17 | Jan 4 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 4 | Mar 4 | Mar 26 | Jun 3 |
| | Liberal | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 70 |
| | Progressive Conservative | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| | NDP | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Total members | 107 | 107 | 106 | 107 | 107 | 106 | 107 | 106 | 105 | 104 | 105 | 107 | 106 | 105 |
| | Vacant | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| | Government Majority | 35 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 |

### Membership changes

Membership changes in the 39th Assembly :
| Date | Name | District | Party | Reason |
| October 10, 2007 | See List of Members | See List of Members | See List of Members | Election day of the 39th Ontario general election |
| September 12, 2008 | Bill Murdoch | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | Independent | Suspended from the Progressive Conservative caucus |
| January 9, 2009 | Laurie Scott | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | Progressive Conservative | Vacated seat for party leader John Tory. |
| March 5, 2009 | Rick Johnson | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | Liberal | Elected in a by-election |
| April 23, 2009 | Bill Murdoch | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | Progressive Conservative | Re-joined the Progressive Conservative caucus |
| June 7, 2009 | Michael Bryant | St. Paul's | Liberal | Vacated seat |
| September 17, 2009 | Eric Hoskins | St. Paul's | Liberal | Elected in a by-election |
| January 4, 2010 | George Smitherman | Toronto Centre | Liberal | Vacated seat |
| January 29, 2010 | Bob Runciman | Leeds—Grenville | Progressive Conservative | Appointed to the Senate of Canada |
| February 1, 2010 | Jim Watson | Ottawa West—Nepean | Liberal | Vacated seat |
| February 4, 2010 | Glen Murray | Toronto Centre | Liberal | Elected in a by-election |
| March 4, 2010 | Bob Chiarelli | Ottawa West—Nepean | Liberal | Elected in a by-election |
| March 4, 2010 | Steve Clark | Leeds—Grenville | Progressive Conservative | Elected in a by-election |
| March 26, 2011 | Peter Fonseca | Mississauga East—Cooksville | Liberal | Vacated seat to run in the 2011 federal election |
| June 3, 2011 | Bruce Crozier | Essex | Liberal | died from an aortic aneurysm |

## Office holders

* Speaker: Steve Peters
* Premier: Dalton McGuinty (Liberal)
* Government House Leader: Monique Smith (Liberal)
* Deputy Government House Leader: Gerry Phillips (Liberal)
* Leader of the Opposition: Tim Hudak (PC)
* Opposition House Leader: John Yakabuski
* Leader of the Third Party: Andrea Horwath (NDP)
* House Leader of the Third Party: Peter Kormos (NDP)

## Major legislation

* Bill 8, Food for Healthy Schools Act, 2008, Royal Assent April 27, 2008
* Bill 48, Payday Loans Act, 2008, Royal Assent June 18, 2008
* Bill 50, Provincial Animal Welfare Act, 2008, Second Reading, May 27, 20085,
* Bill 55, Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority Act, 2008, Royal Assent June 18, 2008
* Bill 64, Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act, 2008, Royal Assent June 18, 2008
* Bill 66, Toronto Public Transit Service Resumption Act, 2008, Royal Assent April 27, 2008
* Bill 90, Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, 2008, Second Reading June 12, 2008

## Committees

There are two forms which committees can take. The first, standing committees, are struck for the duration of the Parliament pursuant to Standing Orders. The second, select committees, are struck usually by a Motion or an Order of the House to consider a specific Bill or issue which would otherwise monopolize the time of the standing committees.

### Standing Committees

Standing committees in the current Parliament
Select committees in the current Parliament
The 39th Parliament had 3 select committees.
* The Select Committee on Elections was struck, by a motion of the House, on June 11, 2008. It completed its work on June 29, 2009.
* The Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions was struck, by a motion of the House, on February 24, 2009. It completed its work on August 24, 2010.
* The Select Committee on the proposed transaction of the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange Group was struck, by a motion of the House, on February 23, 2011. It completed its work on April 19, 2011.