September 26, 2024
The Empire Club of Canada Presents
Leading with Stiles: Ontario’s Future Reimagined
Chairperson: Jenna Donelson, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Moderator
Steve Paikin, Canadian Journalist, Author and Documentary Producer
Distinguished Guest Speaker
Marit Stiles, Ontario’s Leader of the Official Opposition
Head Table Guests
Laura Walton, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
Lee Caprio, Business Manager & Financial Secretary, IBEW Local 353
Welcome Address by Jenna Donelson, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the Empire Club of Canada. I’m Jenna Donelson, and it is my great pleasure to be chair of the board of the Empire Club, and your host for today’s event.
To begin, I want to acknowledge that we are gathering on the Traditional and Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit and the homelands of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. We encourage everyone to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you work and live.
And I’d also like to recognize a number of elected officials in the room. I think there are quite a few of you, so I’m just gonna ask everyone to give us a round of applause, and ask you to stand, while we recognize. Thank you very much for being here with us today.
Today is just the second event of our new season, and what a great event it is already. As you saw in our welcome video, there’s a new energy here at the Empire Club, and it’s captured in our theme for the year, Leading the Change. Each season of the Empire Club is another building block in a 121-year history of being not just a place where important and consequential discussion happens, but I believe, the place where it best happens.
Since 1903, our club has been a space for leaders, influential voices, and trailblazers, from everyday Canadians to provincial, national, and global leaders, to share ideas, debate policy, and spark change. And it’s been a personal joy to see how these conversations that we have hosted ripple outward, and influence the public discussion here in Canada. That’s why I’m so energized for the upcoming season that we have ahead, and today’s event is no exception. We have with us Marit Stiles, Leader of Ontario’s Official Opposition, and of course, leader of the NDP, and MPP for Davenport.
Today’s discussion is the first in our Ontario Leader Series, and in this series, we’ll hear what our provincial leaders envision, or in some cases, reimagine, for Ontario’s future. While this address is the first in our series, Marit joins a rich tradition of opposition leaders delivering important messages from our podium, usually messages of change, and I’m sure she’ll have lots to say about that.
But before we dive in, as a nonprofit organization, we would like to recognize our sponsors, who generously support these events, and make complimentary viewing possible for our online audience. Thank you to our Lead Sponsors, the Ontario Federation of Labour, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. And thank you to our VIP Reception Sponsors, Aurora Strategy Global, and Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and the Society of United Professionals. We appreciate you. And thank you to our Supporting Sponsor, the Ontario Real Estate Association. And thank you to our Lead Season Sponsors, Bruce Power, and Hydro One. Thank you, as well, to our VIP Reception Season Sponsor, Waste Connections of Canada. Give them a hand. And finally, thank you to our Print Media Partner, the Toronto Star.
If you have questions for our speakers, please scan the QR code found in your program, or if you’re online, through the Q&A function. For those of you online, if you require technical assistance, please start a chat with our team, using that function on the right-hand side of your screen.
To kick things off, it is my pleasure to introduce our first speaker, Laura Walton. Laura Walton is the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, Canada’s largest provincial labour federation. She was elected to the position in 2023, and prior to that, she served as the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ontario School Boards Council of Unions—I think I know why you go by OSPCU. In addition to her role with OSPCU, Laura also served on the CUPE Ontario Executive Board, and she is proud of her rural roots, growing up in Belleville, where she worked in radio and marketing, and supported children with special needs, as an educational assistant. So please join me in welcoming to the stage, Laura Walton.
Opening Remarks by Laura Walton, President, Ontario Federation of Labour
We’re at an age now where these [glasses] have to go on, so here we go. Good afternoon, friends, and thank you for joining us here today. As mentioned, my name is Laura Walton, and I’m the president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. Before we begin, I would just like to take a moment to thank the workers with Unite Here 75, for all of their hard work today. Just a shout out, an amazing meal, amazing service.
On behalf of a million workers from 54 unions affiliated with the OFL, I am honoured to introduce Marit Stiles, leader of the ONDP, Ontario’s Official Opposition. Marit understands workers’ issues. From fighting for workers at the bargaining table with ACTRA, to her role as an education critic—where I learned so much, and became very close with her—to her current role as the Official Opposition Leader. She knows what working people need. She sees our issues firsthand. When there’s a picket line, Marit is at that picket line. When there’s a rally, Marit is at that rally. And when we need her in the community, Marit is there, as well. Marit knows that when everyone can afford to have a good life, when we can afford a roof over our head, and when our public services are accessible to all, life is better for everyone.
This afternoon, Marit is going to talk about reimagining Ontario’s future. We are at a critical moment in this province. Healthcare wait times are far too long, our classrooms are overcrowded, and things are still too expensive. Right now, we need imagination. Right now, we need hope. Right now, we need a bold vision. And those are all things that Marit embodies.
At the Ontario Federation of Labour, we’re in the middle of a cross-province tour. As a matter of fact, today after we’re done, Jamie West and I are heading back on our next round of carpool karaoke, to head back up to Sudbury. We are travelling to 11 cities, to engage communities in dialogue about building the Ontario we need. Last week, we were in Kingston and Ottawa; we were just in Sault Ste. Marie; we’re now heading back to Sudbury. We’re over halfway through this tour. We have met hundreds of workers and community members. And what I’m hearing in those town hall meetings is that people are struggling. People are struggling with healthcare, with affordability, with housing. And they’re not lazy. They’re ready to fight. They don’t want the next four years to be a repeat of the last six. They’re ready to rally behind a new vision, a vision I know that Marit and the NDP can provide.
Marit has been on a similar tour, to hear from communities across the province. This afternoon, she’s going to share her roadmap and transformative vision, to navigate the province under an NDP government. I’m ready, and I know you are ready, for new energy and fresh solutions. We’re ready to reimagine Ontario’s future. And with that, I am absolutely delighted to introduce a dear friend of not just mine, but of workers across Ontario, Marit Stiles.
Marit Stiles, Ontario’s Leader of the Official Opposition
Thank you. Thank you so much, everyone. As you can see, Laura and I coordinated today, as we always do—I don’t know if everybody else here got the memo, but today it’s green. But listen, hello, good afternoon, bonjour tout le monde. Thank you so much for joining us here today. And thank you, Laura, for that introduction. And thank you to the Ontario Federation of Labour, and the Ontario Building Trades, for co-sponsoring today’s conversation. And of course, to the Empire Club for hosting me. And I have to give a shout out, as well, to the amazing workers at Unite Here Local 75 for, again, for putting this all together for us. A lovely meal. Thank you so much.
But look, these are fitting sponsors for this discussion, because we can’t build the future we want for Ontario without the energy of workers who will actually build it. So, thank you, and thank you all for being here. We’re also joined today by several of the members of my team from the Official Opposition NDP Caucus today—and I know they already stood up once, but I’d love to get the MPPs that are here to stand up again, stand up again, my friends. You know—thank you—I gotta tell you, you will not find harder working MPPs in any party, in any party. And I am so inspired by them every day.
Serving as Ontario’s Official Opposition is a responsibility that we take very, very seriously. And while I will say this government has given us plenty to oppose, we take our responsibility to propose just as seriously. [Remarks in French] And that’s why I was glad to have this opportunity to share with you, just a little peek. You know, I was told I was gonna provide the roadmap, but just so you know, we’ve got 10 minutes here. So it’s gonna be a little peek into my vision for Ontario’s future, and why I have hope, as well, that a better future isn’t only possible, but it’s within our reach.
Now, some of you may know this, but I am not originally from Ontario. In fact, like about 30% of the population, I was born outside this province. And in my case, I grew up in Newfoundland, and I’m proud of those roots. And when I came of age, like so many others of my generation, I looked West. I came to Ontario for school, and I stayed, because I found something I didn’t have back home, opportunity. Now, it wasn’t a problem-free paradise. But Ontario was, without question, the economic engine of our country. A place where you could get a good job, and you could make enough money to live. You could afford a home, and support a family. You could have a family doctor. You could count on a good public education for your kids. Ontario was a place with a sense of possibility.
Now, my partner, Jordan, sitting over there, and I, we’ve raised our girls here. And I’ve worked in many sectors, since I arrived here, right? Government, on the side of workers and labour, health policy—I even started a small business doing communications work. But it was my experience as a parent that led me to fight for better childcare, for better schools for my kids, and then to run for school trustee at the TDSB. And you know, in 2017, in the face of, I will say it, Liberal school closures, and cuts to education, I took the leap to provincial politics. Now, as leader of Ontario’s NDP, I have the honour and the opportunity to make even bigger change. Because I think that we can all agree that something has to shift in our province. So, yeah. In my role, I have the privilege of travelling all around our beautiful province. It is so beautiful. But I hear the same things over and over, again and again. It feels like my kids are going to be worse off than I was. It feels like we’re going backwards. You hear it everywhere. The worry about next month’s bills, about making rent, worry about how much higher the grocery bill is going to be this time, when you go to the store, wondering whether we need to cancel our kids’ soccer to save a bit. These are the kinds of hard choices that people are making every day. And I see it in big cities and small towns. And you see it, you see it, in the economic indicators too. This year, Ontario is, once again, the recipient of equalization payments. Think about that. I cannot imagine telling my younger self, growing up in Newfoundland, that Ontario, the powerhouse of the federation that I left Newfoundland for, a province so rich in resources and talent, would become a have-not province. And I will tell you this, it is something no Ontario Premier should be proud of.
But here’s the thing that I want to share with you today. These conditions are not inevitable. And it is not something that we have to accept. In fact, I refuse to. I know we can turn this around, because often, in the same places where life is the hardest is where I see signs of hope.[Remarks in French]. I see people all across this province working hard, and taking pride in what they’ve built. I see the talent, and the drive, and the creativity, in our people all across the province. And the solutions to the big problems that we face are there, right in front of us. So my message to Ontarians is this: my friends, it is time for better. You deserve a government that has the vision, the drive, and the focus to take on our most pressing challenges. You deserve a government that stands up for you.
I want to share a little bit with you today about one aspect of my vision for Ontario. Because I’m very focused, these days, on something that I think will make one of the biggest impacts on our economy, on the future of Ontario. And that is, it is housing. Before I get to that, I do want to say one other thing, though, which is that I really believe, as well, that you need a government that understands that kick-starting the economy is about more than putting up open for business signs, and hoping for the best. You know, you deserve a government that understands—and I’m gonna borrow here from an executive that I met not that long ago at Ericsson, when I was checking in with the tech sector in Kanata. This CEO said to me, “You deserve a government that understands that we cannot attract the talent, the people to come here, and bring their families and skills, unless we can provide the social infrastructure.” And that means the schools, the transit, the healthcare, and yes, the housing. You deserve leadership that understands that stability and partnership foster strong economic development, and that chaos and cronyism do not.
So, a better future for the province that we all love, it starts with a government that’s gonna get the basics right—and this was, I think, the point that the CEO from Ericsson was making with me. You get the basics right. You live up to its responsibilities, and you focus on what’s most important to working people, ordinary people. That’s why I’m gonna keep emergency rooms open, and make sure that everybody has access to primary care, because, you know, at a minimum, at a minimum, people deserve this. I’m gonna change how our schools are funded, so that instead of jamming our kids in like sardines, we can get them the support that they need for a great start in life. And I’m gonna make sure that our energy sector continues to provide the affordable, sustainable electricity, and good union jobs, that we need to fight climate change and power our economy.
So, these are the priorities for me, but as I mentioned, I do wanna talk today to focus in a little bit on a part of our plan that I think is gonna have the biggest impact on our province’s present and our future, and that is housing. Making sure that people have a decent home, you know, one that they can actually afford, is a fundamental responsibility of any government. But despite what I think is, really, a political consensus that we’re in a housing crisis, Ontario is falling behind. And in fact—and I gotta tell you, this is really scary to me—housing starts are down, construction is slowing, and so are the new opportunities for tradespeople and other workers. Doug Ford’s plan, which I will say it, I think privileges a few developers, tried to crack open the green belt for luxury sprawl, but it hasn’t worked. It turns out that actually leaving it entirely to the market won’t get the job done. Sometimes, the market needs a nudge.
So here’s what I’m gonna do. As Premier, I will unlock public lands, and marshal the funds that we need to build housing that people can actually afford. We’re gonna get government back in the business of building homes, right? Nonprofit, cooperative, supportive, public, right across the province. It’s part of a plan that we’re calling Homes Ontario. You know, and it’s something we used to do well, in this province. But the last time we built nonprofit housing of any significance at all was in the early 1990’s. In fact, by 1995, some of you will remember, along with me, that it was stopped, when federal and provincial governments decided to stop, frankly, planning for the future. I mean, all you have to do is look at Toronto, where we are right now. In the early ’90s, Toronto was building about 5,000 affordable housing units a year. And if it hadn’t been slashed, we’d have 150,000 affordable units here by now. That’s, guess what, just about the exact number we’re short today. Think how much better off we’d be.
And while I’m at it, I wanna give a shout-out to our new mayor, who I think really gets the urgency of this. Mayor Chow is breaking ground on almost 5,000 new units right now. And if she had a strong partner at Queen’s Park, she and all the municipal leaders who want to get this done all across Ontario, they could do even more. With real leadership on housing, we can tackle one of the key issues that I hear about so often: the retention of skilled labour. Homes Ontario is gonna help bring stability and certainty to the sector, with positive outcomes for private development, too. Because tackling a crisis this big is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Public sector, private sector, not-for-profit. We can help get people housed with options that meet every need, and the economy will be better for it.
This plan of ours is a centerpiece of a new housing policy, but I don’t want you to think that that’s all that’s needed. I listen to the experts—I will say, some of them are here with us today—and we’re going to bring in other concrete measures to boost supply, like legalizing fourplexes, right? Like bringing in measures that are gonna protect our existing affordable supply, and so much more. I’m not afraid to get this done. And I’m not beholden to anyone, but the people of this province.
So, folks, listen, we have a lot left to talk about, and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to connect with all of you, as many tables as I can get to today. And of course, to my conversation with Steve Paikin, who we’re very excited is here with us today. But I want to leave you with this: people of this province deserve a government that will take on the big challenges we are facing with courage, and a government that will chart a course for a better future. Not making decisions just with the next four years, or the next election in mind, but the next few decades, and for our future generations. We need a premier who has the vision, and the focus to see it through. I’m running to be that premier. Thank you, merci, and Miigwech.
Jenna Donelson
Thank you, Marit, for that energized speech, and for sharing your vision for our province with us. I think everyone here, regardless of political leanings, recognizes how much courage and conviction it takes to step up, to put your name on a ballot, to run for leader, and cast a vision like this. It’s hard work, and it’s inspiring. And so, I wanted to say thank you, because we are so grateful to you for doing it. Now, I’d like to introduce someone who is a leader of a different sort. For decades, Steve Paikin has been a giant, literally and figuratively, in Ontario political journalism. You all know Steve…
Steve Paikin, Canadian Journalist, Author and Documentary Producer
That’s all right. That’s all right.
Jenna Donelson
…he’s the senior editor of TVO’s Agenda. Please join me in welcoming him to our podium.
Steve Paikin
That’s it, good. I don’t want to take away your time, to do this. Okay, a couple of housekeeping things, off the top. First of all, happy birthday last week.
Marit Stiles
Oh, thank you.
Steve Paikin
Yes.
Marit Stiles
Yeah, thanks.
Steve Paikin
Second of all, in the interest of full disclosure, we should say you have not seen the questions ahead of time…
Marit Stiles
That’s right.
Steve Paikin
…I have not provided the questions to your team, ahead of time. This is a spontaneous conversation. So, we put that on the record. And also, they’ve given me a little phone here, so that I’m gonna get your—I’m gonna start it off, but then get your questions here, so we can get this audience involved in it, as well. And I thought, since you were a little autobiographical off the top…
Marit Stiles
Right.
Steve Paikin
…we might just start there.
Marit Stiles
Okay.
Steve Paikin
‘Cause I’m gonna look for a show of hands here. How many people in this room know one other person named Marit? Hands up.
Marit Stiles
Yeah.
Steve Paikin
You do? You really do? Wow.
Marit Stiles
Wow. Story of my life.
Steve Paikin
Yeah, exactly. So, maybe we need a short explanation…
Marit Stiles
Okay.
Steve Paikin
…off the top, about that.
Marit Stiles
All right, okay. So. So, yeah, so when I was born, my parents were expecting a boy. Now, they didn’t have an ultrasound; they had no good reason to believe that, but they were expecting a boy. And when I wasn’t a boy, they had no ideas for a girl’s name. So, they asked their best friends—who happened to be from Norway—what was a good Norwegian name? And I ended up with Marit. So, I am not Norwegian. And, and yeah. And I can tell you that it’s—people find it, you know, hard to pronounce, but it was even harder when I was growing up in Newfoundland, let me assure you. Yeah.
Steve Paikin
When did you become a new Democrat, and why?
Marit Stiles
Well, I think, you know, when I was growing up, my family and my parents were not partisan, by any means, not political like that. They were—but they cared about what I would now call social justice, you know, civil rights, they cared about the environment. We farmed in an outport, not too far from St. John’s. And so, it kind of was in my blood a little bit, to have that kind of, that social justice leaning, to think, you know, it was my role in life to help my neighbour. I think that was a big part of the principle of us growing up. And frankly, a lot of, like, what I saw growing up in Newfoundland too, right? People having a hard time, in a lot of those communities, struggling a lot, especially when I was growing up. And then when I went on to university, it was during the apartheid, the end of the apartheid era. So, I got very active in sort of anti-apartheid stuff. And then I ended up—oh, but I will tell you how it really happened. I walked in to the cafeteria at Carleton University, and I walked right in, and this pretty cute guy handed me a flyer; it was an NDP flyer. And I said, “Oh, thank you.” And then I looked up and I said, “Wait a minute, I know you.”—and by the way, he is still with me, to this day. But I, if I’m honest, it had a little more to do with romance, than anything else.
Steve Paikin
So, is that to say that if Jordan Berger were a conservative, you would be today as well?
Marit Stiles
Good God, no.
Steve Paikin
Oh. Just checking. Okay, just checking. Okay, here comes one of those sort of the view from 35,000 feet, airy fairy political science questions. We’ve had 43 elections in Ontario history. Liberals or Conservatives have won 41 of 43; the NDP has only ever won one, 1990. The United Farmers won another one, in 1919. For whatever reason, when people choose governments in this province, they almost always only think about two options. What can you say to the people in this room, some of whom I suspect feel that, and beyond this room, who just think New Democrats are not an option, and therefore, they don’t think of you that way?
Marit Stiles
Well, first of all, it is absolutely my job, to convince people of that very thing—and don’t think that I don’t know that that’s an obstacle for us. But I think we’re in a moment where we are facing such enormous challenges, in this province. And I don’t think we got here overnight, I don’t think we got here just over the last six years. I think this is the moment when we need some bold change, when we need a new vision for Ontario. I see it in the young people that I feel are really connecting to our message. And I am going to be asking people to unite, to unite around the vision and the values of the New Democratic Party, in this next election. Because I truly believe we are also the only party that can defeat this government. We’re ready to do it, we have a team of incredible experience. And when people say to me, “Well, you haven’t been elected that much, here in Ontario,” I say, “Look West. Look at what NDP governments have managed to achieve. Look at fiscal responsibility in that region.” You know, look at the amazing things that are happening in BC under David Eby, or in Manitoba under Wab Kinew. We could have that here. We just need to unite behind a party that, I think, shares the same values that so many Ontarians share.
Steve Paikin
Admittedly, this is only a snapshot, and there’s all sorts of ways of keeping score, but there was a by-election very recently in Bay of Quinte…
Marit Stiles
Yes.
Steve Paikin
…and the NDP, once again, found itself in its traditional third spot, and it was the Liberals who were the alternative to the Conservatives who won. How discouraging was that?
Marit Stiles
Well, you know, look, I, I don’t like to lose, just so we’re all clear; I don’t care if it’s second or third, I don’t like to lose. And so, we take those very seriously, and I will absolutely—like, for us, there’s lessons that we have to learn. We have to move forward. But we did increase our vote. We have to keep moving forward, and we will learn from those things. But, and I can tell you, ’cause Laura Walton is from Bay of Quinte riding, and she and I have had many long conversations about this. But this is not a riding where we’ve ever really been a particularly strong presence.
Steve Paikin
Right.
Marit Stiles
So for us, this past by-election was also about building on the ground, building the volunteer base that we’re gonna need in a general election—which is very different from a by-election—to move, and to translate support into actual votes. And I would say, as well, you know, we have a candidate there, who I found just extraordinary, Amanda Robertson, who I am really hoping that in the next general election, we can actually elect as an MPP, in the province of Ontario.
Steve Paikin
Okay, here’s another one of those airy-fairy poli-sci questions. We have seen in France, we have seen in British Columbia, that when opposition parties cooperate, they can defeat those that they collectively want to defeat, but they seem to be more rivalrous with one another, than sometimes with the government in power. My question is this: can you imagine a scenario where, since you, and Bonnie Crombie, and Mike Schreiner, all want Doug Ford out, you cooperate in some kind of strategic way to do that?
Marit Stiles
Steve, I am running to form a majority government in the province of Ontario. And I, as I said, you know, I am reaching out because I believe, I feel it in my bones that we can do it. We have the power, we have the message, and we have the strong Official Opposition Caucus. I mean, we have MPPs in every corner of this province. We are going to work so hard. I am going to fight real hard. And we are gonna be ready, when that general election is called. And I could get the political nerd thing going here with you, too, about how that all works. But I think it’s really different, in our electoral system. I am a big fan, as people here many will know, of electoral reform. And that, frankly, is how we get grown-up government, how we actually get governments that work together, that cooperate. But any government—but I can tell you, as right now, when Liberals put forward good policy, we will support it. When Greens put forward good policy, we will support it. Even Conservatives, when they put forward good policy, we will support it.
Steve Paikin
Have they done that yet?
Marit Stiles
Not so often. A couple times. But you know, we also look for their support, and we do work together. And I would like a government, I would like to be a government, and to form a government, that could work in a more cooperative way, on behalf of the people of Ontario.
Steve Paikin
Well, maybe you could help us understand this. This is not exactly a government without its difficulties.
Marit Stiles
Yes.
Steve Paikin
There is an RCMP investigation into green belt-related malfeasance. There is controversy over closing the Science Centre—which has its birthday today, incidentally. It’s the same age as you.
Marit Stiles
I know. Thank you for pointing that out, Steve.
Steve Paikin
Okay. There’s $225 million to end a brewer’s agreement a year early. There’s lots of stuff that you and the current government don’t agree on. And yet, they’ve been in first place in the polls for about six straight years. Can you explain why that is?
Marit Stiles
Well, I mean, I think first of all, I think 2022, I think a lot of people were willing to give, maybe, the government the benefit of the doubt, after the pandemic. But I really feel right now that when people’s attention is focused in a general election, that it will be very clear that this government isn’t serving their needs. You know, we’ve, we’ve talked—or I spoke in my speech, a little bit—about what we see as the major issues for most Ontarians. It’s the lack of adequate healthcare, emergency rooms are closed when you show up there, or what, two-and-a-half million people don’t have access to a family physician, or a nurse practitioner, primary care; the housing crisis, the affordability crisis.
And you know, I’ll tell you—I don’t know if you were gonna ask me about this—but when I hear the Premier making comments like he’s made over the last few days, well, first of all, I think he’s trying to distract, and detract a little from, I think, some really serious issues that people have. And it’s not to say that, you know, obviously, homelessness and housing, these are very serious issues. But I think that he’s putting out divisive comments, to distract from where people are really at, and what they’re feeling, and experiencing out there. And I think it is a deeply irresponsible approach, as well. You know, that kind of—I’ll tell you why I worry about it, and I think, I mean, I’m hearing from people of all political stripes that they’re concerned about this, too, is, you know, as Premier, the least you should do, this is public service, is take responsibility. You are the Premier, you are the government. If people are losing their homes, that’s on you. If they don’t have a family doctor, that’s on you.
And so, I, you know, I think for, there are times when he can, he can distract a little, and he can. But when it really comes down to it, and people are asked at the ballot box, you know, what is the vision of Ontario that they want to see, what does their future look like? Is my experience today any better than it was six years ago? They’re going to say, no, it’s not, and it’s time for change.
Steve Paikin
Do you think people cut him more slack, ’cause he’s kind of folksy?
Marit Stiles
Possibly. You know, we’re certainly familiar with his way of doing things, here in the City of Toronto. And that’s possible. But again, I mean, I think you can only get away with that for so long. People out there, regular people, middle-class people, are experiencing things that they’ve never experienced before. And I talked about my own personal experience, right? But I cannot get over the fact that Ontario is a have-not province. And I’ll tell you that I’ve had a certain Premier out West remind me of that a few times, lately. Because, you know, it’s shocking that that’s where we’re at today. And we shouldn’t have to be here. And I think that this will become more and more clear, this is becoming more and more clear to Ontarians. They see through that.
Steve Paikin
Let me do a couple of quick more ones…
Marit Stiles
Yep.
Steve Paikin
…and then we’ll get this audience in here. We’re less than six weeks to go before the American presidential election. If you had a vote in that election, do I assume you’re not a Trump voter?
Marit Stiles
You can absolutely assume that.
Steve Paikin
Okay.
Marit Stiles
Yes.
Steve Paikin
Just wanted to confirm that.
Marit Stiles
Yes. No, no Trump for me.
Steve Paikin
Okay.
Marit Stiles
Love, love Kamala Harris, and Walz, boy. Love that.
Steve Paikin
Okay. Let me ask about that, then. Is there anything you’ve seen Kamala Harris do that you have thought, “Hmm, that’s pretty cool. I may want to steal that, and bring that up here.”
Marit Stiles
Oh, wow. You know, I think—well, obviously her debate presentation was pretty on the mark. And I think what I saw there is just that ability to cut through, and just speak the truth and the facts. And I think that’s gonna be really, really important, you know, and speaking directly through to the people of the United States. When you’re dealing with somebody who is as extreme as, of course, Donald Trump is—but you know, we’ve seen that folksiness elsewhere, too, sometimes—you know, you’ve got to really speak, cut right through that, to the heart of the matter. And I think speaking like she did, for example, just one of the examples in the debate, and that as she’s spoken since, about abortion rights, reproductive rights, you know, to talk about the actual situation, what that means for a real person. I think that just, you know, I think it cut right through a lot of the noise to the heart of the issue for a lot of people. It’s really important.
QUESTION & ANSWER
Steve Paikin
Okay, let me get some questions in from the floor, now.
Marit Stiles
Yeah.
Steve Paikin
And I’m gonna shorten them. I won’t necessarily read them all out, just to save us some time here. Healthcare, as an issue, is not necessarily a partisan issue. We’ve seen all three parties in power, over the last 35 years; nobody seems to be able to get rid of hallway medicine, nobody seems to be able to keep ERs open, nobody seems to be able to make a dent in the fact that, what is it now? Two million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor. Can you really tell this audience you have some ideas that are so unique, that you will somehow be able to do something no one else has figured out so far?
Marit Stiles
Yes. Yes I do. And here’s why. I mean, first of all, I think that we’ve seen, we’ve been on this road for a while. This didn’t start with the Ford government. I think that because we have failed to make some of the investments and some of the changes that we need to make early on, we’ve landed in this situation. You know, a lot of this does come down to human resources, right? It’s about people, and people in those jobs, as healthcare workers. It’s doctors, and nurses, and other healthcare workers, who have now become even more burned out, who feel disrespected, who will be fighting in the courts to have their, you know, proper compensation, and collective bargaining rights. And I think that a lot of those issues, we’ve seen them coming for 30 years. So, I don’t think we can just blame this government. But it’s time that we rolled up our sleeves, and took some significant and dramatic action on that part, right? Like, we have got to recruit and retain those workers. But to retain them, we have to start treating them with respect. And yeah. And I’m gonna say it. We’ve got to close the door to the bleeding of our healthcare dollars into the private sector, because it is costing us so much more. I mean, we are gonna continue going down this road. And it is Ontarians who will, literally, pay the price. They are right now. So, we have to make significant change, we have to do it urgently. And that’s one of the reasons why I just do not think we could afford two more years, or four more years, or one more second of this government.
Steve Paikin
Okay, some of these questions you’ve dealt with in your speech, so I’m gonna go past these. Some of these questions are, frankly, just layups. They’re too easy for you…
Marit Stiles
Oh, come on.
Steve Paikin
…so I’m not gonna give them, you know. “Marit, will you commit that new housing built with the support of the province will be built using unionized construction labour?” Well, what’s she gonna say to that, I wonder? You know, come on.
Marit Stiles
Yes.
Steve Paikin
I’m not gonna give you that one. I’m not gonna give you that one. No, no, no, no. That one doesn’t count. Okay, my kid’s school roof is literally falling in…
Marit Stiles
Oh, yeah.
Steve Paikin
…while Doug Ford wants to dig a tunnel under the 401. What’s your plan to fix our education infrastructure, is the question.
Marit Stiles
Yeah, okay. Well, this is one of my favourite topics, can I tell you. But look, we don’t even know how big the capital repair backlog is right now, because we don’t, we used to be able to get those numbers from the government, and they’re just not making it possible. But we know that it’s somewhere in the range of 16.8 billion, or more. So, we are way, way, way behind. And I will just say this: we have to change the way that we fund education, we have to change that formula. We’ve, you know, we’ve talked about it for so, so long. But until we actually address it, we’re gonna continue to see leaky roofs, we’re gonna continue to see packed classrooms. And most important of all, we are going to still have kids not getting the support that they need. We’ve seen—speaking of respect, educational assistants leaving the classrooms, like, we cannot attract them. And so, it’s the kids who are the most vulnerable, who need the most support, who aren’t getting it. And then all kids are suffering.
Steve Paikin
But changing the education funding formula means what, actually?
Marit Stiles
Yeah. I mean, I think first of all, it means basing the way we fund education, not on bums in seats, but on the needs of individual students. And that’s the fundamental part of it. And then I think, like in terms of the infrastructure, schools, like everything else—and I just wanna add, it is not just schools that are crumbling, in this province. I was out in Tweed a few weeks ago, if anybody saw that, but I was in Tweed because the mayor of Tweed had come to me so many times and said, like, “We are at wits end.” Tweed has 53 bridges, Tweed. They are responsible for all of their roads and all their bridges, and they’re falling apart. They’re reaching that 100-year lifespan, and they’re falling apart. And there are communities all across Ontario, dealing with the still, the impact, the fallout of all that downloading years ago. We need the government to re-upload, you know, some of that infrastructure responsibility. Because otherwise, Mr. Ford can talk all he wants about not raising taxes, but taxes are being raised in communities, on the backs of residents of those communities, by municipalities, because they have no other choice. So, we’ve gotta do something about it.
Steve Paikin
Okay. Doug, Premier Ford did do that, as it relates to the Gardiner Expressway, and the Don Valley Parkway. So…
Marit Stiles
It’s a start.
Steve Paikin
…you support that then?
Marit Stiles
It’s a start. We, I mean, if you can do it for Toronto, you should be doing it for other communities, as well, all across the province.
Steve Paikin
Okay. Questioner here says, the NDP often gets critiqued by their opponents as weak on managing the economy. How would you respond to that?
Marit Stiles
I would say, we are a have-not province right now in Ontario, right here. I would say, look at how New Democrat governments in, in, across this country, but particularly in the West, where the NDP was founded, look at how they have run things. You know, fiscal responsibility is in our DNA, actually. It’s who we are. We don’t take it lightly, as I said. Like for me, the role we play, it’s public service. And so, it’s our responsibility to manage that in the most responsible way. And when it comes to the economy, you know, as I said, and part of our housing strategy is about bolstering the economy, right? We also sometimes have to be there, to nudge things along, right?
Steve Paikin
Okay, apologies, but this one’s gonna out your age, because the question is…
Marit Stiles
Oh geez.
Steve Paikin
….today, Ontario Science Centre celebrates its 55th birthday.
Marit Stiles
Oh.
Steve Paikin
The building was unceremoniously closed by the Ford government. As Premier, how will you stand up for Ontario’s treasured institutions, is the question.
Marit Stiles
Yeah, thank you for that, again. It was, it was actually a proposal from my staff team, that said, you know, Marit, we just noticed that you have the same, basically the same birthday as the Ontario Science Centre, and you were born on the same day, like at the same year. Let’s have a big party. And I said, are you kidding me? I’m not, I’m past that point, where I’m celebrating right now. I mean, but look, you know, the Ontario Science Centre should never have been closed down. It is a shame. It is, it’s shameful that it fell into any disrepair. It’s a stretch for the government to say that it’s better off to shut it down, and move it. You know, this has never been about fixing the Science Centre, or building a better Science Centre. This has only ever been about a rationale to build a luxury spa in downtown Toronto, at Ontario Place. I, you know, I’ll say it. And I, and so you can absolutely count on us. It makes, it breaks my heart, because I see the government, you know, dismantling it right now. They need to stop. They need to stop. And it isn’t just the people of Toronto that care about this. As I travel around the province, everybody is angry about this. I think Doug Ford has overstepped, I think we know some of the reasons why. But absolutely, you can count on me to save the Science Centre, yeah.
Steve Paikin
In its current location.
Marit Stiles
Yeah, yeah. Well, and I mean, let’s face it. It’s not like, you know, this is a unique and architecturally important space, as well. But it’s also in a space that, you know, it’s not gonna be easy to build anything else there anyways. We need to preserve it.
Steve Paikin
Okay, here’s one. It says, “Under the Ford government, there’s been a noticeable effort to court support among blue-collar and unionized workers, who have traditionally been supporters of the NDP [and I would add, parenthetically, with a considerable amount of success] The Conservatives took seats not so much from the Liberals in the last election, but from the new Democrats. What is your plan to get them back?”
Marit Stiles
Well, first of all, I think it is, it is extremely important that when we talk about any of the issues that we talk about, that we are connecting back to the very real issues that people are struggling with. You know, working people are dealing with affordability issues, the lack of family doctors. I was in Sault Ste. Marie not long ago, talking to steel workers there. Some of them didn’t vote for the NDP last time, right? Like you said. But they just lost, 10,000 of them just lost their family doctors, because they lost their connection to the community health centre, which they founded. It’s really shameful. And so, you know, connecting on the issues that matter to everybody. But I also think we have to speak to people’s, the need, the vision, and the need for prosperity, for hope, for opportunity. We have to talk about the economy. We have to talk about creating jobs. This is at the heart of, you know, how we’re going to actually bring back Ontario. And so, I think those are the issues that really connect with working people.
But the other thing is, frankly, and you know, we know this, they’ll show up, you know, and talk about certain issues at rallies, but you’ll never see them on a picket line. And I’m not afraid to talk about the importance of having strong labour legislation, you know, protections for working people. I think we have to really, you know, understand and get back to our roots there, as well.
Steve Paikin
When Bob Rae was Premier, one of the first things he did was pass anti-scab legislation.
Marit Stiles
That’s right.
Steve Paikin
Would that come back?
Marit Stiles
Absolutely. I think we…
Steve Paikin
Okay.
Marit Stiles
…we, how many times have we tabled it, Jamie West? We have tabled anti-scab legislation in Ontario 17 times. And every other, every government has voted it down. Yeah.
Steve Paikin
Okay. I understand we’ve got some young people here today, some students, where are they? I know they’re sitting here. Oh, over here, okay.
Marit Stiles
Yay.
Steve Paikin
So this one, I hope will be of more interest to you. The question is, young people seem more disaffected and disengaged from politics than ever before. What’s your plan to inspire them, to get them to the polls to vote?
Marit Stiles
Well, see, now, I’m going to—well, first of all, I’m gonna say this. I’m not seeing that right now. In fact, as I go around the province, I’m seeing a lot more young people really engaged than I’ve seen in a really long time. Engaged, and interested, and excited. But when—I’ve been asked that before, and I will say it, and it is one of the reasons, by the way, that I decided to run for leader of the NDP in the first place, was because of just generally low voter turnout, but also that issue of, like, how do we engage future generations, this new generation? And I believe it’s on us, right? I think that, rather than telling young people what they should find important, and why they should vote for us, we need to go to them, and say, what matters to you? What is the vision that you need, from the province of Ontario? If we’re not getting young people to vote, then that’s on us. So, I encourage young people to get involved, to share their ideas, their activism, their energy.
But I wanna say, it is on all of us here, if we are not speaking to the things that matter to them. And I will say, I think there are a lot of big things on young people’s minds right now, that I’m hearing. You know, certainly, post-secondary education is a big one. But also, I think young people are really, really, really concerned about the impact of climate change. They’re dealing with housing and affordability issues in a way that many of us haven’t had to. And then, for people like me, who have young adult children, I think we’re one of the first generations that is now worried that we may not, our kids may not do as well as we did. And that is terrifying.
So, my answer, I guess—I wanna bring it to a high point here, somehow—but is, you know, we all, as leaders in this room, ’cause I know it’s not just in politics, it’s in everywhere, we have to step up, fight for the things that are gonna matter to future generations, and not be afraid to take some bold steps, that will actually shift things for the future.
Steve Paikin
That’s our time. Thanks for the chat.
Marit Stiles
Steve, can I not just say, before we go, can I—you asked me about why I, you know, got involved in politics. But what you didn’t mention is that you were one of the first people that ever said to me, “I think one day you’ll run, you’ll be leader of this party, you should run for this party.” Didn’t you say that to me, once?
Steve Paikin
You were a school board trustee, at the time, and that was over a private lunch, Marit…
Marit Stiles
Anyways…
Steve Paikin
…I’m surprised you would raise that. But anyway….
Marit Stiles
…I know, but I think you were saying, the reason I mention it is that I think, you know, it meant a lot to me, at the time. And I will say that, like so many people, you know, we don’t think about running for office, or stepping up for any kind of leadership position often, until somebody asks us, or just says, “Wow, I see that in you.” So, thank you for seeing that in me. And I hope we all do that, you know? Talk to somebody else that we think could step up and step forward, because it can make a huge difference. So, thank you.
Steve Paikin
Not at all. Okay, thanks. Well done.
Jenna Donelson
Thank you, Steve and Marit. I’m gonna let you take your seats, while I invite up to the stage our appreciation remarks. You’ve given us so much to consider, thank you, when it comes to challenges and opportunities facing Ontario. So, thank you again for that enlightening conversation. Next, it is my pleasure to introduce Lee Caprio. He’s the business manager and financial secretary at IBEW, Local 353. Please join me, in welcoming him to the stage.
Note of Appreciation by Lee Caprio, Business Manager & Financial Secretary, IBEW Local 353
Bonjour, and welcome to everyone. I didn’t realize I had so much in common with Marit. I, too, come from outside of Ontario, in a small hometown in northern Québec, and I came to Ontario for a opportunity, and I’m glad I’m here today. We also share a very unique name. And my real name is—did they put it up? Yeah. My real name is actually [Indiscernible], which means rainbow in Italian, but don’t tell everybody that, okay? But having said that, I want to thank Marit, and especially this opportunity today with Steve—who, Steve, you’re a consummate professional, and you’re fantastic at your job—but I have to admit that Marit made it really easy for you, ’cause to hear those comments from the Leadership of the Opposition was phenomenal. And I thank you, Marit, for those comments.
As the leader of the IBEW Local 353 in Toronto, we’ve been a local, since 1903. So, for the last 121 years, we’ve represented unionized workers. I now represent 13,000 licenced electricians, and indentured apprentices, in Southern Ontario. And I’m very proud to say that each and every one of my members is a proud union member. I’m also a member of the Provincial and Construction Building Trades, which is the reason why I’m here today, because Mark Arsenault couldn’t be here. So, I hope I’ll do him well, on this one. But that council has been representing workers in the construction industry in Ontario, since 1957. Our mission has always been to give workers a voice in their workplace, to help ensure that we have the highest-trained, most highly-skilled workers available to the construction industry—and I think Marit touched on that. We promote safety, great working conditions, fair wages, pensions, and benefits, for each and every one of our members, and their families.
As such, my union is, in particular, but all unions, are dedicated to bettering the lives of our members. We know that good union jobs lead to great retirements, dignified retirements. And not only that, but bettering the lives of the members themselves, their families, but also, our communities. Electricity, as we all know, is an essential thing that we use every day. It’s probably one of the most vital aspects that we notice, when it’s not there. And keeping it safe and reliable is of the utmost importance. And I wanna thank Marit again, for her comments on those. Whether it’s hydro, wind, solar, and in particular, nuclear, having the most highly-skilled, trained, licenced individuals, to protect those systems, is of the utmost importance. Because in order to keep everything safe and reliable, we have to rely on everybody’s skills. And we train the best. And I’m very proud of that. So, I’m glad to hear that you are saying that unionized workers are gonna be part of your vision.
We don’t just stop there. We work with community network groups, to ensure that we give career opportunities to racialized groups, underserviced communities, and especially equity-seeking groups. Now, let me be clear: we don’t provide jobs. As a Red Seal trade, we do not provide jobs; we provide careers. This leads to licensure. And this is why it’s important for our apprentices to be indentured, to be registered. This is why it’s important. Because those licences in our pockets are just as valuable as a doctor’s licence, a lawyer’s licence, a nurse’s licence. We work hard for those licences, in our apprenticeship, and we train our apprentices well. But if the government isn’t gonna look at us as a viable source for the future, in terms of skilled trades, then we have a problem. We have to protect our youth. We have to protect our young people, by giving them opportunities and careers, not jobs. And right now, when, you know, divisions are far too entrenched in our society, it is the most important to have moments like this, where we can share our ideas, and so we can find a pathway to move forward together.
Marit understands this very well. We were speaking earlier, and I said, do you remember when you were at the opening of my good friend, and a very good friend, George Chavallos, which some of you might know, his community centre opened up in her riding. And she came, and spoke to everyone there, that’s being serviced by that community centre, and they were touched by that. That shows how much community means to Marit. And thank you so much, again.
I also wanna thank you for your wonderful comments on how you see Ontario being a better place. I think that this was an eye-opener for a lot of us. We’ve been waiting for a very energetic Opposition Leader to give us those ideas, and to present them the way you did. I believe this was your Kamala Harris debate moment. And we all know that your party, the NDP, values the partnership with labour, and that’s important to us. But it’s discussions like this that lead us to be re-energized in those values. But finally, I wanna thank the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Construction Trades Council. We are proud sponsors of this event today. But also, I wanna thank all the sponsors. Because without you, none of us could be here today, to hear these wonderful words of encouragement. And especially to the Empire Club, for hosting us today. So once again, I wanna thank Marit, Steve, Laura, Jenna, the OFL, Construction Building Trades, but most of all, I wanna thank each and every one of you, for actually coming here today and listening. Because it’s events like this that unite our ideas, and let us build a better future. So thank you so much.
Concluding Remarks by Jenna Donelson
Well, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Folks, we’re in the final stretch, so thank you all for being with us. I wanna thank our speakers and our sponsors one last time, all of you for being with us today. And I also just wanted to say that today’s event is a great success, in part because of the tremendous work of Rob Halpin from the OFL, and Chris Watson, a dedicated Empire Club volunteer. And finally, Steve, you noted our students and young leaders in the room from Humber College and U of T, they all have a copy of your book. So hopefully, you have a couple of minutes, so they can get signatures from the author after the fact. Thank you all for being a part of our community, helping advance public dialogue on topics that matter. Of course, we saw that in today’s conversation. These are not just important, they’re necessary, that conversations that we need to be having. They remind us why we all come together here at the Empire Club, to engage in these conversations, to consider, and reimagine how we might shape our future. So for that, I thank you all. And I’d like to, at this point, say thank you for joining us. This meeting is now adjourned. Have a lovely afternoon.
