Ontario Government: 1) Doug Ford government to introduce ‘Buy Ontario’ legislation 2)(Updated) Ford mulls public sex offender registry, would use notwithstanding clause ‘in a heartbeat’; 3) Ontario expands energy efficiency programs to eligible appliances; 4)(Updated) Ontario NDP leader kicked out of question period after calling Ford government ‘corrupt’

1) Doug Ford government to introduce ‘Buy Ontario’ legislation

Source Canadian Press
By Rianna Lim, November 20, 2025

“Price matters and getting the best value for our money is critical. But today, value means more than just cost,” he said. “It means keeping public-sector dollars in Ontario and across Canada.”
If passed, the legislation would set out specific requirements for how public sectors are to prioritize Ontario goods and services in contracts with vendors. It would also have measures to ensure compliance, with penalties and consequences that could include fines, holdbacks and barring vendors from future procurement. 

The government said in a press release that it’s working to establish vendor lists of Ontario and Canadian suppliers for provincial infrastructure and procurement processes. 

In cases where Ontario or Canadian goods and services can’t be procured at a reasonable cost or time frame, the policy will still allow procurement from outside the country, it said. 

The announcement came after all provinces, territories and the federal government signed an agreement Wednesday intended to free up the trade of many goods across the country. 

The agreement, which will take effect next month, applies to most products outside of food and alcohol, including manufacturing and industrial products, tires and vehicles.

2(Updated) Ford mulls public sex offender registry, would use notwithstanding clause ‘in a heartbeat’

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Allison Jones, November 17, 2025

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is looking at making some information on the sex offender registry public, in the wake of a controversial Supreme Court of Canada decision on child pornography sentences.

The possible changes are framed in a government proposal as quite preliminary, with law enforcement and expert consultations beginning, but Ford suggested Monday he is determined to forge ahead.

“(If) you have a sex offender and he’s living next door down the street, and you have a bunch of kids, you want to know about it,” Ford said.

“So we’re going to make sure the sex offender registry is out there, public.”

A government proposal on the consultations says the province is looking at possible changes to the registry, unsure at this stage whether those would be legislative, regulatory or operational changes.

Ford said he has already decided that if legislation is introduced and passed, and if it is struck down by the courts as unconstitutional, he would use the notwithstanding clause to save it.

“Sure, we’re probably going to get shot down from the courts again, but I’ll use every single tool to make sure we protect the victims over the sex offenders,” he said.

“It’s a no brainer. I’ll use the notwithstanding clause in a heartbeat.”

The government proposal raises the possibility of making “certain” information public, but it does not provide any specific options. It does, however, provide a reason for the start of the consultations.

“Our government was disappointed to learn of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to strike down mandatory minimums for child pornography offences,” the document says.

“We believe this ruling weakens vital protections for children. That is why we are advancing measures that safeguard families, deter offenders, and give communities the information they need to stay safe.”

The top court recently ruled that one-year mandatory minimum jail sentences for accessing or possessing child pornography violate the Charter of Rights.

Ontario’s sex offender registry is known as Christopher’s Law, named for 11-year-old Christopher Stephenson, who was killed in 1988 by a convicted sex offender.

3) Ontario expands energy efficiency programs to eligible appliances

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Allison Jones, Nov. 19, 2025

Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines of Ontario speaks at a press conference as Ontario Premier Doug Ford looks on, in Toronto on Thursday, April 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Ontario homeowners will soon be able to get provincial rebates of up to $200 for energy efficient appliances through an expanded program.

Energy Minister Stephen Lecce announced a Home Renovation Savings Program earlier this year, and it initially gave rebates for energy efficiency renovations and improvements, such as new windows, doors, insulation, air sealing, smart thermostats and heat pumps.

Lecce is announcing today that starting this fall, households can receive rebates for energy efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers and laundry machines.

As well, the province is expanding an energy efficiency program for industrial, municipal, institutional and health-care organizations, increasing the available funding per project from $5 million to $15 million.

The programs and their expansions are part of a previously announced commitment to spend $10.9 billion over 12 years on energy efficiency.

Lecce says it allows families to save money and Ontario to save power — the first phase of the home renovation program reduced peak demand by 226 megawatts, the equivalent of taking more than 220,000 homes off the grid.

4)(Updated) Ontario NDP leader kicked out of question period after calling Ford government ‘corrupt’

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Liam Casey, Nov. 19, 2025

The leader of Ontario’s official Opposition was kicked out of question period Wednesday morning after calling Premier Doug Ford’s government “corrupt,” a sentiment Marit Stiles later doubled down on outside the Queen’s Park chamber.

Stiles made the comment as the opposition continued to hammer Labour Minister David Piccini over the scandal-plagued Skills Development Fund.

The auditor general found Piccini’s office has been heavily involved in selecting projects under the $2.5-billion fund and handed out money to applicants ranked low by bureaucrats.

All three opposition parties have called for Piccini’s resignation, calling it a “pay-to-play” scheme.

Piccini has refused to step down and maintains he has done nothing wrong. He also has the backing of his boss, Ford.

After Stiles used the word “corrupt” in the chamber, Speaker Donna Skelly warned her that it was unparliamentary language and asked her to withdraw it. Stiles refused.

Outside the chamber later on, she reiterated: “I believe the government’s corrupt.”

She told reporters she was “fed up” after weeks of pressing Piccini during question period.

“Every day I’ve been asking this minister to come clean. I’ve asked the premier to answer our questions and the minister of labour just keeps shifting the blame,” Stiles said.

“One day he’s saying that he’s responsible for choosing these companies and the next day he is blaming a civil servant.”

Piccini said in question period the ministry is “safeguarding the integrity” of the fund.

“Being responsible for applicant approvals, which I am, is not in contradiction with having important stop gaps in place,” Piccini said. “It highlights the robust internal risk assessment processes we have for this program.”

One recipient of the skills fund, Keel Digital Solutions, has come under fire for receiving money despite a lower score, with critics pointing out one of its lobbyists is a close friend of Piccini’s.

The province said it has asked the Ontario Provincial Police to look at the results of a forensic audit that identified “irregularities.” The OPP said they are assessing the audit before deciding if it is worth an investigation.

The company said in a statement that the audit refers to an unrelated contract it has had since 2020 with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to deliver student mental-health services, and it believes the government is conflating the two “for the sole purpose of distracting from a self-inflicted mess.”

Keel said it received skills development funding to provide digital mental health support for police officers.

The company said Wednesday it only received a low mark in the bureaucratic ranking system because it did not get a bump for being a manufacturer. It said 25 per cent of the overall mark in the government’s rubric is awarded for manufacturing and on-site job creation, which “don’t apply to a digital mental‑health platform.”

“In other words, we still scored strongly despite being ineligible for those manufacturing‑weighted points,” Keel said in a statement.

“This is exactly the kind of project SDF should fund. The program trains peer supporters and gives every member of participating police and first‑responder services access to accredited mental‑health content and AI‑enabled learning, so teams miss less work, burn out less and return to duty faster.”