Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton is promoting new legislation that he says will create and protect jobs by cutting red tape.
McNaughton, who also serves as Ontario's infrastructure minister, shared details on the "Making Ontario Open for Business Act" in the Legislature on Tuesday.
He said the act will enable more employers in the province to boost job creation and investment by cutting unnecessary regulations, while maintaining health and safety standards.
"One of the biggest initiatives in this legislation that we introduced, and it passed first reading, is that we intend to transform and modernize the apprenticeship system," said McNaughton. "Amendments would immediately ensure that we lower the journey person to apprentice ratios to a simple one to one. Currently, in some trades, there's five journey persons to one apprentice.
McNaughton said the act will freeze minimum wage at $14 an hour until 2020, at which point it will go up by the rate of inflation.
The act also proposes new rules when it comes to emergency leave, ensuring workers are able to take up to three days for personal illness, two for bereavement and three for family responsibilities.
Leave provisions previously introduced by the Liberal government for victims of domestic or sexual violence will be maintained.
