Masters Insurance has a distinguished specialization in the construction industry. Our exclusive surety bonding and insurance programs are backed by over 50 years of hands-on consulting expertise, strong client advocacy and enduring insurer relationships. 1.888.673.6495 | mastersinsurance.com Dig deep into your options.   O n June 29, Doug Ford was sworn in with a majority mandate as the 26th Premier of Ontario. His inauguration marks the end of 15 years of provincial leadership by the Liberal Party under Premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. The election saw an expansion in the number of Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) elected from 107 in 2014 to 124 in 2018. The expanded Legislature will be represented as follows: PARTY PC NDP LIBERAL GREEN # of Seats out of 124 76 40 7 1 % Popular Vote 40.6% 33.7% 19.3% 4.6% 2018 Provincial Election ADVOCACY In a departure from the Wynne-era Liberals, Ford chose to shrink the number of Cabinet Ministers from 28 to 20. This represents an almost 30 per cent contraction in Cabinet size, though fits squarely within the PC election platform promising a leaner government. Over the summer, a full audit of provincial spending was launched with the results expected early in the fall, likely being delivered in the form of an Economic Statement. It is expected that there will be no additional spending and perhaps a small contraction in the next provin- cial budget; however, this will be accompanied by a fairly significant shift in government priorities. There will be a very concerted effort to improve the operating environment for small- and medium-sized enter- prises by reducing the regulatory burden and government “red tape.” There is also a likely shift in priority for the provincial infrastructure plan, though details presently remain unclear. All of this adds up to a busy regulatory session in the fall. More to come… CANADA-ONTARIO INTEGRATED BILATERAL AGREEMENT FOR THE INVESTING IN CANADA INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM The federal and provincial govern- ment established the guidelines for how Ottawa will invest $10.37 billion in infrastructure in Ontario over the OSWCA ADVOCACY AND UPDATES 12 UNDERGROUNDER Fall 2018