Ontario (Legislative Reports) (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada‪)‬

On February 22, the Legislative Assembly resumed after its winter adjournment for its final regular sitting period before the October 6 provincial election. Shortly thereafter, Peter Fonseca resigned his seat on March 26 in order to run as a federal candidate in the riding of Mississauga East--Cooksville, the same riding he held provincially since 2003, causing a vacancy in the membership of the House. With both the federal and provincial elections approaching, the Speaker, in a number of statements and rulings, urged members to maintain decorum in the House, particularly in the period leading up to the election campaign and asked that during Oral Questions members keep the questions relevant to provincial policy against the backdrop of a federal election. On March 29 the Minister of Finance, Dwight Duncan, presented the 2011 Ontario Budget and introduced the budget bill (Bill 173), which. was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. The Budget included the continuing implementation of full-day kindergarten; the extension of the current risk management program for grain and oilseed farmers, as well as the implementation of risk management programs for the cattle, hog, sheep and veal sectors and for the fruit and vegetable sector; and the creation of a Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services.