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Bill 57, Respect for Taxpayers Act (Haldimand County Trustee Vacancy), 2025

Calandra, Hon. Paul Minister of Education

Current status:

First Reading Ordered for Second Reading

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Original

Bill 57 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill addresses the representation of Haldimand County on the Brant Haldimand

Norfolk Catholic District School Board.

Section

2 provides that the Haldimand County office is deemed to be vacated on the day

the Act comes into force, if the specified member, as defined, holds the office

on that day.

Section

3 sets out the specified member’s ineligibility to be nominated for any office

on a school board in the first regular election held after the Act comes into

force. It also provides that, during the period that begins on the day the Act

comes into force and ends on November 14, 2030, the specified member is

ineligible to be appointed or nominated in a by-election for any office on a

school board.

Section

4 extinguishes any cause of action that may arise as a direct or indirect

result of the enactment or application of the Act. It bars proceedings and

remedies against specified persons, including the Crown, the school board and

Haldimand County, except for applications for judicial review or constitutional

remedies. It also provides that no costs shall be awarded in respect of barred

proceedings and clarifies that the

section does not apply to proceedings

brought by the Crown.

Bill 57 2025

Act to vacate the office of the member of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic

District School Board who represented Haldimand County between July 8, 2024 and

July 15, 2024

Preamble

Every

board is required to ensure effective stewardship and use of the resources

entrusted to it for the purposes of delivering effective and appropriate

education and to manage those resources in a manner that upholds public

confidence.

The

trustee representing Haldimand County on the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic

District School Board (the “specified member”), along with three other members

of the Board, travelled to Europe from July 8 to July 15, 2024, and was

reimbursed by the Board for travel and related expenses of that trip out of public

funds.

The

Minister of Education appointed an individual under

section 3 of Ontario

Regulation 43/10 to conduct a review and received the report from the reviewer

on March 14, 2025.

Following

a determination that the reimbursed expenses were not an appropriate use of

public funds, the Minister of Education, in accordance with subsection 7 (2) of

Ontario Regulation 43/10, made a recommendation on April 23, 2025 that all four

trustees repay the funds to the Board within 30 days. Three trustees did so in

full. However, the specified member has repeatedly refused to pay the full

amount of $12,370. On May 29, 2025, the Minister of Education wrote to the

trustee advising them that legislation would be proposed to vacate their seat.

uphold public confidence that the resources entrusted to the Board will be

effectively managed, the Government of Ontario believes the seat of the specified

member should be vacated.

Therefore,

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

this Act,

“school

board” means a board within the meaning of the Education

Act ; (“conseil scolaire”)

“specified

member” means the member of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District

School Board who represented Haldimand County between July 8, 2024 and July 15,

2024. (“membre visé”)

Vacation

of Haldimand County office

If the

specified member holds any office on a school board on the day this Act comes

into force, the office is deemed to be vacated on that day.

Ineligibility,

next election

(1) The

specified member is ineligible to be nominated for any office on a school board

in the first regular election that is conducted under the Municipal

Elections Act, 1996 after the day this Act comes into force.

Ineligibility,

vacancies

(2) During

the period that begins on the day this Act comes into force and ends on November

14, 2030, the specified member is ineligible to be,

(

a) appointed

to any office on a school board; or

(

b) nominated

for any office on a school board in any by-election conducted under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 .

Extinguishment

of causes of action

(1) No

cause of action arises against a person set out in subsection (2) as a direct

or indirect result of,

(

a) the

enactment, amendment or repeal of any provision of this Act; or

(

b) anything

done or not done in accordance with this Act.

Persons

referred to

(2) The

persons referred to in subsection (1) are,

(

a) the

Crown or any current or former member of the Executive Council or employee,

officer or agent of or advisor to the Crown;

(

b) Brant

Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board or any current or former

member of the board, or any employee, officer or agent of or advisor to the

board, excluding the specified member; or

(

c) Haldimand

County or any current or former member of the council of Haldimand County, or any

employee, officer or agent of or advisor to the municipality.

remedy

(3) No

costs, compensation or damages, including for loss of revenue or profit or any

other alleged loss, whether direct or indirect, are owing or payable to any

person by a person referred to in subsection (1), and no remedy, including a

remedy in contract, restitution, tort, a remedy for misfeasance, bad faith or a

breach of trust or fiduciary obligation, any equitable remedy or any remedy

under any statute, is available to any person against any person referred to in

subsection (1) in connection with anything referred to in that subsection.

Proceedings

barred

(4) No

proceeding that is directly or indirectly based on or related to anything

referred to in subsection (1) may be brought or maintained against any person referred

to in that subsection.

Application

(5) Subsections

(3) and (4) do not apply with respect to an application for judicial review or

a claim for a constitutional remedy, but do apply with respect to any other

court, administrative or arbitral proceeding claiming any remedy or relief,

including specific performance, an injunction, declaratory relief or the

enforcement of a judgement, order or award made outside Ontario.

costs awarded

(6) No

costs shall be awarded against any person in respect of a proceeding that

cannot be brought or maintained under subsection (4).

Proceedings

by Crown not prevented

(7) This

section does not apply with respect to proceedings brought by the Crown.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Respect for Taxpayers Act

(Haldimand County Trustee Vacancy), 2025 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

October 20, 2025

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

October 20, 2025

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

October 20, 2025

Carried

Ordered for Second Reading

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