COCA’s lobby day at the provincial legislature, headlined as Construction Days at Queen’s Park and held on May 27^th, was an overwhelming success.  Here are some of the details:

• 33 participants were recruited and divided into seven teams, each team with a team leader; there were three support staff to deal with inevitable changing schedules, changed meeting locations and other issues that arose during the day

• A detailed digital Delegate Information Package was provided to all participants well in advance to acquaint them with what to expect on Construction Day

• A virtual 45-minute briefing was convened on May 25^th to orient participants with the main legislative building and the Queen’s Park precinct, the logistics for the day and to familiarize them with the meeting messaging

• Several COCA members attended Question Period in the legislative chamber and were introduced by Minister Piccini

• The day officially kicked off with a luncheon reception at which MPP Sheref Sabawy brought greetings on behalf of the PCs, MPP Jennifer French on behalf of the NDP, MPP Rob Cerjanec for the Liberals and Aislinn Clancy for the Greens

• Meetings were held with 29 MPPs or senior political staffers: 1 Green MPP, 5 Liberal MPPs, 8 NDP MPPs, 6 cabinet ministers, 5 cabinet ministers’ senior political staffers, 4 PC backbench MPPs

• As instructed in the briefing, all teams stuck to the purposefully high level and focused messaging, that the Ministry of Labour Immigration Training and Skills Development should move ahead expeditiously and collaboratively with their review of the 16 recommendations made by the Construction Section 21 Committee (PLMHSC), with a view to implementing them  – thankfully, none of the teams got tangled up deep in the weeds of the messaging 

• MPPs were largely supportive; some said they would write supportive letters to Minister Piccini

• Minister Piccini agreed to attend an upcoming meeting of the Construction Section 21 Committee and provide an update on the progress being made on each of the PLMHSC’s 16 recommendations

• A wrap-up dinner was held in the wine cellar at the famous Barbarian’s Steak House (where Richard Burton first proposed to Elizabeth Taylor in early 1964 when he was playing in Hamlet at the then O’Keefe Centre, now Meridian Hall)

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