TORONTO -- The list of work to do is growing as the Ontario legislature sits idle.
Planned changes to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) are among those that will have to wait now that the Dalton McGuinty government has prorogued the legislature, over the objection of opposition parties.

Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey issued a media release Monday in which she said the government intends to follow through on planned amendments to the WSIB Act -- allowing for the review of loss of earnings benefits after 72 months and basing survivor benefits on average earnings of the deceased worker rather than a statutory minimum.

"Our government is helping employers and workers find better ways to get people back to work," Jeffrey said in the statement.

The news release headline reads, "McGuinty Government Moving Forward with Proposed Amendments to Workplace Safety and Insurance Act," but notes further down that the government can actually only move forward once the legislature resumes.

The Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario -- which the government established to look at changes to the province's welfare system -- will release its final report Wednesday.

If legislated changes are recommended, they will also have to wait until the spring.

PC Leader Tim Hudak said MPPs have been locked out of the house at a time when the province needs to respond to a debt and job crisis.

"It may not be until well into 2013 that we can take any action to rein in spending or to create pro-job, pro-growth policies in our province," Hudak said Monday.

McGuinty abruptly prorogued the legislature last week as he announced that he would resign as head of the Ontario Liberal Party following a leadership convention, which will be held Jan. 25.

While the Tories and the New Democrats argued it was not necessary to shut down the work of the legislature at the same time, the Liberals say it was an unproductive session due to opposition political manoeuvring.