Annex backs NDP, province backs PCs overall

By Carly Penrose

New Democrat Jessica Bell won University-Rosedale by 4,000 votes while Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives won a sweeping majority in the bid to lead Ontario’s government.  Read more

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The provincial PCs handily won another majority at Queen’s Park. The progressive parties split the vote and Doug Ford walked up the middle with his “get it done” message. It’s a simple and catchy phrase that Ford could utter authentically. A key plank in their plan is building Highway 413, but it appears that getting it done might not be so simple.  Read more

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Doug Ford has lowered the discourse for campaign-time politics by sucking another party into a vacuum of sorts. The PCs have given free licence plate renewals and are promising a five-cent drop in the gasoline tax—if reelected. 

The Liberals have countered with a buck-a-fare public transit plan. It feels like we are at the CNE with hucksters competing for attention.  Read more

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We are just weeks away from the provincial election and voters are being besieged with election advertising. Every party is making bold claims of course, but the ruling Progressive Conservatives under Doug Ford are touting their environmental credentials, and that is nothing but offensive and absurd.  Read more

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It’s silly season at Queen’s Park as the ruling Progressive Conservatives seek another mandate from voters this June. And it’s not beneath Doug Ford to attempt to bribe voters with their own money and ignore criticism about behaving in a fiscally reckless fashion.   Read more

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Policing is largely a provincial matter, but faced with massive trucks and bouncy castles clogging up central Ottawa, plus blockades at key border crossings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to invoke the Emergencies Act. As usual, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was too focused on the next election to do his job, and he should have to answer for it.  Read more

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MPPs return to Queen’s Park in final controversial legislative session

By Jessica Bell

Canadian-content rules lowered for Ontario Line

Premier Ford is allowing companies who would like to build vehicles for the Ontario Line to cut their Canadian-manufactured content from 25 per cent to 10 per cent.    Read more

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Under the questionable leadership of Premier Doug Ford, Ontario is now the only province in Canada which has not signed onto the federally funded daycare plan that would see fees cut to $10 per day per child by 2025. The federal formula would give Ontario $10.2 billion over five years which is its per capita share. But Ford says that’s not enough and Ontario deserves more than other jurisdictions.  Read more

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Ontario suffers while Ford dithers

By Jessica Bell

As the Omicron wave overwhelms Ontario, University-Rosedale residents are facing big challenges. Parents are wracked with the decision over whether to send their children to school. Hospitals are near capacity. You can’t get a PCR test. Surgeries are being canceled. Demand at food banks is at record levels, driven by rising poverty, job loss and inflation. The science is rapidly evolving, people are exhausted, and there is no public consensus on how to proceed.   Read more

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Auditor general’s report shows Ford is failing the environment

By Jessica Bell

On November 24, the auditor general released her annual report on the environment.  It reads as a dry and horrifying account of Premier Doug Ford’s assault on our natural environment, health and future. Here are the lowlights.   Read more

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Frustration. Nonsense. Chaos.

These are just a few words that are used to describe the situation for Ontario businesses following the release of the province’s plan to lift all Covid restrictions for businesses. You’d think there would be more celebration, but it’s hard, given the fact that small businesses are being impacted extra hard by policy that seems designed to hurt them.  Read more

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SEE MORE BY BRETT LAMB:  Read more

• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Jul. 2021)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Apr. 2021)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Pandemic Response (Mar. 2021)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Feb. 2021)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Jan. 2021)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice! (Dec. 2020)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Nov. 2020)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Oct. 2020)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: How Nice (Aug. 2020)

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Doug Ford emerged this week after weeks of summer slumber to announce a “vaccine certificate system” which is both late and lame. He then prorogued the legislature, lest he be answerable to it, and headed back into seclusion.   Read more

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