Since school closed in March, our family has been struggling with the impossible job of full-time work and full-time parenting our two school-aged children. I, along with the parents of Ontario’s other two million school-age children, have been waiting for the Ontario government to release its back-to-school plan. However, its release — just weeks before school is scheduled to begin and without any serious consultation with the community — brought feelings of relief, anxiety, hopelessness, and rage. Read more
August 7th, 2020 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford turns on tenants (July 2020)
One of the strangest things to happen over the course of this very strange spring was the apparent transformation of Premier Doug Ford into to a caring, compassionate leader. This illusion is fading quickly, as his government rams Bill 184 through the Ontario legislature. The new law will almost surely result in mass residential evictions of tenants who were unable to pay full rent during the COVID-19 lockdown. Read more
February 27th, 2020 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Fictions, falsehoods and a crisis in leadership (Feb. 2020)
On February 21, members of all four Ontario Teacher’s Unions walked off the job leaving 2 million students out of school and leaving parents scrambling for childcare. Meanwhile, the Ontario government has been trying to sell citizens a story about striking teachers: that they are fat cats led by union boss “thugs” looking to gouge us of tax dollars. The premier likes to paint himself as a hero out to save us all, rescuing the province in a time of crisis, but the only crisis the electorate can buy into at this point is a crisis in leadership – his leadership. Read more
February 27th, 2020 · Comments Off on GREENINGS: Short-term gains lead to long-term losses (Feb. 2020)
Province has no business case for reckless cuts
By Terri Chu
Last year, Premier Ford and friends dropped $231 million of “taxpayer” money on killing wind energy projects. It’s one thing to not build any more but spending money to cancel projects? That’s next level “respecting” taxpayer money (as he likes to say). What this government has shown us is that it cares not one whit for being fiscally responsible and it cares not one whit for the best interests of the citizens. Read more
December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Ford “proud” of cancelling green energy contracts (Dec. 2019)
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government is cancelling 758 renewable energy contracts, including a newly constructed wind farm in Prince Edward County, a move that will cost the Ontario taxpayer at least $231 million. The PCs are not only hard pressed to justify the move from a fiscal perspective, but it also makes no sense from a political vantage point when the electorate is increasingly concerned about climate change. Read more
December 9th, 2019 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford plows ahead with cuts (Dec. 2019)
Back at Queen’s Park, Ford resumes his agenda
By Jessica Bell
After ordering the longest break in almost 25 years, Doug Ford finally let Queen’s Park get back to business last month. While the government signalled they would take a more tempered approach, the legislation the government has introduced shows the premier is continuing his destructive path. Read more
September 2nd, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Let cabinet do its job (August 2019)
After a five-month break from public scrutiny, enabled by not having a sitting legislature, the provincial government of Premier Doug Ford should emerge from the rock it has been hiding under. A new modus operandi is needed, one that respects cabinet and treats ministers as more than mere Premier’s pawns. Read more
July 16th, 2019 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Clinic not spared by Ford’s reversal (Summer 2019)
Despite Premier Doug Ford’s announcement that some of his proposed funding cuts are being reversed, cuts to Kensington Market’s St. Stephen’s Community House remain intact. Read more
July 16th, 2019 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Time for Ford to press “eject” (Summer 2019)
A recent poll confirms that Doug Ford’s favourability ratings are falling hard and fast. His level of support is lower than Kathleen Wynne’s was at the end of her tenure, lower, as the president of Mainstreet Research Quito Maggi says, than any incumbent premier has ever seen this soon after being elected. Read more
