By Carly Penrose
Only three of the University-Rosedale candidates running in the Ontario election this spring were present for the University-Rosedale All Candidates Provinical Election Debate held Tuesday, May 10.
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.
Over the last five months we’ve published forum pieces by five people running to be your Member of Provincial Parliament in the newly formed riding of University-Rosedale: Jessica Bell (New Democratic Party), Daryl Christoff (New People’s Choice Party of Ontario), Jo-Ann Davis (Ontario Liberal Party), Tim Grant (Green Party of Ontario), and Gillian Smith (Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario).
“Folks are working their backs off for minimum wage,” said Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC) leader Doug Ford recently, after announcing he would block a promised minimum wage hike in favour of a tax break. According to Ford, this would give a full-time worker earning $14 per hour about $800 more in net income every year.