Editorials, Letters & Political Commentary

Who Said This?

Today let’s begin with a little game of, “Who Said This?” Oh, and the only clue is that the person lives in Canada, so it’s not Donald Trump. “You know me. I’m for the little guy.” (While you think, play the “Final Jeopardy” theme song in your head.) If you guessed Doug Ford – BING! BING! BING! – You got ...

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Horwath’s motion to stop Ford’s election meddling debated Thursday

Official Opposition leader Andrea Horwath has tabled a motion in the legislature that will be debated Thursday to stop Doug Ford’s attempts to meddle in municipal elections in Toronto, Muskoka, Peel, York and Niagara.   “Doug Ford didn’t consult anyone before announcing that he plans to pass a law that amounts to rigging municipal elections,” said Horwath at a rally ...

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Andrea Horwath on Province’s cuts to Social Assistance and cancellation of Basic Income Pilot Program

Official Opposition leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to Doug Ford’s plan to cut social assistance rates and cancel the basic income pilot program:   “Doug Ford’s decision to slash the meagre increases to social assistance is appalling, it drags Ontario backwards, and it pushes those already at a disadvantage even deeper into poverty. For Mr. Ford’s ...

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NDP MPPs fight back against Ford’s move to rig municipal elections

With municipal elections well under way, Doug Ford’s move to take revenge on his political enemies by interfering in races across the province is petty and mean-spirited, says Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath — who led Monday’s question period with a sharp indictment of the move.   “Doug Ford cooked up his backroom plot to steal power from the people, ...

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News from the Park – Wild Ride

You may recall that after Doug Ford called the MPPs to open a new session under the new Conservative government that I said in this column we are all in for a ‘wild ride.’ Well, it didn’t take long for this prognostication to become reality, did it? Now after sitting for 2 weeks, Ford has decided to extend the summer ...

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Andrea Horwath on $330 million per year mental health funding cut

Doug Ford’s government has apparently confirmed that a previously promised $2.1 billion investment into mental health care over four years will be scrapped, and replaced with a Conservative plan that will spend $1.9 billion over 10 years. The deep cut will result in mental health funding dropping to $190 million per year from $525 million per year – a $330 million ...

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Il est plus facile que jamais d’acheter des produits locaux

Nous avons la chance de vivre dans une région où les aliments locaux sont sains, et rend nos mets si délicieux. La plupart des gens qui en profitent se sentent privilégiés. C’est pourquoi ce printemps, le Parlement a adopté un projet de loi d’initiative parlementaire néodémocrate déclarant le vendredi précédant l’Action de grâces « Journée nationale de l’alimentation locale ». ...

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It’s easier than ever to buy local

We are lucky to live where eating locally means eating well, and including local produce makes our meals as delicious as possible. Most people who take advantage of this option feel fortunate to do so. Which is why this spring, parliament passed an NDP private member’s bill that recognizes the Friday before Thanksgiving every year as “National Local Food Day.” ...

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Ford blocks NDP move to reveal Hydro One CEO, board payouts

Doug Ford has blocked an NDP move to reveal his deal with the Hydro One CEO and board, and make public how many millions he arranged for them to be paid.   In question period on Tuesday, Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath demanded answers after Ford time-allocated Bill 2, cancelling committee hearings, amendments and any chance for the public to ...

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Finance Critic asks why Ford supports privatization of Hydro One

NDP Finance critic John Vanthof demanded to know why Doug Ford is supporting the privatization of Hydro One after a report from the legislature’s independent Financial Accountability Officer showed adopting  Kathleen Wynne’s hydro plan, as Ford has decided to do, will add billions more to hydro bills and the deficit.   “Privatization of Hydro One is a waste. It was ...

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Letter – VIA Rail Bosses Not Up to the Job

With Greyhound set to end bus service from Sudbury to the west coast of BC, there is now an opening for VIA Rail to deliver needed public transportation and expand passenger rail markets in Northern Ontario. However, the Montreal-based bosses at the Crown corporation are not up to that job. With Greyhound runs disappearing by November, places like Thunder Bay ...

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Statement from Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

In the wake of the deadly shooting on Danforth Avenue, Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement: “My heart is with the victims of last night’s shooting, their friends and loved ones, and the beautiful Danforth community so deeply impacted by this heinous crime. Our immediate focus is on strength for the victims in hospital, and for those ...

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NDP demands Ford government increase social assistance supports for Ontarians

During question period Thursday, NDP MPP Joel Harden demanded that the Ford government follow through with increases in social assistance supports for Ontarians in need after the government failed to provide assurances the budgeted increases would happen.   The 2018 Ontario Budget includes a commitment to increase support for Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP recipients by 3 per cent annually, ...

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Statement from Premier Ford, Premier Couillard, and Premier Pallister on Non-Point of Entry Border Crossers

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Québec Premier Philippe Couillard and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister released the following statement today at the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation: “Québec, Ontario, and Manitoba agree that Canada has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants who are an integral part of our economy. The three Premiers discussed the increase of individuals crossing the ...

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Happy Days

If I were a betting man, I would bet dollars to donuts that when Doug Ford was growing up, one of his favourite TV shows was Happy Days. Remember Richie Cunningham, his family, teenage friends and, of course, The Fonz?  For those too young to remember, Happy Days was a weekly sitcom throwback to the good old days of the ...

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