Provincial

Charles Harnick, Q.C., L.S.M. has been nominated as the new Chair of Legal Aid Ontario. “Charles Harnick has a long-standing commitment to improving access to justice and a track record of achieving results,” said Attorney General Caroline Mulroney. “I have no doubt that Charles will be focused on improving outcomes for Legal Aid Ontario’s clients.” “The Law Society believes that legal ...

The Ford Government continues to forge ahead with their roguish changes to Ontario’s health care system despite the outcry from the public and many public health care authorities. For decades, Ontarians have had access to one of the premier public health care systems in the world. Now, after years of underfunding and cuts by successive Liberal and Conservative governments, Ontarians ...

NDP MPP Ian Arthur, the Official Opposition critic for the Environment and Sustainability, will lay out the details of his comprehensive private member’s bill, which calls on Ontario to ban single-use, throw-away plastics this morning. “Our landfills are piled high with plastic garbage that will take generations to degrade, and our lakes and rivers — and waters around the world ...

After blowing nearly $200 million in payouts and golden handshakes in his meddling at Hydro One, Doug Ford has now set the annual compensation for the new Hydro One CEO at a whopping $1.5 million. The CEO of Hydro-Quebec is paid about $800,000 in base salary and bonuses. The CEO of Hydro One before the Liberals privatized it was paid ...

NDP MPP Ian Arthur, the Official Opposition critic for the Environment and Sustainability, is laying out the details of his private member’s bill — one that will ban all single-use plastics in Ontario by 2025, with the worst offenders being banned in 2020. “Our kids and grandkids deserve to have clean drinking water, clean air to breathe and unpolluted soil ...

NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to the Ford government’s appointment of a new Commissioner for the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP): “I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Deputy Chief Thomas Carrique on his appointment as the new OPP commissioner. I look forward to meeting him, and wish him well in his ...

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Education critic, said the Ford Conservatives’ announcement falls woefully short of what will be needed as cuts to autism services send an influx of kids with high needs into the school system on April 1.   Educators and parents have been raising concerns about a lack of resources in schools with increasing urgency since the Ford ...

Through an Order-In-Council signed by cabinet, Ontario’s Government for the People announced the appointment of Thomas Carrique as the next Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. Thomas Carrique currently serves as the Deputy Chief for the York Regional Police, where he has spent his entire 29-year career with the force. He has worked in a variety of fields, including Uniform ...

“It is wonderful to see the growing recognition and support that Canadians are exhibiting in celebrating International Women’s Day. New Democrats have long recognized the obstacles and in some cases barriers, that women here in Ontario and around the world have overcome and continue to tear down. This year, we are recognizing and celebrating the fact that women lead change. ...

NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath released the following message on International Women’s Day:   “On International Women’s Day, New Democrats recognize the many hurdles that women and girls in Ontario, Canada and across the world have overcome, and renew our efforts to keep tearing down the barriers that women and girls everywhere continue to face. This year, we’re recognizing ...

The Ontario government presented eight Ontario Medals for Good Citizenship recognizing Ontario citizens for their contributions to their communities and the province. The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, was joined by Vincent Ke, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport on March 7th, 2019. “I am honoured to invest this year’s recipients of the Ontario ...

As thousands of people flocked to Queen’s Park to protest Doug Ford’s cuts to autism services and demand better, NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath and the New Democrat MPPs joined them — both outside at a rally, and inside Queen’s Park, where the NDP raised the stories of children with autism throughout question period.   “All any parent wants is to ensure ...

Today, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines Greg Rickford released the following statement on Hydro One: “I am pleased to report that our government has delivered on its commitment to put the People of Ontario first and bring Hydro One’s executive compensation levels down to acceptable levels. “The Hydro One Board of Directors has provided us with a compensation ...

In light of the extremely disturbing news that the government has fired whistleblower and Deputy Director of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Brad Blair, NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling for a full public inquiry into Doug Ford’s meddling in the OPP, and the firing of Blair.   “Brad Blair is both a whistleblower and a distinguished officer with decades ...

Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, delivered the Government of Ontario’s long-term plan to fix and strengthen the public health care system by focusing directly on the needs of Ontario’s patients and families. “The people of Ontario deserve a connected health care system that puts their needs first,” said Elliott. “At the same time, ...