First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.
First in POLICORNER — The question of Bonnie Crombie's leadership is set to be put to the test in the fall.
During a Sunday meeting, the party's executive council gave the go-ahead, in principle, for card-carrying Liberals to gather for their annual general meeting in the GTA in mid-to-late September, pending a venue.
Word on the date is expected soon. “I’m hopeful that by sometime in May, we’ll be able to announce the date and location,” wrote executive director Simon Tunstall in an update to constituency associations last month.
Nine regional meetings are scheduled — beginning tomorrow in the South West and Sunday in Toronto — with a provincial council meeting set to take place by month's end or early June. Expect a full campaign debrief, which Tunstall hinted “will be a large part” of the regional check-ins.
On paper, the leadership review is a procedural vote. In practice, it'll be the grassroots' chance to decide whether Crombie should stick around. As we previously reported, though she vowed to stay put, knives came out almost immediately post-election.
Despite some discontent, those in Crombie's orbit insist she'll be able to hold on — and are framing what a “win” would look like.
“50+1 is the standard,” said one source. “She got thrown into an election [a year early] and achieved what she set out to do. She restored party status, increased the vote, increased fundraising. Had she won her seat, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.”
From outside the inner circle, one veteran strategist weighed in. “She can totally survive but my advice would be to spend the spring and summer doing a tour and meeting with riding associations to explain why she should stay,” they said. “She has good arguments to make but if she doesn't make them, her opponents will fill the void.”
Some warn that 50+1 won't cut it for the Liberal leader to survive, while others say the base isn't exactly hungry for a shake-up.
“Jason Kenney got 51 per cent on his review vote,” one member noted. “Where is he now?”
“Without a real commitment to changing the team around her — the ones who ran a terrible campaign — I can’t imagine why Liberals would want her to stay on,” a second texted. “I think people are exhausted right now and might be inclined to keep her anyway.”
It'll be a make-or-break patio season for Crombie. She's spent the past month pounding the pavement for those on the federal ballot. Expect to see her at regional meetings, riding association check-ins, while working the grill-and-greet circuit all summer long.
{{LINE}}
— The House is in session. Here's what's on the schedule next week:
— New committee assignments are out. Here's who's who:
— Budget watch: The Ford government will drop their post-election budget on May 12.
Just hours before the budget drop, Peter Bethlenfalvy will deliver his annual address to the Empire Club. “... This event will discuss the Ontario government’s plan to protect businesses, workers and families during a time of economic uncertainty.”
Clues, clues: The treasurer teased a “build more, build faster” theme — with an emphasis on “protect[ing] Ontario” from Donald Trump's trade levies. Ford, meanwhile, signaled he's on the same page. “We’re going to spend a few more billion dollars and make that up in the next two or three years,” he said at the Canada Growth Summit last week.
The catch? “We’re the most prudent fiscal managers,” Ford explained. But the caveat: “There’s a time to make sure that we balance, and there’s a time that it might be a few billion dollars more to protect communities.”
— Calling it “cash-for-access?” That's out-of-order, according to Speaker Donna Skelly.
“I do not want to hear the term 'cash-for-access' in this chamber,” she said yesterday. Reaction to the ruling is split, per Katherine DeClerq.
Oh, and look who’s back: Ex-PC MPP Christine Hogarth — who lost to Lee Fairclough in Etobicoke-Lakeshore — is Skelly's new executive assistant.
— Bill 6, Safer Municipalities Act — The bill, if passed, would beef up penalties for encampments under the Trespass to Property Act — and would ban drug consumption in public spaces.
— Bill 7, Health Care is Not for Sale Act — Introduced by Chandra Pasma, Robin Lennox and France Gélinas, the bill, if passed, would stop illegal health care fees. It'll recognize predatory billing as professional misconduct, giving regulatory colleges the power to fine bad actors and suspend licenses. For-profit clinics caught charging unfair fees could be forced to pay patients back — or risk losing their license altogether.
— Bill 8, WSIB Coverage for Workers in Residential Care Facilities and Group Homes Act — John Fraser's bill, if passed, would amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to provide that an employer who operates a residential care or a group home is a “Schedule 1 employer.”
— Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act — The bill would establish a new, uniform municipal code of conduct, along with a mechanism to remove local councillors from their seat and disqualify them for four years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
If the province's integrity commissioner has recommended removal, all councillors “would be required to vote in favour.”
On that note: Ontario's Big City Mayors are "pleased" with the bill's re-introduction. “Our caucus has been calling on the province to do this for several years now,” they said in a statement. “This is important legislation that our mayors have been fighting for. Everyone has a right to a respectful workplace, free of harassment and abuse. In fact, our democracy depends on it,” added Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington's mayor and the caucus’ chair.
— Bill 10, Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities — The bill would toughen Christopher's Law, adding child sex traffickers to Ontario's Sex Offender Registry. It'll expand protections against intimate partner violence and tweak the Family Law Act and Children's Law Reform Act to make restraining orders easier to obtain. Under the changes, designated representatives and others — with court approval — could apply for restraining orders on behalf of those at risk.
— Opposition Day #1 — Marit Stiles' motion to “implement consumer protection measures including requiring big box stores to clearly identify when they raise prices by more than two per cent within a two-week period, when a product has been imported from the United States, and when products are made in Ontario and in Canada.”
— Opposition Day #2 — John Fraser's motion calling on the Ford government to cut the tax rate for Ontario's second income tax bracket from 9.15 per cent to 7.15 per cent, eliminate the provincial portion of the HST on home heating and hydro bills and halve the small business tax rate.
— General Motors Canada is planning to scale back production in Oshawa this fall.
— Doug Ford didn't decide the outcome, Martin Regg Cohn says, but he managed to predict Pierre Poilievre's fate.
— On the Conservative civil war, the Sun's editorial board says: “Divided, the Tories will fall.”
— Ford slammed “terrible, bleeding heart” judges for stalling his agenda — and floated the idea of electing judges to keep them in line with public sentiment.
— Andrew Phillips says Ford is “guilty of hypocrisy” for that rant.
— “We need Doug Ford to learn the law,” wrote one retired judge.
— John Michael McGrath says Mark Carney could learn a lesson from Kathleen Wynne.
— The Toronto District School Board is staring down a $58-million deficit — and to dig out of it, big cuts are “on the table.”
— The Ministry of Transportation has greenlit pilot testing of up to 20 self-driving delivery vehicles in Toronto.
— A new report by the province's financial watchdog says the trade war could wipe out more than 68,100 jobs this year.
— Ontario could be facing a “modest recession,” the report added.
— The RCMP has ID'd a new spot along the border for unauthorized entry.
{{LINE}}
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Are you a new reader? What are you liking — or disliking — about this newsletter? I want to hear from you — and you'll stay anon, just like those mysterious sources you’re curious about. Have a juicy tip? An annoying boss? Hit me up. We're back in your inbox next week.
Was this email forwarded to you? Why play catch-up? Hit subscribe to get every scoop in your inbox.