FORDWATCH

It’s been busy since the Ford government began to dismantle basic government programs and divide Ontarians.

But it’s also been a busy time for those who oppose this government. This opposition is growing as workers,  students, parents, educators, renters, people who need health care, a place to live,  who use transit, who need childcare for their kids – all of these and more begin organize to defeat this government.

At School Magazine we think people might want some basic information about the Doug Ford government as opposition to it grows. So we’ve put together this list of worrisome actions this government has taken since it took office on June 29, 2018 .

We hope this is useful in your efforts to oppose this government. If we’ve missed or mistaken anything below, please let us know at: eatomag.18@gmail.com

Updated to May 24, 2022

By subject and date, here is what Doug Ford’s government has done, caused or is planning so far:

Education

Click here to go to Fordwatch: Education

Accessibility

Wheelchair user and former Lieutenant-Governor David Onley, who is reviewing the implementation of the Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act, said Ontario will miss accessibility goals for 2025.  March 9th, 2019. He provided 15 recommendations to the current Progressive Conservatives who, since being elected, froze work by committees tasked with developing accessibility standards.  Source: Globe and Mail 

Ford government ‘isn’t even trying’: Dream of fully accessible Ontario by 2025 out of reach, disability advocates say.  May 11, 2022 – Source:Toronto Star

Arts and Culture  NEW!!

Slashed $5 million from base funding for Ontario Arts Council – December 14, 2018. Source: Global News

Cut Ontario library services funding in half April 18, 2019. Source: Toronto Star

Cut music fund from $15 million to $7 million– April 28, 2019, Source: Global News

Cut Tourism funding across the province by $17.5 million – May 7, 2019 Source: CTV News

Millions cut from arts; Indigenous culture fund axed – May 26, 2019 Source: CTV News

$10 million cuts to Ontario Arts Council since 2018 would put small magazines at risk – says NDP- October 1, 2019, Source: Toronto Star

2019 Provincial Budget. NEW!!

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) asked Ford government to consider reducing provincial deficit by other means than spending cuts.  As well, pro- business Ontario  Chamber said the Ontario government is possibly inflating the deficit figures for the purpose of fear mongering leading to cuts in the public service.  It was suggested that the government could preserve and expand the number of public service positions by raising taxes for wealthiest Ontarians. April 5, 2019. Source: CBC Radio 1, 

Limited spending increases for health care and education  Plans to create a task force on school boards to find efficiencies.

Changed universities by linking funding to performance outcomes that have not been stated.

Budget for Legal Aid Ontario slashed.  The budget includes expanded access to alcohol and gaming.  April 12, 2019. Source: CBC News 

• The government said that Legal Aid served 100 000 fewer clients last year but the union representing lawyers who work for Legal Aid Ontario said the number of clients served by the agency’s duty council is up 2.1% over that period. Later in the year the government backed down and left Legal Aid with 30% of it funding

Cut the following in budget:

• Community and Social Services, projected to be $392 million less than last year.  Seniors Affairs cut to $24.2 million from estimate of $28.9 million.
• Unspecified research programs at the Ministry of Health cut by $51.7 million.
• Indigenous Affairs budget is cut by $28.3 million.
• Agriculture and Rural Affairs spending on public health and the environment is down by $9.7 million. June 13, 2019, Source: Toronto Star

Cuts to cost Toronto $177.65 million May 9, 2019- Source: Toronto Star

2021 Provincial Budget (NB: no formal budget for 2020) NEW!!

2021 Budget includes COVID related funds

• $6.7 billion for COVID measures
• $3 billion increase in healthcare spending
• $650 million for long term care
• $400 per child 17 or younger for families
• $10 – 20 000 for small business, including tourism
• $1 billion for municipalities to support COVID costs

March 24, 2021- Source: Global News

“This budget is just classic trickle-down economics and it’s the last thing communities need,” CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn said about the 2021 Ontario budget, also pointing to the lack of paid sick days. March 25, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Cut  $1.6 billion from education March 25, 2021 – Source: Press Progress

Green Party Leader said Ford was avoiding Ontario’s housing crisis –Mike Shreiner said government omitted supportive housing from budget- “you can’t stay at home of you don’t have a home.” March 25, 2021 Source: Green Party

Government failed to track $4.4 billion on COVID relief spending May 12, 2021 – Source: CTV News

Spent about $10 billion less than planned for previous year July 21, 2021 – Source: CTV News

Business – NEW!!

Public Revenue Losses

Forced CEO of Hydro One to retire and its board to be replaced-. Mayo Schmidt received $400 000 payout in lieu of post-retirement allowances. July 11, 2018 Source: Global News

Washington State regulators withdrew from a bid by Hydro One to take over Avista due to political interference – at a cost to Ontario taxpayers of $100 million. Standard and Poors downgraded Hydro One credit rating from A to A- due to the meddling of the government in its affairs. January 8, 2019 Source: CTV News

Cancelled a planned surtax on highest earning Ontarians that would have generated $275 million in revenue– April 24, 2019  Source: Toronto Star 

Backtracked on corporate tax cut promise of 1 percent saying that government had already allowed corporations to write off more capital costs – costing $689 million February 13, 2019. Source: QP Briefing

Tabled legislation ending 10 -year contract with the Beer Store. Questions remain about how much it will cost to cancel the contract, perhaps in the hundreds of millions, money that could be spent on priority areas. May 27 2019  Source: Global News

Ontario government’s cannabis Crown corporation lost $42M in latest fiscal year. September 13, 2019 Source: Global News  

Small Business

Cut funding that supported start-up businesses prompting cutbacks at some of Canada’s top innovation institutions. May 9, 2019  Source: Globe and Mail

Cut funding for small- business programs. Small Business Enterprise Centres were informed that funding will be cut for specific programs that provide training, mentoring, and grants for small business owners May 17, 2019  Source: Globe and Mail

Tory Supporters & Developers

Sold Hearn Generating Station property to the company of Tory donor for $16 million– Toronto not consulted on the sale to Studios of America, partially owned by Mario Cortellucci, long-time donor to the Tories who donated $1 200 to the Ford campaign during last May’s election November 22, 2018 Source: Toronto Star

Province eyeing changes that could see developers hire their own building inspectors. Will Johnston, Toronto’s chief building official, stated there are a number of concerns with this model, including potential conflicts of interest. January21, 2020 Source: CBC News

Ontario government named a former chief lobbyist for Toronto’s real estate development industry, Bryan Tuckey, to the province’s land-use tribunal, while stripping it of four adjudicators with environmental backgrounds. February 7, 2020  Source: Globe and Mail  

Doug Ford’s planned superhighway was a slam dunk with developers. The Ontario Liberals, Green Party, and NDP want the money to go into mass transit instead as the projected Highway 413 could negatively impact the environment and the sectors of agriculture, food, tourism, and recreation, aswell as encourage more sprawl. February 13, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Eight of Ontario’s most powerful land developers own thousands of acres of prime real estate near the proposed route of the controversial Highway 413. Four of them are connected to Doug Ford’s P.C. government through party officials and former Tory politicians now acting as registered lobbyists April 3, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Miscellaneous

Killed legislation to reduce scalping prices Shelved portion of an anti-scalping law that would have outlawed resale of tickets at over 50% mark-up. July 4, 2018  Source: CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/anti-scalping-tickets-law-ontario-1.4732867

Backed investment industry over investors by turning down changes to commissions over mutual fund sales. It would have stopped sale charges on mutual funds sold within 7 years of purchase. September 13, 2018  Source: Globe and Mail

Doug Ford’s government fast-tracked a glass factory in Stratford, bypassing the public process, after the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, issued a minister’s zoning order (MZO), a tool that gives the minister the authority to designate land use without the possibility of appeals. The Stratford community, however, applied relentless pressure on the government with concerns over gas emissions and environmental issues.The city announced in January that the project is being put on hold. February 11, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

• Proposed Stratford Glass factory zoning order revoked. March 11,2021 Source: CTV News

Child Care – NEW!!

Removed cap for amount of public money that could go to for-profit child care-  It had been put in place to ensure that the public funding of for-profit daycares wouldn’t increase. August 24, 2018 Source: City TV News

Cut subsidies from $48 million to $25.3 million for municipalities to help low income families get their children into day care – September 12, 2018. Source: Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care

Chose not to restore $50 million fund to help daycares keep fees down – despite premier’s promise to reverse child care cuts. May 29, 2019. Source: Hamilton Spectator

More than 3 000 new Toronto child care spaces at risk due to provincial cuts. July 15, 2019. Source: Toronto Star

Child care tax credit financed through cut to education and child care funding, will cost more than Tories claimed. September 24, 2019. Source: OCBCC

Proposed ‘sneaky’ changes to child care – grouping infants and toddler together reducing staff ratios October 7, 2018 Source: Toronto Star

Provincial cuts would eliminate 760 child care subsidies in Toronto, as detailed in a new City of Toronto report.  October 8, 2019 Source: Global News

Played shell game on funding for child care centres – $234 million announced for safe re-opening of child care centres is a recycled announcement of federal money Aug 6, 2020. Source: Now Magazine

Parents, advocates, and city staff in Toronto unite in opposition to Ontario’s proposed changes to child care, which include allowing operators to group infants and toddlers together, reducing staff-to-child ratios for some age groups, and lowering qualification requirements for some staff. November 12, 2020,  Source: Toronto Star 

Stalled on signing up with the Federal government deal for child care April 19, 2021 Source: Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care

• Finally agreed on a plan at the end of March 2022 for $10/day child care – based on $30 billion from federal government for a national child care plan

Employment and Labour

Capped minimum wage increase to $14 per hour – October 23, 2018. This will hold until 2020 and then be pegged at the rate of inflation; minimum age was to be $15 per hour Jan 1 2019. Source: Canadian Press. Instead, Ford Introduced a tax credit for low-income workers earning around $30 000 per year. November 15, 2018

 Passed back-to-work legislation forcing York University breaking York University workers’ strike. July 25, 2018.  Source: Toronto Star

 Declared that Workers Safety Insurance Board unfunded liability of $14 billion no longer exists. October 11, 2018. This allows government to reduce the premiums by 30% that businesses have to pay. Source: Huffington Post

Killed Bill 148 which gave part time workers the same pay as full time and guaranteed 10 sick leave days (2 paid) – November 8, 2018. Source: Globe and Mail

Replaced it with Bill 47 an omnibus bill affecting 9 different pieces of legislation. November 8, 2018

• Cuts paid emergency leave from 10 days a year to 3
• No notice needed for employers to demand workers to be on the job at any time
• Requires doctor’s note for any sick leave
• Allows employers to pay art time, temporary or agency-hire employees less than regular employees
• Employers don’t have to show that workers are not contractors whom they can pay less
• Cuts penalties for labour standards violations from $100 000 to $25 000

Source: Globe and Mail

 Closed the College of Trades– November 2, 2018. This leaves its training, public safety and licensing role uncertain while increasing the ratio of trainees to skilled workers on a job site. Source: CBC

About 2 400 Ontario public servants use Ford’s voluntary buyout program.  Employees have until the end of the year to leave their positions. June 13, 2019, Source: Global News

Community and labour leaders occupy Premier Ford’s constituency office following the death of a temporary agency worker, to demand action on preventing workplace fatalities. Protesters are asking for Ford’s signature on regulations drafted in 2018 that aim to prevent workplace deaths in the province.  October 16, 2019 Source:CTV News Toronto,

Ontario stopped enforcing credentials in skilled trades, right after Doug Ford took power. Provincial inspectors aren’t checking if mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and other skilled tradespeople are certified. July 21, 2021 Source: CBC

Ontario’s 10 cent increase in minimum wage called an insult to workers. October 1,  2021, Source: CBC

Flanked by union leaders!!??, Doug Ford raises Ontario’s minimum wage to $15.00 an hour, three years after he scrapped a scheduled increase. This moves comes with a provincial election set for June 2.

• NDP leader Andrea Horwath said Ford’s 2018 decision robbed workers of $5 300 in lost pay. November 2, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Ford government scraps diversity hiring targets for transit projects, a reversal of a ground-breaking policy intended to deliver jobs to marginalized communities where new lines are built. March 3, 2022 Source: thestar.com, 

• Does about-face, commits to hiring targets for under-represented groups on new transit projects, following Star reporting. March 4, 2022, Source: thestar.com

Environment  – NEW!!

Cancellations/Scaling back of environmental initiatives

Cancelled a wind energy project in Bay of Quinte area – had been under development for 10 years with 100 workers on site July 10, 2018 Source: Nation Valley News

Ended electric & hydrogen vehicle incentive program July 11, 2018 Source: CBC News

• Tesla motors sued Ontario government for excluding it from the list of cars that could receive incentives for those purchased before September 10. Tesla won its case. August 16, 2018, Source: CBC News

Ended the Drive Clean program – emissions testing for older passenger vehicles and light trucks. September 28, 2018, Source: Toronto Star

Froze licence fees and removed $2 service fees for hunters – January 10, 2019. Source: CBC

Ford declared open season on endangered species in Ontario. February 24, 2019 Source: Now Magazine

Eliminated key energy conservation programmes and overhauling the Ontario Energy Board –  new chief executive officer and board of directors.  March 22, 2019.  Source: Globe and Mail

Ontario conservation authority funding for flood management cut by half. April 20, 2019. Source: CP 24

Ford government’s cancellation of renewable energy projects set to cost at least $231M. November 19, 2019, Source: Toronto Star

• Energy minister, Greg Rickford, was under fire for citing a website that denies climate change is largely caused by humans. November 28, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

MZOs and Development

N.B.: MZOs (Minister’s Zoning Orders) allow the Minister of Public Affairs and Housing the power to override local planning and environmental processes and to forego local consultations without the possibility of appeals. November 1, 2020 Source: Toronto Star

• The article also mentions that MZOs were used a handful of times by the previous government but nearly 30 times since the Ford government came into power in 2018.

Ontario issues special orders to approve developments on farmland and wetlands. The zoning orders allow Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark to make a final ruling on how a piece of land is used in the province with no appeals. May 26 2020, Source: Globe and Mail 

Ford government approved a massive project in Pickering that will destroy a 22-hectare significant wetland using a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO). MZOs were used last week for 3 propertin Toronto’s West Don Lands. An MZO issued in April in Vaughn came at the expense of three provincially significant wetlands. November 1, 2020, Source: Toronto Star

• Pickering council voted unanimously to ask province to revoke the MZO. March 23, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

To pave way for wetland development, Ford government is retroactively changing the law. The amendments to Ontario’s Planning Act would nullify a key clause that limits the scope of MZOs. March 5, 2021 Source: CBC News

Lake Simcoe is supposed to be protected by Doug Ford’s government but residents fear the province’s policies now threaten its health, citing agressive growth targets, nearly 20 MZOs, the endorsement of large infrastructure projects, and a sewage treatment plant that could dump millions of litres of effluent into the lake daily. April 12, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Doug Ford’s government wants to dump more sewage in Lake Ontario. The province told the regions of Durham and York that it was considering sending millions of litres more of York’s waste to the shores of Ajax and Pickering. Ajax mayor, Shawn Collier, stated that the province should be looking to solving their sewer capacity problems before they approve the development. April 30, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Province’s special orders that fast-track development swamps Toronto area conservation authorities who state that the province is approving development without a complete picture of their environmental impacts. July 5, 2021  Source: Toronto Star

Six members of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council join David Crombie and resign, citing proposed new rules. Dec. 6, 2020, Source: cbc.ca,

The Ford government is set to expand the Greenbelt protected area while proceeding with the controversial Highway 413 project. “We are not going to entertain any conversations about any land swap,” Steve Clark, the Municipal Affairs Minister said. “Our government will not consider proposals to remove or develop any part of it,” the minister stated, stressing that existing legislative protections for the Greenbelt would remain. February 17, 2021
Source: the star.com,

Lake Simcoe is supposed to be protected by Doug Ford’s government but residents fear the province’s policies now threaten its health, citing aggressive growth targets, nearly 20 MZOs (Minister’s Zoning Orders), the endorsement of large infrastructure projects, and a sewage treatment plant that could dump millions of litres of affluent into the lake daily. April 12, 2021, Source: the star.com 

Doug Ford’s government wants to dump more sewage into Lake Ontario. The province told the regions of Durham and York that it was considering sending millions of litres more of York’s waste to the shores of Ajax and Pickering. Ajax mayor, Shawn Collier, stated that the province should be looking to solving their sewer capacity problems before they approve development. April 30, 2021, Source: thestar.com

Province’s special Minister’s Zoning orders (MZOs)  that fast-track development swamp Toronto-area conservation authorities who state that the province is approving developments without a complete picture of their environmental impacts. July 5, 2021, Source: thestar.com

Ontario court finds provincial government broke the law, citing lack of public consultations, failing to adhere to the Environmental Bill of Rights. The Superior Court said the government failed to post proposed amendments over the controversial use of Ministerial Zoning Orders on the Environment Registry prior to implementation. September 8, 2021,  Source: CTV News

Carbon emissions

Killed Cap & Trade – Ford told reporters this action would help reduce gas prices by 10 cents/litre. Soon after, he said that he would spend $30 million to sue the Federal government if it imposed a carbon tax. According to province’s Financial Accountability Officer, the government would forego $3 billion dollars in revenue over 4 years. October 31, 2018 Source: CBC News

• Said he’d reconsider his carbon tax challenge if federal conservatives lose the election.  The Ontario Green Party leader, Mike Schreiner, stated that “this lawsuit was political theatre from the get-go, with the vast majority of law experts predicting it to fail.” August 23, 2019, Source Toronto Star Source: Toronto Star
• Ontario persisted  with carbon tax legal challenge even though Doug Ford had said he would “respect democracy” following the federal election.  October 25, 2019 Source:  The Globe and Mail
• The Supreme Court ruled to uphold the federal carbon-pricing legislation. March 25, 2021 Source: CBC News

Government ordered gas stations to display anti-carbon tax stickers costing the government a minimum of $5K. Fines up to $10 000 could be levied if gas station operators did not comply. April 18, 2019 Source: CBC News

• The government wanted anti-carbon tax stickers on display by the end of the 2019 summer. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce viewed the requirement as a violation of their rights and freedoms. June 11, 2019 Source: Global News.
• The stickers peeled off because the glue didn’t hold. September 12, 2019 Source:Toronto Star
• Court ruled Ontario gas-pump sticker campaign against carbon tax violates charter rights. Ontario Superior Court Justice Ed Morgan stated that the stickers’ content is not very truthful and is designed to make a partisan statement. September 5, 2020, Source:Globe and Mail 

Ontario’s Auditor General slammed Doug Ford’s climate policies as insufficient to meet 2030 emission reduction targets, and as being riddled with errors and omissions. December 4, 2019. Source: National Observer  

During Doug Ford’s first year as Premier, Ontario’s carbon emissions went up for the first time in about a decade. December 3, 2020  Source:CBC News

Ontario’s new plastics recycling plan is ‘dangerous’ and ‘magical thinking’ critics warn as the government is in the process of crafting regulations for thermal treatment-based advanced recycling facilities that would exempt some projects from environmental assessments March 4, 2022, Source: CBC News

Greenbelt

Ford Government Introduced Bill 66 (Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act) to grant municipalities the power to allow businesses to avoid sections of over a dozen policies and acts. Bill 66 would enable development in protected areas like the Greenbelt and allow municipalities to ignore environmental, planning, and safe drinking water concerns in an effort on the part of the Tories to cut red tape. December 9, 2018 Source: KW Record

David Crombie, a former federal Conservative minister and former mayor of Toronto, resigned from his job as head of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council to protest the Ford government’s rules that would gut environmental protections in the province. December 5, 2020, Source: Global News

• Six members of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council joined David Crombie and resigned citing proposed new rules. December 6, 2020, Source: CBC News

Ford government was set to expand the Greenbelt protected area while proceeding with the controversial Highway 413 project. February 17, 2021,  Source: Toronto Star

Prime farmland in the GTA is disappearing fast. Doug Ford’s plan may be making that worse as the government is not taking steps to ensure the protection of farmland in the GTA. August 28, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Government

Froze salaries of public service managers and said he would review executive salaries – July 3, 2018. Source – Toronto Star

• Fired chief advisors– July 5, 2018
• Chief Science Officer, Molly Shoichet – hired November 2017
• Chief Investment Officer – Allen O’Dette

Changed rules to weaken opposition’s ability to slow down legislation – September 15, 2018. Enables to speed up the process for limiting debate. Source: CBC

Disbanded four subcommittees of the Anti-Racism Directorate, group supposed to provide advice to government to eliminate systemic racism – September 18, 2018. Source: CBC

Increased the threshold to maintain official party status in the legislature from 8 to 12 – November 13, 2018. Source: CTV

Cut positions of the environmental commissioner, child and youth advocate and French language service commissioner – November 15, 2018. Environmental commissioner, Diane Saxe – vocal critic of Tory actions on climate change. Child and youth advocate, Irwin Elman – put out reports with considerable impact on child welfare policies. Source: CBC

Raised individual donation limits from $1 200 to $1 600 for political parties while proposing to phase out taxpayer subsidies to them  November 22, 2018. Source: McCarthy Tetrault

Ontario Chief Comptroller (accountant) resigned because she couldn’t sign off on the claimed $15 B deficit .  Cindy Veinot said that the government overstated the provincial deficit. – December 5, 2018  Source: Toronto Star

Appointed top aide Jenni Byrne to Ontario Energy Board $197 000 per year – January 11, 2019. Source: CBC

Financial Accountability Office of Ontario says that the province spends less per capita than other provinces. . Opposition says that government shouldn’t cut more from spending, while trying to balance the books and lower taxes. February 14, 2019 Source: Financial Accountability Office

• Service providers for autistic children claimed they were instructed to stop providing therapy for children on the waiting list to receive treatment. Lisa Macleod denied it. 2019 02 25

Hosted a cash for access dinner for $1 250 a plate – Lobbyists were pushed to sell tickets to what was billed as the biggest fundraiser in the party’s history. February 21, 2019. Source: Toronto Star

Ford was to have a $50K retrofit done on a van for his use February 25, 2019 Source: CBC News

Booted Tory MPP, Randy Hillier from caucus for saying “yadayada” during discussion students on Austism Spectrum – something Hillier said was directed at the NDP. March 15, 2019. Source: Global News

• Hillier alleged he was aware of “illegal and unregistered lobbying by close friends and advisers employed” by Ford. April 4 2019 Source: CBC

Ontario PCs doubled up on fundraising as Doug Ford is still raising money through his leadership campaign despite having no outstanding campaign debt.  Contributions to a debt-free leadership bid must be turned over to the party.  While permitted, observers say that the practice of raising money through a debt-free leadership campaign is at odds with the spirit of the law. April 15, 2019 Source: The Globe and Mail

Faced scrutiny for patronage appointments as it names five failed PC candidates to seats on the Niagara Parks Commission, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, and the Trillium Foundation. April 28, 2019. Source: Globe and Mail

Energy minister, Greg Rickford, attended political fundraiser at home of CEO with lobbyist ties. May 17, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Ford government gave millions to rural Tory ridings amid cutbacks.  The one-time funding came two weeks before the spring budget which contained cuts to municipal budgets for public health units and other programs.  June 14, 2019, Source : Globe and Mail

Major cabinet shuffle – and demotions abound from the “all-star cabinet” – Vic Fedeli demoted to Economic Development from Finance Minister, Rod Phillips takes over; Caroline Mulroney loses Attorney General position and goes to Transportation with Doug Downey thing her portfolio; Lisa Macleod demoted  to Tourism, Culture and Sports from Children Community and Social Services; Lisa Thompson replaced at Education by Tory insider, Stephen Lecce. June 20, 2019, Source: CTV News

Nepotism broke out – into the open:  Ford chief of staff, Dean French resigned after discovery of his patronage appointments. June 21, 2019, Source: CBC News

• Andrew Suboch, the head of a committee that helps appoint justices of the peace has resigned after reports that he has ties to Dean French, the premier’s former chief of staff linked to the patronage scandal in the Ford government.  July 11, 2019. Source: CTV News

More Ford cronyism Miroslaw Surma, father of newly appointed Kinga Surma was hired by Ford as a policy adviser. The move was defended by Stephen Lecce, new Education Minister,  Ford’s parliamentary assistant, as a way of dealing with “too many ivory tower people advising the former Liberal government.” June 27, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Capped public sector wage increases at 1%, a move that could derail ongoing contract negotiations, spark protests, and give rise to a court challenge. More than a million public sector workers would be affected by the bill, which is retroactive to June 5, 2019 November 7, 2019 Source: CBC News

Business leaders pay thousands to dine with Ontario Premier. The funds go to charity but raise ethical concerns as they are akin to trading cash for access, observers say.  November 13, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Made it harder to sue the government   December 27, 2019. Source: CTV News 

The Ontario government said it is looking into complaints that the new blue license plates, with the new slogan “A Place to Grow”, are unreadable in certain conditions. February 17, 2020, Source: Toronto Star

• Lisa Thompson expressed confidence in the new plates. went on to blame 3-M the company that sold the government the film for the plates
• Province dropped blue license plates over visibility issues.

Small communities, schools, and parks in Ontario could lose their blue-box service when the private sector assumes responsibility for curbside recycling, according to draft plans. August 24, 2020, Source: Toronto Environmental Alliance

Canada doesn’t have same ‘systemic, deep roots’ of racism as the United States: Premier Ford. June 2, 2020, Source: CTV News

• changed his mind the next day

Religious right  Ford’s move to grant Charles McVety’s religious college university status drew backlash and failed . McVety is a social conservative ally of Premier Doug Ford. May 26, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Appointment of Mike Harris to Order of Ontario sparks anger – January 1, 2021,  Source: Toronto Star

Ford under fire for hurling mysoginist attack at NDP leader Andrea Horwath during Question Period.  February 17, 2021, Source: CP 24

Ford government looks to rewrite Ontario election finance rules, allowing political donation limits to be raised.  February 25, 2021, Source: CBC News

• • Doug Ford’s new elections act bill moves to silence critics- cuts third party spending while increasing personal and corporate donations March 2, 2021, Source: Toronto Star 
  • Court strikes down Ontario 3rd-party election spending law as unconstitutional – Judge rules sections of Bill 254 – Election Finances Act infringe on Charter of Rights and Freedoms, June 8, 2021 Source: CBC News
  • Still, Ford government pushes through election spending bill using “notwithstanding clause”. Bill 307, used the notwithstanding clause to reintroduce parts of a law struck down by a judge last week, passed Monday by a margin of 63 votes to 47 June 14, 2021, Source: CBC News

Mike Harris’s former environment minister, Norm Sterling, appointed by province to head the Greenbelt Council. Sterling voted against the creation of the Greenbelt in 2005, and slashed the Environment Ministry’s budget by 40%. Later, the Walkerton tainted water inquiry concluded that the Harris-era cuts helped set the stage for the year 2000 disaster that killed 7 people and sickened thousands of others. April 29, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Doug Ford’s handling of Rob Ford’s estate faces scrutiny from provincial lawyer. May 10, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Canada’s leading civil liberties group (Canadian Civil Liberties Association) joins constitutional challenge of Ford government’s election spending reforms for which he invoked the Charter of Rights’  “notwithstanding clause” for the first time in Ontario’s history.  June 22, 2021 Source: Toronto Star

Ford’s government sent almost $1B to businesses not eligible for COVID aid or who lost less money than they were given, auditor general Bonnie Lysyk charges in her annual report. She found a troubling absence of controls.

Report also highlights the following:

• The Ontario Securities Commission has yet to collect $378 million of the $525 million in financial penalties it imposed on companies
• Ontario Provincial Police detachments are increasingly understaffed
• The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation does not have sufficient age verifications in place
• Homelessness is a serious issue in Ontario but the government has no strategy to prevent or reduce it
• The province has little oversight of 500 private colleges
• Ontario’s 24 public colleges receive the least amount of government funding compared to those in other provinces
• Wait times for outpatient procedures have increased
• Less than 60 per cent of those who suffer a heart attack receive timely treatment.  December 1, 2021, Source:Toronto Star

Bill 37 not a fix for long term care homes – It’s the opposite January10, 2022  Source: The Bullet

We won’t support a minority government led by Doug Ford, Ontario’s opposition leaders say.  January 25, 2022 Source: Toronto Star

Red Flags raised over contribution to PCs by directors of company hired to run vaccine clinics– all 4 board members of FH Health made maximum allowable donations to Tories January 27, 2022  Source: CBC News

Ford government lost appeal to keep mandate letters (for cabinet ministers) secret. Mandate letters traditionally lay out directives a premier has for cabinet ministers and have been routinely made public across the country. January 28, 2022 Source: CBC News

• Appealed decision to Supreme Court March 30, 2022 Source: CBC News

Paid Deloitte $22.4 million to run paid sick leave programme January 28, 2022. Source: Toronto Star

Gave nice pay packet to CEO of Workers Safety Insurance Board – $440K – former Try federal candidate for London area February 3, 2022. Source: Order in Council

Ontario Liberals call on Doug Ford to send message to “leave now or lose your truck” to the protesters in Ottawa. Steven Del Duca stated that “the residents of Ottawa are victims of a dangerous anti-vax mob holding their city hostage.”   February 7, 2022,   Source: CHCH news

Nurses called on Ford to repeal Bill 124 with wage cap – told him to back up support rhetoric with real support. January7, 2022  Source: Kingston Whig Standard

Trucker protests: Ford pressed on why he was at the cottage while Ottawa was ‘under siege’. February 11, 2022,  Source: globalnews.ca

• Panicked in the face of trucker protests and began lifting mandates February 14, 2022 Source: Toronto Star

We’ll all pay the price for Doug Ford’s dithering on the trucker protests. A state of emergency has been declared, without urgency. By ransoming the Ambassador Bridge at Windsor, the blockaders have stopped $700 million in two-way trade daily – with impunity to date.  February 11, 2022 Source: Toronto Star

Handed back $1.5 billion from WSIB to employers after years of cuts to benefits February 23, 2022 Source: Toronto Star

Ford government rewrote its own rules on tabling budget for March 31 – a move to bring the budget close to the election announcement and removing debate about it.  February 23, 2022. Source: CTV News

Health

Ended free medication for children and young adults whose parents have private insurance coverage –June 30, 2018. OHIP+ had offered free prescription medication to Ontarians under 25 and covered 4 400 medications. Source: Global News

Delayed Immunization reporting rules for doctors to inform public health units of the children they immunized – July 7, 2018. Source: CBC

Allowed cannabis shops to operate 150 metres from school (not 450m as originally planned) November 15, 2018. Source: Hamilton Spectator

Cut all funding for the College of Midwives –December 15, 2018. Loss of the *$799 000 grant was made retroactive to April 2018 – so the College would not receive promised funds. Source: Ottawa Citizen

Planned to replace 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) with no more than 5 regional oversight bodies – January 17, 2018. Source: CBC

Documents leaked to the NDP indicate that Ford government is planning to create a super agency to oversee health and introduce a delivery model called Mycare enabling it to privatize aspects of healthcare. – Feb 4, 2019. Source: CBC

• Health Minister Christine Elliot announced the dubiously named “People’s Health Care Act” which will create a new oversight body called Ontario Health – February 26, 2019. Source: Toronto Star.  The plan is to eliminate most of the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINS) and absorb agencies: Cancer Care Ontario, Health Quality Ontario, eHealth Ontario, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Health Shared Services Ontario, Health Force Ontario Marketing and Recruitment Agency.
• More than 1 400 people ask to speak at public hearing on legislation aimed at overhauling the Ontario health system – proposed changes include eliminating 14 Local Health Integration Networks and 6 other administrative bodies and replacing them with a single agency, Ontario Health. March 30, 2019 Source: CBC News

Considered lifting a ban that prevents major pharmacy chains from selling in-house brands of prescription medications.  Independent pharmacists and drug distributors who oppose the change believe that it would give an unfair advantage to the owners of the two largest pharmacy groups, Rexall and Shoppers Drug Mart.  – March 22, 2019.  Source:The Globe and Mail

Cut funding to three supervised drug-use sites and indicated it may soon stop supporting the busiest site in the province. A coordinator with the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, Gillian Kola, said the changes will have a devastating impact on the community. March 30, 2019. Source: Globe and Mail

Slashed Toronto Public Health funds by $1B over a decade, part of a plan to consolidate local public health units. Toronto Board of Health Chair Joe Cressy said the cuts will affect programs including infectious disease initiatives, communicable disease surveillance, immunization programs, food safety and water quality initiatives, as well as sexual health promotion.  Toronto Mayor, John Tory, stated that this change is an attack on the health of the entire city.  April 18, 2019. Source: CBC News 

Plans to merge ambulance services across Ontario, going from 59 local ambulance services to just 10. April 16, 2019. Source: CBC News,

Ontario Telemedicine Network lays off 44 staff as a result of PC government funding cuts. May 8, 2019, Source: CBC News

PC cuts threatened stem cell research as funding for the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine won’t be renewed in 2020. May 16. 2-19, Source: CBC News

Stop smoking program shuttered after Ford government pulls funding.”Leave the Pack Behind” initiative targeted young adults for 19 years. It will stop operations as of June 2019. May 30, 2019, Source: CBC

Reduced access to some health care services in cost cutting effort.  The province and the Ontario Medical Association unveiled a list of 11 changes that include cuts to services such as house calls, MRI or CT scans for hip and knee pain, and urine pregnancy tests in doctors’ offices.  August 23, 2019. Source:  Globe and Mail

Protest held at Nathan Phillips Square over Ontario healthcare cuts. The groups said they are protesting “real-dollar cuts” to public hospital funding as well as plans to eliminate public health units and local ambulance services.  November 9, 2019, Source: CP 24

The Ontario government was planning to change the rules around how health data can be shared. Privacy experts worry some reforms could compromise the security of patient information. November 14, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Ford looked to weaken pesticide rules.  November 14, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Greg Harrington, a former policy adviser to Doug Ford, has registered as a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company that is trying to persuade the provincial government to keep funding the country’s most lucrative drug, Remicade. February 18, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail, 

Ontario won’t renew extra funding for sexual assault centres, advocates say. March 4, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Nurses outraged at one per cent raise under wage-cap law (Bill 124) while Doug Ford calls them ‘heroes’ in COVID-19 fight. June 12, 2020, Source: the star.com

COVID-19

Military details horrific state of Ontario care homes. May 27, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Ontario farms struggle to contain COVID-19 raising concerns over safety and testing adequacy. June 3, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Toronto pushing the province to start collecting and sharing COVID-19 data around race and jobs. June 2, 2020, Source: cbc.ca 

Doug Ford says he relies on COVID-19 experts to guide reopening, but his government won’t identify them, raising questions about where the science is coming from. June 9, 2020, Source: cbc.ca

Health care unions consider political action over Ontario’s COVID-19 Emergency Act. July 11, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Ford defends emergency order law after MPP removed from caucus over dissent. Bill 195 allows the government to extend emergency orders for one month at a time for as long as two years, which Belinda Karahalios called an unnecessary overreach. July 23, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Ontario’s back-to-school plan puts no limits on class size for elementary students. Teachers’ unions say plan is unsafe for students and educators.  July 31, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Class-size plan puts students at risk: Toronto Public Health.  August 7, 2020, Source:Globe and Mail

Ontario is being urged to expand testing of school staff and students – especially in COVID-19 hot spots -after the first site in Toronto uncovered 19 cases at one elementary school on the first sample group that was tested. November 30, 2020, Source: the star.com,

Critics slam Ontario government over holiday vaccination slowdown. December 28, 2020, Source: ctvnews.ca,

Big, for-profit long-term-care companies paid out more than $170 million to investors through Ontario’s deadly first wave of the Pandemic while taking millions in government funds. December 26, 2020, Source: thestar.com

Ontario’s new stay-at-home rules are clear as mud. The latest lockdown rules are such a mess that even Toronto mayor John Tory says he can’t understand what they mean for the city. January 13, 2021 , Source: the star.com,

Paid Sick leave. Toronto councillor and chair of the Toronto Board of Health, Joe Cressy, stated that essential and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic need paid sick leave in order to be able to stay home and self-isolate when they are ill. January 11, 2021, Source: ctvnews.ca,

No paid sick leave says Doug. Doug Ford draws criticism saying that there’s no reason for Ontario to offer paid sick leave to protect front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic as they can access a federal program.  Some advocates have said that the federal program is insufficient because payments can take weeks to process and the benefit does not provide job security. January 18, 2021,  Source: ctvnews.ca,

Internal government documents show how Ontario ‘watered down’ its strategies to keep COVID-19 out of classrooms. The documents included proposals for safety measures that did not come to fruition upon Fall school openings related to testing, symptom screening and class sizes. Dr Janine McCready, an infectious diseases physician, urges the province to implement the more stringent safety measures that were discussed in the documents months ago.  January 21, 2021, Source: the star.com,

Ontario continues to ease restrictions despite new modelling data that suggests it could face a third wave of COVID-19. February 12, 2021, Source: CBC News,

300 000 to 50 000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines shipped to Canada will expire on April 2. Green leader Mike Shreiner said the looming deadline shows why the Ontario government should have had the appointment booking system up and running by now.  March 3, 2021, Source: the star.com,

Health-care system neglecting priority populations, especially low-income and people of colour, resulting in vaccine appointments being left vacant for those over 70. The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released data Thursday that indicates that vaccines are not reaching the highest-risk populations across age groups. April 3, 2021, Source: the star.com

150 ICU doctors write letter to Ford government over CIVID-19 variants, warning that more measures are needed.  April 1, 2021, Source: global news.ca

Ontario declares stay at home order – limit to shopping for food, pharmacy, health services exercise. April 7, 2021 Source: News Ontario

Ontario is giving priority access to COVID-19 vaccines to some neighbourhoods that have been far less affected by the pandemic than other areas not designated as hot spots, data analysis by CBC News reveals. 4 out of 5 of the postal codes benefitting from the unwarranted designation are represented by Conservative MPPs. 7 postal codes with a greater COVID-19 impact that are not classified as hot spots are located in ridings held by the opposition parties. April 12, 2021, Source: CBC.ca

Ford announces new restrictions: police to be able to do random stops of people away from homes, playgrounds, non-essential construction shut down. – no plan for paid sick leave. April 16, 2021, Source  CBC News

Majority of Ontario police services refuse to randomly stop residents despite Ford COVID-19 new lockdown restrictions’ announcement. April 17, 2021, Source: thestar.com

Province should be taking a more targeted approach to curb COVID-19 by legislating paid sick leave and ensuring essential workers are vaccinated says Dr Martha Fulford, infectious disease specialist and associate professor at MacMaster University. She stated that the last thing the province should be closing is playgrounds. April 17, 2021, Source: thestar.com

Ontario drops COVID-19 playground restrictions. April 17, 2021, Source: the star.com

Ontario walks back new pandemic police powers following widespread backlash. Instead, police will only be allowed to stop people they have reason to believe are participating in an “organized public event or social gathering.” The closing of outdoor space, meanwhile, puzzled many public health experts. Dr Isaac Bogoch, who sits on the province’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, said in a tweet that “outdoor activities are vital for mental and physical health, especially with stay-at-home orders.” He added that “Science is clear: Outdoor COVID transmission is extremely rare.” April 17, 2021, Source: Toronto.ctvnews.ca

Toronto Public Health issues Section 22 Class Order to close workplaces to manage COVID-19 outbreaks. April 20, 2021, Source: toronto.ca, 

Peel Region’s top doctor, Dr Loh, will issue an order Tuesday that will force businesses with five or more cases of COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks to close for 10 days.  Lot also recommends that businesses forced to close because of COVID-19 cases provide paid leave for employees forced to isolate. Lot is among the many regional medical officers of health and other health professionals who have repeatedly called on Premier Ford and his cabinet to implement a provincially run paid sick leave program. April 20, 2021, Source: cbc

Child care workers demand COVID-19 vaccine as Ontario daycares remain open. April 22, 2021, Source: citytv

No 10 paid sick days. Ontario’s Provincial Conservatives used their majority to defeat Liberal MPP Michael Coteau’s private member’s bill, which would have given 10 paid sick days for essential workers in Ontario. According to the Liberals, it was the 21st time that the Tories have voted against provincial paid leave since 2016. April 26, 2021, Source: cbc

• • Ontario’s plan for three paid sick days is not enough, Deena Ladd, executive director of the Worker’s Action Centre, a labour rights advocacy group, had been advocating for 10 paid sick days, to be paid by employers. Dr Isaac Bogoch, an infections disease specialist at University Health Network, stated that 14 days are needed. April 28, 2021, Source: thestar.com

Federal government insists it’s up to Ontario to make businesses pay for sick leave and is rejecting Ontario’s offer to top up the federal sick leave program for provincial residents instead of creating its own. April 27, 2021, Source: cbc.ca

Ontario did little to prepare long-term care homes for COVID-19, internal documents reveal. April 28, 2021, Source cbc.ca,

The Ontario long-term care commission says the system needs sweeping reforms. The commission was critical of the slow decision-making process of the Ford government during the early days of the pandemic. The commission said Dr David Williams, the chief medical officer of health, in particular, was too slow to act.  April 30,2021, Source: globalnews.ca

Ontario Long-term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton declined to apologize or resign Monday despite a report that found her government’s slow response to COVID-19 contributed to a devastating loss of life in nursing homes. May 3, 2021, Source: torontosun.com

Doug Ford opposes mandatory shots and proof-of-vaccination. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is recommending that all health-care workers be forced to get vaccinated and is calling on Queen’s Park to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for all health-care workers. July 15,2021,  Source: Toronto Star

Rejects demand to meet with MPPs to discuss vaccine passports and mandatory vaccination for healthcare and education workers, as COVID-19 cases doubled in the last two weeks. The meeting was backed by a number of business and medical organizations hoping to mitigate a fourth wave and help avoid shutting down schools and businesses. August 11, 2021,  Source: Toronto Star

Epidemiologist, Dr David Fisman, quits the science group advising the Ontario government on COVID-19 saying it does not have enough distance from the Ford government. August 23, 2021 , Source: CBC

Ontario’s labour ministry has rejected all teachers’ COVID-19 work refusals– and almost everyone else’s- a concern for teachers who will be working with a largely unvaccinated population and with the highly infectious Delta variant.  August 24, 2021, Source: Toronto Star

Ontario government prorogues legislature until after the federal election. NDP leader Andrea Horwath called the decision an abdication of responsibility, in light of COVID 19. September 3, 2021,  Source: Toronto Sun

Doug Ford won’t impose COVID-19 mandate for health-care workers, citing possible staff shortages.  However, the Science Table stated that the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks causing staff shortages is far greater than the planned shortages caused by removing the remaining unvaccinated health-care workers. November 3, 2021, Source: CBC

Ontario considers expanding second booster shots but no new public health restrictions are planned as the province rides another surge in cases. “ It doesn’t appear necessary that we need to take any further precautions,” Health minister Christine Elliott told reporters. Waste water analysis, however, suggests new daily cases are around 30 000.  March 31, 2022. Source: Toronto Star

Province should give Toronto’s top doctor power to bring back mask mandates: Board of Health. Also some Ontario school boards are pushing for masking requirements to help curb COVID-19 transmission in classrooms. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said he doesn’t believe it’s necessary. Changes made to the “Reopening Ontario Act” has taken away the authority of public health units to issue letters of instruction such as masking and vaccine mandates. April 12, 2022. Source: CityTV

Ford is under fire for claiming Dr Kieran Moore had a COVID-19 conference call with local health officials and was “on the job 24/7” when the chief medical officer was on a Caribbean holiday.  April 12, 2022 – Source: Toronto Star

Housing

Exempted new rental units from rent control claiming it would encourage developers to build more affordable housing. November 15, 2018. Source: CBC

Raised MPP housing allowances by 20 percent – retroactive to July 20, 2018 – January 17, 2019. To $2 300 /month. Source: CP

Passed Bill 108 More Homes More Choice Act which changes 13 existing acts reducing local fees for developers cities use to build infrastructure to support development as well as shortening approval times for developers. June 6, 2019, Source: Toronto Star

Resistance mounted to Ford government housing bill.  Environmentalists and municipal politicians want Bill 108 delayed or scrapped as they warn the plan would speed the conversion of farmland into sprawl. June 1, 2019, Source:Globe and Mail

Canceled a plan to build affordable housing on a piece of unused land in premier Ford’s riding saying the original deal wasn’t good enough.  July 12, 2019. Source:  Globe and Mail

Ontario to use bio-similars for patients on public drug plans to save tens of millions of dollars a year. February 27, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

Ontario pledges action to fight renovictions but advocates say new bill would also weaken notice provisions on rent hikes. March 13, 2020.            Source: Globe and Mail

Toronto taking province to court over tenant Bill 184. Councillor Mike Layton said the city’s housing crisis existed before the pandemic and the new law just makes a bad situation worse. July 30, 2020, Source: torontosun.com

Audit finds that Ontario failed to track $4.4B in COVID-19 pandemic relief spending. The report was tabled by the Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk on Wednesday. May 12, 2021, Source: toronto.ctvnews.ca 

Small business minister, Pravmeet Sarkaria,  under fire after wading into the debate over vaccination efficacy, potentially shaking public confidence.  Source: May 7, 2021, thestar.com

Doug Ford’s government wants housing built quickly, but a supportive housing project in Willowdale is sitting in limbo. Last March, the City of Toronto asked the province for a ministerial zoning order (MZO) to shorten the planning approval time. The MZO has not come. Councillor Ana Bailão is struggling to reconcile the provincial government’s hurry-up approach to most development (72 MZOs so far) with its slow pace to approving this particular affordable housing project. February 7, 2022, Source: CBC News

The province wants to double the density at two York Region transit-oriented stations. Local municipalities say the province proposes twice the residential spaces, nearly 9 000 fewer jobs, and less space for a park and library than they had planned locally. The province may resort to an MZO to override decisions of the local councils. February 20, 2022, Source: thestar.com

Indigenous Peoples

Scrapped Ministry for Indigenous issues – June 29, 2018. Source: Huffington Post

Cut $2 million from the Indigenous Culture Fund, a fund set up in response to a call for action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which sponsors local Friendship Centres – December 14, 2018. Source Global News

Cancelled Truth and Reconciliation Commission curriculum writing team – July 9, 2018. One of the agreements that came from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, this was aimed at introducing more about Indigenous history and culture to schools. Source: CBC

Eliminated a fund supporting Indigenous cultureas the government cuts tens of millions of dollars in arts funding – a decision that is being slammed as short-sighted.  May 26, 2019, Source: National Post

Ontario won’t commit to mandatory inquests for children who die in care as requested by  Indigenous leaders, the provincial NDP, and Ontario’s former childrens’ advocate. January 25, 2020 Source: Globe and Mail, 

Surge in mining claims.Ontario promised to get to the bottom of alleged mercury dumps upstream from Grassy Narrows. Instead, the province allowed a surge in mining claims on the Indigenous territory.  April 12, 2021, Source: the star.com

Ontario will not make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a provincial holiday.  September 9, 2021, Source: CBC News

Indigenous group launches legal action over Ford government’s use of MZO to fast-track a controversial development near Lake Simcoe. Legal experts say the outcome could have implications for ministers zoning orders, or MZOs, approved by the province on treaty lands, which includes all of southern Ontario. MZOs cannot override the Crown’s constitutional duty to consult and include First Nations in any decision-making processes, said Laura Brown, staff lawyer for Ecojustice, an environmental law charity. November 19, 2021,  Source: Toronto Star

Justice

Government  is moving ahead with controversial changes to the way judges and justices of the peace are appointed, a move critics fear will open the process to political interference. February 27, 2020, Source: cp24.com

Ottawa, Ontario challenged on solitary confinement. Human rights commission says current practices are unacceptable. August 26, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail 

Criminal defence lawyers raising alarm bells after the Ford government appoints 41 justices of the peace.  More than a third of the new appointments have former policing, military, or correctional backgrounds. Criminal defence lawyer Michael Spratt said that the problem with appointing police officers, law enforcement, and correctional individuals is that they are partisan, arresting and advocating for detention one day and deciding upon bail issues another day.  July 12, 2021, Source: CBC.ca 

Municipalities

Cut Toronto City Council from 47 to 25 members – July 27, 2018. Toronto was in the midst of an election campaign the Ford government. Ford halted elections for Chair of Peel, York, Niagara and Muskoka. His legislation – The Better Local Government Act was challenged in Superior Court and Justice Belobaba struck it down saying that it contravened people’ “freedom of expression.” Ford immediately announced that he would reintroduce the same legislation using “notwithstanding clause” of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to get around it. On September 19 – Ontario Court of Appeal granted a stay of Belobaba’s original ruling – final result of the appeal is pending. Source: Global News

 Halted new overdose prevention sites – August 15, 2018. Halted the opening of 3 sites across Ontario – Thunder Bay, St, Catharines and Toronto. Then Ford gave the OK for maximum 21 sites across the province in October. Source: Global News

Dissolved the board running Ontario Place and placed its assets under provincial control. November 16, 2018. In mid-December appointed ally and fundraiser, Jim Ginou to chair of the Ontario Place Board. Ginou said that Ontario Place could be “rebuilt any way that Ford wants it rebuilt.” Source: Toronto Star

Ontario Power Generation sold the site of the unused Hearn Generating Station in the Portland area of Toronto to Studios of America for $16 million – November 22, 2018. One of Studios of America owners is Mario Cortellucci who with his family has donated thousands of dollars to Ford’s leadership campaign. Source: Toronto Star

Cut all funding to Tourism Toronto. May 7, 2019,  Source: CP 24

Toronto is facing a projected funding gap of about $178 million this year as a result of provincial cuts.  Mayor Tory said that these cuts are a harsh offensive against services needed in Toronto and that, as Toronto is the economic engine of Ontario, these cuts run the risk of stalling the engine. May 14, 2019, Source : Globe and Mail

Cities urge Ontario to rethink ‘windfall’ for developers as the provincial government plans to cap the payments from real estate developers for parks and other public improvements. May 2nd, 2020, Source:Globe and Mail, 

Ranked ballots beaten back. Ford faces pushback after move to scrap ranked ballots for municipal elections. The proposed amendment was tacked onto a bill that would also limit the legal liability of businesses and organizations, including long-term care homes operators, in regards to COVID-19. October 21, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail

The Foundry buildings in the West Don Lands in Toronto are set to be demolished as they are under minister’s zoning orders (MZOs), allowing Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark to overrule the City’s Heritage and planning designations. Community groups have not been consulted and City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has asked the City’s transportation staff to revoke the construction hoarding and right-of-way permits issued for the site. January 14, 2021, Source: the star.com

Ford government approved a closed-door deal last September to sell provincially owned land in Toronto that’s at the centre of a dispute over heritage value. (see above)The government is refusing to disclose the identity of the prospective buyer of the Dominion foundry on Eastern Avenue in the West Donlands. February 22, 2021, Source: cbc.ca,

Former Mississauga CAO says provincial crown corporations asked her to sign NDA preventing her from speaking to local council about important details of a major transit project. February 28, 2022, Source: Toronto Star

Policing

Postponed Bill 175 updating the police service act – July 4 2018.  Passed in spring of 2018 would have provided more oversight of police in the wake of civilian deaths at hands of the police. Source: CBC/Toronto Star

• New bill removes requirement for police to notify Special Investigation Unit (SIU)of certain kinds of death (eg: heart attack, suicide) while police are at the scene, where before all such deaths were reported and raises standard of evidence for misconduct findings. February 19, 2019.  

Appointed friend, Ron Taverner head of OPP – November 29, 2018. Government lowered the qualification requirements enabling him to apply. Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner is investigating allegation that Ford violated the Member’s Integrity Act by participating in a Cabinet decision to appoint a family friend. Source: CP 24

• Ron Taverner declined the appointment asOPP commissioner owing to extensive controversy.  March 7th, 2019. Source:The Globe and Mail,
• Brad Blair, veteran OPP commander who had also vied for the position, was fired this week after initiating a lawsuit into the hiring process that led to Mr. Taverner’s appointment.  March 7th, 2019.   Source:The Globe and Mail,

Passed legislation that narrows the scope of mandatory investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).  March 26, 2019 Source: CP 24, March 26, 2019

Appoints all-male panel for police-force review, raising questions about whether issues of discrimination and harassment facing female employees will be addressed adequately.  The panel does not include police officers or people in mental health and/or organizational culture fields.  April 30, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

OPP budget cut by nearly 4% as staff and officers win pay hikes through arbitration. May 11, 2019, Source: CBC. News

Social Services

Cut to funds to repair social housing – July 3, 2018. One of the results from the cancellation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction fund. Source: CP 24

Took away support for resettling asylum seekers – July 5, 2018. Backing away from former commitment, Ford said that he wouldn’t help to shoulder costs of resettling asylum seekers. Left cities like Toronto without adequate funding to house refugees (3 000 in Toronto). Source: Globe and Mail

Cut $355 million from mental health funding – reducing it to $190 million this year July 26, 2018.  Source: Windsor Star

Ended Basic Income Pilot Project – July 31, 2018. 4 000 people enrolled in the project set to last until 2020 which would have provided $17 000 for single people less half of any income they earned; people with disabilities received an extra $ 6 000. Class action lawsuit launched against the government over alleged breach of contract. Source: CBC

Cut promised 3% increase for Ontario Works & Ontario Disabilities Support Program. July 31, 2018. Three percent increases over time reduced to 1.5% increase. Source: Ottawa Citizen

Cut advanced age allowance for elderly and allowances for people needing guide dogs. August 11, 2018. Source: Rabble

Ended Roundtable on Violence, a group of volunteers who gave advice to government like advocating for paid leave to people experiencing domestic violence or the threat of it and to put this in Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act – October 13, 2018. Ford said that he planned to scrap this act. Source: Globe and Mail

Expanded hours of alcohol sales from 9 am to 11 pm seven day per week – November 16, 2018. Source: Globe and Mail

Planning to change the rules to allow more and younger children to be cared for by one caregiver. December 6, 2018. Source: Toronto Star

Circulated a memo to non-unionized government employees offering money to get them to quit their jobs as it seeks to reduce its workforce December 13, 2018 Source: CP

Changed funding for families with autistic children– February 6, 2018. (Update: 2019 02 18)Funding to go directly to families to a maximum of $140 000 per child between ages 2 and 18. Intensive Behavior therapy for autism can cost between $60 000 and $80 000 per year. Association for Behavior Analysis claims that Minister Lisa Macleod threatened it with repercussions if it didn’t provide positive comment about the plan.

• Service providers for autistic children claimed they were instructed to stop providing therapy for children on the waiting list to receive treatment. Lisa Macleod denied it. 2019 02 25. Source: Canadian Press/QP Briefing

Rape crisis centres received no word as to whether or not they will receive funding promised from last year.  February 12, 2019. Source: QP Briefing

Lisa Macleod, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, announced a roll back of the reforms of the province’s autism program

• The new plan will provide a six month extension for children currently receiving therapy under the old system,
• $20 000 annually for diagnosed children age 6 and under, and $5 000 for older children, with the same cap of $140 000 for each child remaining in place for now.
• Proposed income test is being scrapped.  March 22, 2019. Source: Globe and Mail
• Ford government reversed course on autism program after months of protests from parents and an internal review.  Changes won’t be fully rolled out until April 2020. July 30, 2019, Source: Globe and Mail

Less money to help addicted gamblers. Research agency, Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, has its funding eliminated by the PC government as Ontario looks to expand online gambling and to serve free alcohol in casinos.  May 4, 2019, Source: CBC.ca

Mass resignation of the board at a Brantford’s Children Aid Society as a response to underfunding; workers citing that it is no longer possible to fulfil the mandate of protecting children.  July 10, 2019. Source: Toronto Star

More than 3 000 new Toronto child care spaces at risk due to provincial cuts. July 15, 2019. Source: Toronto Star

Immigration board says cuts to legal-aid funding will cause hearing delays.  July 17, 2019.Source: Globe and Mail

Ottawa to fund legal aid for refugees and immigrants in Ontario as one-time financing as a result of the Ford government cuts. August 13, 2019. Source: CTV News

Changes to social assistance in Ontario could harm people living in poverty as the shift opens up the opportunity for private service. Similar reforms in Australia and the UK have been riddled with problems.  February 2020, Source: Maytree Newsletter

Province under fire for decision to abruptly close youth jails and relocate children further away from home. March 3, 2021, Source: the star.com,

Doug Ford’s new long-term-care legislation, Bill 37, tolls for all of us. As previously written, the Long-Term-Care Homes Act stated the government must be “committed to promotion of the delivery of long-term-care home services by not-for-profit organizations. Bill 37 changes this inconvenient phrase to allow Ford to promote for-profit ownership.

• In November, Ford confirmed plans to allocate thousands of new beds to 30 year-licenses to for-profit companies, including to operators of homes in which the military exposed hideous examples of neglect. These expansions are paid for by public taxes and residents’ fees. Private profits and socialized harms: the agenda of the Ford government. January 4, 2022, Source: Toronto Star

Transit and Transportation

Planned to take over Toronto Transit Commission subways and possibly other of its assets. November 21, 2018. Ford plans to push the subway into York, Peel and Durham. Source: Toronto Star

• Feb 12, 2019 Province and Toronto agree to terms of reference to discuss upload: meeting every 2 weeks, 4 representatives for each side; acknowledgement of public consultation and sustainable funding. Source: QP Briefing

Committed $11.2B of $28 billion needed to build four major Toronto area transit projects, including a 15 kilometre “Ontario Line” running from Ontario Place to the Science Centre, which will replace the downtown relief line.  Many critics have raised concerns about changing course on several projects already underway.  Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city has a long list of questions and raised concerns about the province’s proposals delaying projects like the Scarborough subway extension. April 11, 2019 Source: CBC

Toronto and Queen’s Park deal for subway expansion – this allows for Doug Ford’s Ontario Line to be built while Tories will no longer take over Toronto subway. Source: The Globe and Mail, October 17, 2019

Ontario cancelled major Hamilton transit project. Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger said this is a betrayal by the province to the City of Hamilton. December 17, 2019,  Source: Globe and Mail

Province introduces  bill aimed at speeding up GTA transit projects. It would give transportation minister the power to issue an order to modify or take over any municipal right-of-way or service if negotiations with a municipality over a transit project fail. February 19, 2020, Source: Globe and Mail,

Ontario will go ahead with construction of both the Bradford bypass and Highway 413, according to the fall economic statement. Opposition critics questioned the value of those projects, including whether the routes were planned to benefit allies of Ford, how much time they will save commuters and the impacts to the environment. November 4, 2021, Source: CBC

Rivals slam Doug Ford’s plan to scrap license plate renewal fees. NDP MPP Jennifer French proposed that this is a “shameless pre-election trial balloon.” Green Party leader Mike Shreiner suggested the premier bring back electric vehicle rebates if he wants to make life more affordable. February 8, 2022, Source: thestar.com 

Municipal staff in York Region had to sign nondisclosure agreements over Premier Doug Ford’s subway plans. It wasn’t until months later that politicians at the local level would learn the details, including the plan to double the density and significantly reduce employment targets. February 20, 2022, Source: thestar.com