Queen's Park Politics

[SteelTown]

Donna Skelly chosen as 1st female Speaker of Ontario Legislature
Former TV reporter has represented Hamilton-area riding of Flamborough—Glanbrook since 2018

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-legislature-choosing-first-female-speaker-1.7509435

The members of Ontario's legislature have chosen Donna Skelly as the province's first female Speaker.

Skelly has represented the Hamilton-area riding of Flamborough—Glanbrook for the Progressive Conservatives since 2018 and has served as a deputy Speaker.

She becomes the 43rd Speaker of Ontario, as Ted Arnott retired after nearly seven years in the role.

[SteelTown]

Ford government says it will ban speed cameras across Ontario
He called speed cams a 'cash grab' at a news conference Thursday

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-premier-announcement-speed-cams-live-1.7643182

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Thursday morning that his government will soon table legislation to ban the use of speed cameras — a traffic enforcement tool Ford has called an ineffective "tax grab."

"Over the last few years, we've seen municipalities across the province use municipal speed cameras as nothing more than a cash grab," he said at a news conference in Vaughan Thursday morning. "People are fed up."

Despite study findings and the opinion of police associations and municipalities to the contrary, Ford said speed cameras don't slow people down, and the province plans to establish a new provincial fund to help municipalities put in place other "proactive traffic-calming initiatives that stop people from speeding in the first place." That includes speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks and curb extensions.

He said the government will also require municipalities with existing speed cameras in school zones to install large signs with flashing lights to slow down drivers.

Ford did not say where money for the fund would come from or how much it would cost. Some provincial and municipal politicians condemned the decision shortly after the announcement.

[jammer139]

Interesting debate about a proposal near a drug and vaccine making plant related to risks of security from a proposal for high rise towers that might be used to spy.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ministers-zoning-order-sanofi-pasteur-apartments-9.6973633

[Dengler Avenue]

I wonder whether the pharmaceutical facilities should just be built in Vaughan or King City instead.

[SteelTown]

Nearly 85,000 people homeless in Ontario, up 8% in one year: report
Northern and rural regions are driving growth in homelessness, according to new report
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-homelessness-increase-9.7043750

Homelessness is getting worse across Ontario with an estimated 85,000 people who were without a home in 2025 and nearly 2,000 encampments across the province, a new report from Ontario's municipalities shows.

More than half of those people are experiencing prolonged periods of homelessness of six months or longer, the report by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association found.

About 20,000 children and youth are homeless in the province. The data shows northern and rural regions are driving the growth in homelessness.

"Something's clearly broken," said Lindsay Jones, executive director of AMO.

"I think we're seeing, again, the impact of pretty significant under-investments over years in the social systems that provide support, like income security, like mental health and addictions and affordable housing."

Homelessness will continue to get worse under steady economic conditions until 2035, when 177,000 people are projected to be without a home, the report said.

Should the economy take a nosedive, which Jones said is quite plausible given its current state and the ongoing trade war with the United States, there could be nearly 300,000 homeless people by then.

[Innsertnamehere]

I think homelessness will mysteriously start to improve in the next few years as the housing crisis relaxes a bit.

[SteelTown]

Bonnie Crombie formally resigns as Ontario Liberal Party leader
Party says it will select an interim leader shortly as it works on leadership process, but no date set
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bonnie-crombie-liberal-party-resignation-9.7045290

Bonnie Crombie has resigned as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, months after saying she would leave following a tepid leadership vote in the fall.

The resignation takes effect immediately, the party said.

"As we begin a new year, I believe this is the right moment for me and for the party to move forward," Crombie said in a statement.

[Djeffery]

Gotta get a move on getting that mayoral campaign ready to roll

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I think homelessness will mysteriously start to improve in the next few years as the housing crisis relaxes a bit.

That and the current gov't policies (or lack thereof) on substance use.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I think homelessness will mysteriously start to improve in the next few years as the housing crisis relaxes a bit.

I don't think it will improve for at least another five years. Not enough construction and low-income housing becoming available. The addictions issues also will take some time.

I just don't see the Ford government making it enough of a priority.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I don't think it will improve for at least another five years. Not enough construction and low-income housing becoming available. The addictions issues also will take some time.

I just don't see the Ford government making it enough of a priority.

rents are already in pretty steep decline and will likely continue to drop for the next little while. It's a renters market and that means you simply won't see as many people getting put out on the streets. Rents in Toronto are down more than 10% from peak, and still falling. Ultimately major cities are losing population and that means there are more units per person.. which more affordable units for those on the margins to keep them off the streets.

[Djeffery]

I don't think rents are causing homelessness. Most of the people we see in encampments aren't there because they are a couple hundreds bucks a month shy on rent. They have serious mental or physical health issues and the system has been designed to turn its back on them over the last couple decades. There is not going to be any kind of cascading effect of people moving up and opening up lower cost housing that eventually frees up space for these people, because they don't have 2 nickels to rub together.

[jammer139]

Lifting tuition freeze on post secondary and targeting in demand program funding increases is good move.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/politics/...condary-tuition-freeze-boosting-funding/

[SteelTown]

FINALLY! But after seven long years of tuition fee freeze and the effect of inflation, it's going to take a long time to get out of this hole.

[SteelTown]

Province appoints administrator to oversee Conestoga College operations after 'serious concerns' raised
Minister's office says 'pattern of irresponsible decision making has led to upheaval'

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener...administrator-serious-concerns-9.7191623

The province has appointed an administrator to oversee the operations at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont., after finding "evidence of serious financial and governance mismanagement" at the school.

Ontario's Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn announced the move Thursday. It also means the board of governors have been relieved of their duties "effective immediately."

“Our government’s record-setting funding for colleges must be used to drive student success; anything less is completely unacceptable,” Quinn said in a media release.

......

The province said the audit revealed "numerous egregious financial decisions" which "lacked appropriate oversight" by the college's board members.

Those included:

* Approval of a 55 per cent salary increase to over $636,000 in 2024 for former president John Tibbits.
* Termination payment for Tibbits "that totalled 83 times the president’s monthly salary."
* A $23,000 trip to Italy taken by three senior leaders, and other similar trips, where the school paid for business class airfare, luxury accommodations and premium transportation.
* Repeated, ineligible hospitality expenses were approved without proper oversight, including a $1,300 dining expense for internal staff, where 50 per cent of the pre-tax total was alcohol.

"This pattern of irresponsible decision making has led to upheaval for students, staff and the local community, including the layoff of more than 500 employees, one of the largest layoffs in Ontario’s college sector to date," the ministry said.

[Dengler Avenue]

I saw on FB that Caroline Mulroney resigned. Could she be distancing herself from Doug Ford?

Edit: She cited being empty nester as a reason.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I saw on FB that Caroline Mulroney resigned. Could she be distancing herself from Doug Ford?

Edit: She cited being empty nester as a reason.

I saw speculation she was going to enter the Toronto Mayor's race. Might have been joke speculation, I don't know. I certainly hadn't heard that yet. Does she even live in Toronto other than for her job?

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I saw speculation she was going to enter the Toronto Mayor's race. Might have been joke speculation, I don't know. I certainly hadn't heard that yet. Does she even live in Toronto other than for her job?

Perhaps a PM run like her dad? PP needs the boot, the Con party members can't read the room. She could replace him as federal leader. However since I'm not a Conservative party supporter... keep PP there as long as you want

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I agree Douggie's made a lot of stumbles recently. That election win last year seems very smart from the PC's perspective. They read the room and capitalized on the opportunity for sure.