David Peterson

Tuesday August 10, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday August 10, 2021

Premier Bill Davis was the steady hand driving Ontario’s Big Blue Machine

William Grenville Davis, premier of Ontario for 14 years (1971 to 1985), was a baffling, contradictory figure – a shy, inscrutable man, who liked family and football yet spent his life absorbed by political issues, travelling up to 160,000 kilometres a year; a tradition-bound, non-intellectual with a passion for ideas and experimentation that gave birth to such intellectual playgrounds as the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

February 1, 2019

The press consistently panned the performances of Mr. Davis, reporting that he was bland and boring, but he charmed voters out of the trees. Right-wing conservatives described him as a left-wing socialist; left-wingers attacked him for pandering to the right.

“Bland works,” he once said. “The only time a politician gets in trouble is when he opens his mouth.”

He was renowned for his ability to appear prosperous, calm and confident, to say little, and to lead the province through dramatic, potentially unpopular changes.

Mr. Davis died on Sunday at the age of 92 surrounded by family in Brampton, Ont., a family statement said. He was the fifth consecutive Tory leader to occupy the premier’s office since 1943 and held the office longer than any other.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Mr. Davis’s death. “The former premier of Ontario leaves behind an incredible legacy of service – and I have no doubt that the impact of his work will be felt for generations to come,” Mr. Trudeau tweeted.

Premier Doug Ford said Mr. Davis served Ontario “with honour and distinction” and flags across the province will be lowered to half-mast in his honour.

September 12, 2000

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney said in a statement that “Canada has lost a great statesman today, and I have lost a great and true friend. Bill Davis devoted his life to Ontario, to Canada and to his family. The progress he made on many fronts as premier place him in the front ranks as one of Canada’s greatest premiers ever.”

Mr. Davis supported the controversial energy policies and constitutional endeavours of then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals; under his premiership, the free-enterprise Tory government bought a 25-per-cent stake in Suncor, an oil company, and initiated tripartite industrial strategies advocated by the New Democratic Party. And as education minister, he reformed and vastly expanded the education system – all without upsetting too many of the people too much of the time.

Yet his skills as a politician failed to help his successor. Nearly 42 years of Conservative government ended 138 days after he stepped down as premier on Feb. 8, 1985. His successor, Frank Miller, called an election and failed to win a majority government in the May 2 election. Mr. Miller’s minority government lost a vote of confidence on June 18 and on June 26, he resigned. (Continued: Globe & Mail) 

 

Friday September 18, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Friday September 18, 2015 Wynne under fire over bonuses to Pan Am executives Ontario is paying big bonuses to Pan American Games executives, doubling the salaries of some top brass. Fifty-three executives on the TO2015 organizing committee are expected to share in $5.7-million worth of bonuses. Some of the money will be shelled out as a reward to executives for not quitting ahead of the Games; some of it is a reward for keeping the Games within their budget. The $2.5-billion Games, however, received a $74-million bailout from the provincial Liberal government last year, raising tough questions about whether the province set the budget artificially high so executives could meet it. The Games, which were held this summer, also saw several cost overruns and delays, most notably for the construction of a soccer stadium in Hamilton. But the contracts were structured so that individual companies building the venues absorbed the extra costs, making it easier for TO2015 to stay within its budget. On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives called on the province to freeze all bonus payments to Pan Am executives and asked the Auditor-General to conduct a value-for-money evaluation of the Games. They questioned why the province was choosing to make the payouts at a time when it is facing an $8.5-billion deficit. ÒYou look at these huge amounts being spent on the Pan Am Games É this is in the face of 800,000 Ontarians who donÕt have a family doctor. They just cut 50 residency spots. You see record wait times in long-term care,Ó PC Leader Patrick Brown said. ÒIt begs the question: Where are the governmentÕs priorities?Ó Tory deputy leader Steve Clark said he also wanted to know how the Games could possibly be under budget when the province handed them an extra $74-million last September. At the time, the Liberals said they had to give the Games more money because TO2015 had failed to bring in as much spons

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 18, 2015

Wynne under fire over bonuses to Pan Am executives

Ontario is paying big bonuses to Pan American Games executives, doubling the salaries of some top brass.

Fifty-three executives on the TO2015 organizing committee are expected to share in $5.7-million worth of bonuses. Some of the money will be shelled out as a reward to executives for not quitting ahead of the Games; some of it is a reward for keeping the Games within their budget.

Pan Am Guide | by Graeme MacKayThe $2.5-billion Games, however, received a $74-million bailout from the provincial Liberal government last year, raising tough questions about whether the province set the budget artificially high so executives could meet it.

The Games, which were held this summer, also saw several cost overruns and delays, most notably for the construction of a soccer stadium in Hamilton. But the contracts were structured so that individual companies building the venues absorbed the extra costs, making it easier for TO2015 to stay within its budget.

Thursday July 23, 2015On Wednesday, the Progressive Conservatives called on the province to freeze all bonus payments to Pan Am executives and asked the Auditor-General to conduct a value-for-money evaluation of the Games. They questioned why the province was choosing to make the payouts at a time when it is facing an $8.5-billion deficit.

“You look at these huge amounts being spent on the Pan Am Games … this is in the face of 800,000 Ontarians who don’t have a family doctor. They just cut 50 residency spots. You see record wait times in long-term care,” PC Leader Patrick Brown said. “It begs the question: Where are the government’s priorities?”

Tory deputy leader Steve Clark said he also wanted to know how the Games could possibly be under budget when the province handed them an extra $74-million last September. At the time, the Liberals said they had to give the Games more money because TO2015 had failed to bring in as much sponsorship revenue as it was hoping, and also needed more cash to do live broadcasts of some events, expand the torch relay to more communities and build more satellite villages for athletes.

Friday, July 19, 2013Both Pan Am chairman David Peterson, the former Liberal premier, and CEO Saad Rafi refused The Globe and Mail’s interview requests Wednesday.

In a radio interview on 680 News, Mr. Peterson said the Games spent $57-million less than expected on construction, plus saved $10-million from a capital contingency fund. The Pan Am organization also spent “tens of millions” less than it budgeted for operations, he said, but final figures are not yet available.

The bonuses were written into the executives’ contracts when they were hired, he said.

Mr. Peterson said big bonuses are just a fact of life. “When the president of the bank gets a bonus, do you approve of that?” he said. “When you do a good job in your company, you get a bonus – do you approve of that? It’s the way the world works.” (Source: Globe & Mail)