Deb Matthews

Wednesday June 8, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday June 8, 2016 Ted McMeekin stepping aside in advance of gender equity cabinet shuffle Hamilton MPP Ted McMeekin says he will give up his spot at the Liberal cabinet table to make room for more women. The municipal affairs and housing minister said in an interview Monday his decision was spurred by a looming cabinet shuffle and a desire to help Premier Kathleen Wynne shoot for gender parity. "Sometimes timing is everything. The premier and I talked about it and she thinks it's important to move toward more of a gender balance," he said. "I happen to agree with her.Ó The 68-year-old, who beat prostate cancer in 2008, said he feels great and is not leaving cabinet over health concerns. McMeekin (who will turn 69 in December) said he'll continue as MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, but declined to say if he'll run in 2018. He has been at Queen's Park since a 2000 byelection in the former riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot. In an online statement, McMeekin said he thought about his three daughters and a day when gender parity "would just be taken for granted.Ó "Sometimes the best way for a man to advance the equality of women may be to step back and make room at the table," he said in the statement. McMeekin later added he felt more comfortable stepping away from cabinet because legislative action is "well underway" on many of his top priorities, including homelessness, poverty reduction and reviews of the Municipal Act and Greenbelt. "I'm going to keep up my interest on those items," he said. "And if my colleagues (in cabinet) need advice, well, they can come to me. I'm full of advice.Ó Mayor Fred Eisenberger praised the "classy" decision even as he mourned the loss of Hamilton's only provincial cabinet minister. "Not having that voice at the table is going to be a considerable loss. Those are important, powerful portfolios," he said, also pointing to McMeekin's past

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 8, 2016

Ted McMeekin stepping aside in advance of gender equity cabinet shuffle

Ted McMeekin Gallery

Ted McMeekin Gallery

Hamilton MPP Ted McMeekin says he will give up his spot at the Liberal cabinet table to make room for more women.

The municipal affairs and housing minister said in an interview Monday his decision was spurred by a looming cabinet shuffle and a desire to help Premier Kathleen Wynne shoot for gender parity.

“Sometimes timing is everything. The premier and I talked about it and she thinks it’s important to move toward more of a gender balance,” he said. “I happen to agree with her.”

Rebel without a cause 2002

Cause without a rebel 2002

The 68-year-old, who beat prostate cancer in 2008, said he feels great and is not leaving cabinet over health concerns. McMeekin (who will turn 69 in December) said he’ll continue as MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, but declined to say if he’ll run in 2018. He has been at Queen’s Park since a 2000 byelection in the former riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot.

In an online statement, McMeekin said he thought about his three daughters and a day when gender parity “would just be taken for granted.”

“Sometimes the best way for a man to advance the equality of women may be to step back and make room at the table,” he said in the statement.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday October 29, 2015 Justin Trudeau has begun repaying Premier Kathleen Wynne for helping him become prime minister. Upon being sworn in to succeed Prime Minister Stephen Harper next Wednesday, Trudeau will reverse his predecessorÕs attempt to derail the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. That announcement came after a 30-minute meeting Tuesday at QueenÕs Park between the two leaders. ÒWe made progress on our mutual commitment to build greater retirement security for Ontarians and Canadians,Ó said Zita Astravas, WynneÕs director of media relations. ÒOnce it takes office, the incoming federal government will direct the Canada Revenue Agency and the departments of finance and national revenue to work with Ontario officials on the registration and administration of the . . . ORPP,Ó said Astravas. ÒThis would be the same assistance with pension administration that the federal government has extended in the past to Quebec and Saskatchewan. The ORPP is being designed to integrate with any future CPP enhancement,Ó she said, referring to the Canada Pension Plan. Finance Minister Joe Oliver said in July that Ottawa would not provide administrative support for WynneÕs retirement scheme because the Conservatives felt it would Òtake money from workers and their families, kill jobs and damage the economy.Ó ÒAdministration of the ORPP will be the sole responsibility of the Ontario government, including the collection of contributions and any required information,Ó Oliver, who lost his Eglinton-Lawrence seat on Oct. 19, said at the time. During the campaign, Harper boasted that he was ÒdelightedÓ to hinder the Ontario plan, which launches in 2017. ÒKathleen Wynne is mad that I wonÕt help her do that . . . . YouÕre bloody right. The Conservative government is not going to help bring in that kind of tax hike.Ó Wynne created the Ontario plan after Harper refused to bolster CPP, which pays out a maximum ben

October 29, 2015

McMeekin later added he felt more comfortable stepping away from cabinet because legislative action is “well underway” on many of his top priorities, including homelessness, poverty reduction and reviews of the Municipal Act and Greenbelt.

“I’m going to keep up my interest on those items,” he said. “And if my colleagues (in cabinet) need advice, well, they can come to me. I’m full of advice.”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger praised the “classy” decision even as he mourned the loss of Hamilton’s only provincial cabinet minister. “Not having that voice at the table is going to be a considerable loss. Those are important, powerful portfolios,” he said, also pointing to McMeekin’s past posts, including agriculture and community services.

“His legacy in Hamilton is enormous, from LRT to housing and homelessness.”

McMaster University political science professor Henry Jacek said he’s not surprised to see McMeekin “be the loyal soldier” for Wynne, whom he supported in the Liberal leadership race to replace Dalton McGuinty. (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2015

Wednesday, February 12, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, February 12, 2015

Deb Matthews rules out ‘across-the-board cuts’ in Ontario

Cuts are coming, but it’s too soon to say where or how deep.

That was the underlying message from Treasury Board President Deb Matthews as she launched the cash-strapped provincial government’s austerity push.

Thursday, November 20 2014“We’re not going to do it by making across-the-board cuts,” Matthews said Monday in a speech to the Economic Club of Toronto at the Hilton Hotel.

“That approach assumes that every dollar we spend is equally effective — and that’s a false assumption,” she said, mindful Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals face a $12.5-billion deficit.

“We are going to do it by doing government differently. By focusing on outcomes and rigorous evidence, by enabling transformation, by streamlining access to services and by using technology to drive better value.”

But Matthews warned that “some of what we have to do will be very difficult both for people within government and for many of service-delivery partners.”

Friday, December 13, 2013“I know there will be noise about some of the transformations we undertake.”

Her comments came as a smattering of Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union protesters rallied outside the Hilton.

Matthews again signalled to public servants that “there is no new funding for any compensation increases.

“That doesn’t mean no modest wage increases, but it does mean that any wage increase must be offset. What we call a ‘net zero,’” she said.

Speaking with the media afterward, Matthews repeatedly ducked questions over how many public-service jobs would be cut as the government tightens its belt.

“It’s not a simple question,” she said as reporters reminded her Wynne’s Liberals won last June’s election largely by demonizing former Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak’s pledge to eliminate 100,000 public-service positions. (Source: Toronto Star)

Friday, December 13, 2013

Friday, December 13, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, December 13, 2013

It pays to be an Executive working for the Ontario Government

Ontarians have for too long been the victims of a culture of entitlement at Ontario Power Generation, says Premier Kathleen Wynne.

She was reacting Wednesday to a scathing report from the provincial auditor general that slammed the utility for its overly generous salaries, bonuses and pensions.

“I am deeply concerned about what seems to be the culture in that organization, which is why changes are being made. We are going to bring in legislation to actually allow us to have more ability to control those compensation packages,” Wynne told reporters at Queen’s Park.

Ironically, she had just spoken to members of CARP, a senior advocacy group, about enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan.

Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk said the “very generous” compensation for senior staff at OPG, which was created after Ontario Hydro was broken up, is being passed on to ratepayers, who face a 42-per-cent rise in their electricity bills over the next five year.

Within hours of the damning report being delivered, Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli announced that three highly paid senior OPG executives were canned.

The compensation controversy is just the latest to hit the minority Liberal government bedevilled by a litany of spending problems, including the gas plants debacle that could cost taxpayers up to $1.1 billion. (Source: Toronto Star)

The governing Liberals confirmed Wednesday that ousted Ornge CEO Chris Mazza collected $9.3-million over six years at the province’s publicly funded air ambulance service.

The figure, which was recently reported, “is accurate,” Health Minister Deb Matthews said Wednesday after testifying at a legislative committee.

That includes salary, bonuses, expenses and other fees, she said. A summary sheet outlining what Mazza collected will be provided to the committee to “make it all clear.”

A legislative committee looking into the Ornge spending scandal had previously heard that Mazza made $1.4-million in a single year, on top of hefty loans totalling $1.2-million. (Source: Toronto Star)

Thursday March 22, 2012

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 22, 2012

Ornge mess sullies Ontario Health Minister’s standing

By the time it’s finished playing itself out, when the schemes have all been unravelled and the books fully opened up and the police investigation concluded, the sorry mess at the air-ambulance service Ornge could wind up costing Ontarians tens of millions of dollars.

The much bigger cost – the one that the province really can’t afford as it tries to wrestle down a $16-billion deficit – might be the loss of an effective health minister.

Deb Matthews will keep her job for the foreseeable future; she’s too well-regarded in government circles to be a sacrificial lamb. But as she stood there on Wednesday, trying to keep her cool during the brutal press conference that followed Auditor-General Jim McCarter’s damning Ornge report, it was hard not to see her as a diminished force.

Two years ago, shortly after being named to her post, Ms. Matthews won a very public fight with pharmacies to find big drug savings that had eluded her predecessors. The communication skills and the iron will that she displayed on that file gave some hope that she’d be able to win other, tougher battles to limit health-care costs.

But with those battles now looming large in the form of nascent contract negotiations with the Ontario Medical Association and a push to restructure the way hospitals are funded, Ms. Matthews has lost much of her political capital.

Until recently seen in the health sector as a force to be reckoned with, she’s now perceived as vulnerable. While there’s a sense that she’s a good minister dealt a bad hand, there’s also an awareness that – having failed to stop Ornge from abusing public dollars – she’s lost her ability to rally the public behind her by presenting herself as a tireless defender of the public interest. (Source: Globe & Mail)