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Thursday March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 28, 2024

Ontario’s Fiscal Crisis: Ford Government’s Reckless Decision-Making Burdens Taxpayers

March 27, 2024

In the wake of Ontario’s staggering budget shortfall and unprecedented debt burden, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the reckless decision-making of the Ford government. With a deficit soaring to $9.8 billion and a provincial debt reaching a mind-boggling $462.9 billion, it’s evident that Ontario taxpayers are bearing the brunt of the consequences of irresponsible governance.

Premier Doug Ford and his administration have consistently prioritized short-term political gains over the long-term financial health of the province. Their failure to exercise fiscal responsibility has left Ontario in a precarious position, with taxpayers left to foot the bill for their egregious mismanagement.

News: Ontario deficit will triple as economy weakens, 2024 budget shows

February 17, 2024

One of the most glaring examples of this mismanagement is the cancellation of annual license plate fees, resulting in a staggering annual loss of approximately $1 billion in revenue for the treasury. This move, touted as a populist measure, has left a massive hole in the province’s finances, further exacerbating an already dire situation.

Additionally, Ford’s government has frequently pointed out the “billion-dollar boondoggles” left behind by the previous Liberal governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. These include the scandalous cancellation of two gas-fired power plants, costing taxpayers over $1 billion, as well as mismanaged projects such as the E-health initiative, the Ornge Air Ambulance scandal, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) modernization debacle. These instances of financial mismanagement further illustrate the consequences of irresponsible decision-making that Ontario taxpayers are now burdened with.

Opinion: Doug Ford’s free-spending fiscal ways in Ontario are worse than Kathleen Wynne’s

June 7, 2013

Furthermore, the Ford government’s ill-conceived attempt to impose stringent wage restraints on essential public sector workers through Bill 124 has backfired spectacularly. Not only was the bill deemed unconstitutional, but taxpayers are now on the hook for over $6 billion in compensation owed to these workers. This shortsighted decision demonstrates a complete lack of foresight and disregard for the well-being of Ontario’s workforce.

It’s abundantly clear that the Ford government’s penchant for reckless decision-making has plunged Ontario into a fiscal crisis of unprecedented proportions. The burden of the high deficit and extraordinary debt burden falls squarely on the shoulders of hardworking taxpayers who deserve better.

October 19, 2018

Instead of pursuing policies that prioritize the interests of the people of Ontario, the Ford government has chosen to prioritize political expediency at the expense of sound financial management. This approach is not only unsustainable but fundamentally unfair to the taxpayers who rely on their government to act in their best interests.

As we confront the daunting challenges posed by Ontario’s fiscal crisis, it’s imperative that we hold the Ford government accountable for their reckless decision-making. Ontarians deserve a government that prioritizes responsible governance and fiscal prudence, not one that squanders taxpayer dollars on short-sighted policies that only serve to deepen the province’s financial woes. It’s time for the Ford government to acknowledge their failures and take decisive action to address the pressing issues facing Ontario’s economy. (AI)

Friday October 19, 2018

October 18, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 19, 2018

Premier Doug Ford’s cap-and-trade move will cost treasury $3B over four years

Premier Doug Ford’s move to scrap Ontario’s cap-and-trade alliance with Quebec and California will deal a $3-billion blow to the treasury, according to the province’s financial accountability officer.

September 29, 2018

“By cancelling the cap-and-trade program, the province’s annual budget balance will worsen by a cumulative total of $3 billion over the next four years,” Peter Weltman warned Tuesday.

“The province’s budget balance worsens because the loss of cap-and-trade revenue from ending the auction of emission allowances is greater than the savings achieved from cancelling cap-and-trade-related spending programs,” said Weltman.

Environment Minister Rod Phillips, who will unveil a replacement climate-change plan later this year without any taxation component, insisted the $3-billion hit was anticipated.

“That’s $3 billion back in the pockets of Ontario taxpayers,” said Phillips.

July 11, 2018

“We committed to the orderly wind-down of this program that was killing jobs, that was regressive, and we will follow that through. It’s a promise we made, it’s a promise we’ll keep,” he said.

“Yes, that means less money for government — that’s more money for families.”

NDP MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) countered that “Ford is hurting Ontario’s environment, and he’s charging all Ontarians extra to do it.”

“The direct result of Ford’s favour to big polluters will be $3 billion in costs piled onto the backs of the people of Ontario. That means ripping $3 billion right out of folks’ bank accounts, or cutting $3 billion from things like health care,” said Tabuns.

November 22, 2016

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said “Ford’s anti-climate agenda is bad for the environment and bad for business.”

“Today, we learned that the premier’s reckless actions are a $3-billion boondoggle that will dig a deeper fiscal hole for the province,” said Schreiner.

Greenpeace’s Keith Stewart said the FAO report proves axing cap-and-trade “is bad for the budget and worse for our environment.”

Beyond any environmental impact of withdrawing from the climate accord, Ontario will now be subject to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s forthcoming federal carbon-pricing scheme that could be more expensive.

It was exempt from that while it was part of the two-year-old cap-and-trade accord with Quebec and California. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Social Media

Doug Ford’s cap-and-trade move will cut $3 billion from Ontario treasury revenues over four years: financial accountability office. Friday editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay. #onpoli #Capandtrade @mackaycartoons @TheSpec #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/f9Pucph3le

— Seán O’Shea (@ConsumerSOS) October 19, 2018

Tuesday September 12, 2017

September 11, 2017 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 12, 2017

Liberals enduring two scandal trials

Two Ontario Liberals went to trial last Thursday on Election Act bribery charges stemming from a 2015 byelection in Sudbury, but the stakes are also high for Premier Kathleen Wynne herself.

December 18, 2015

The Sudbury trial happens nearly simultaneously with another Liberal trial – related to the cancellation of two gas plants – which makes for terrible optics for the party. But while that second trial involves staffers for former premier Dalton McGuinty, the Sudbury scandal is one forged entirely under Wynne’s tenure.

The premier herself is set to testify on Sept. 13.

“Politically, it’s not good,” said Nadia Verrelli, an assistant political science professor at Sudbury’s Laurentian University.

Regardless of the outcome, it may focus the provincial election campaign – with a vote nine months away – on questions about the Liberals’ integrity rather than their policies, she said.

Pat Sorbara, at the time the Ontario Liberal Party CEO, faces two charges and Gerry Lougheed, a Sudbury Liberal fundraiser, faces one charge. They both deny wrongdoing.

September 29, 2015

In late 2014, the Sudbury riding became vacant when the New Democrat who won it five months earlier stepped down for health reasons. The Liberals had their eye on winning back a riding that until 2014 they held for about two decades.

Andrew Olivier, who was the Liberals’ candidate in the riding in the general election, wanted to run again, but Wynne had other ideas. She ended up successfully luring the riding’s NDP MP – Glenn Thibeault – to run for the provincial Liberals.

One of Sorbara’s charges relates to an allegation she promised to get Thibeault “an office or employment” to induce him to become a candidate, which both deny.

Sorbara and Lougheed are alleged to have offered Olivier a job or appointment in exchange for stepping aside for Thibeault, who was ultimately given the post of energy minister last year.

Wynne has said that she had already decided Olivier would not be the byelection candidate by the time Sorbara and Lougheed spoke to him, therefore anything offered was not in exchange for stepping aside. Rather, Wynne says, she was trying to keep him in the party fold. (Source: Global News)

Friday December 18, 2015

December 17, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday December 18, 2015

OPP charge two former McGuinty aides in connection with gas plants scandal

Ontario Provincial Police laid criminal charges Thursday against two top aides to former premier Dalton McGuinty in a gas plants scandal that cast a cloud over his final days in power.

David Livingston, McGuinty’s former chief of staff, and Laura Miller, the deputy chief who went on to work for British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, are each charged with breach of trust, mischief in relation to data and misuse of a computer system to commit the offence of mischief.

The charges stem from the destruction of thousands of government emails about the Liberals’ decision to cancel planned gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga prior to the 2011 election. The province’s auditor found the move will cost ratepayers up to $1.1 billion.

March 21, 2013

McGuinty’s lawyer, Ronald Caza, issued a statement Thursday saying the OPP had made clear last June that the former premier was not the subject of their investigation.

“Today’s events again confirm there was no wrongdoing on the part of the former premier,” Caza said.

Miller issued a statement announcing she had stepped down as executive director of the B.C. Liberal Party, and accused the OPP of having a bias against her because of a complaint she filed with the Ontario Independent Police Review Director.

December 18, 2013

The director ordered the OPP commissioner to hold a police misconduct hearing for Det.-Const. Andre Duval, but the commissioner “resisted” this finding by appealing it to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, said Miller.

“Officers involved in a substantiated complaint should not have been allowed to continue investigating,” she said in her statement as she vowed to vigorously defend herself against the charges in court.

“Every Canadian expects and deserves impartiality and fairness in police charging decisions. I do not believe that to be the case here.”

Both Livingston and Miller are scheduled to make their first court appearances in Toronto on Jan. 27. Like Miller, Livingston’s lawyer has also denied he did anything wrong. (Source: Canadian Press)

Thursday July 19, 2012

July 19, 2012 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday July 19, 2012

Ontario voters warned of huge privacy breach

The personal information of up to 2.4 million Ontarians has been compromised by the disappearance of two memory sticks from an Elections Ontario office in Scarborough.

The information, which includes names, addresses, genders and dates of birth, was not supposed to be stored on unencrypted and non-password protected memory sticks by Elections Ontario staff, the province’s chief electoral officer, Greg Essensa, said Tuesday. The portable storages devices also should have been locked up when not in use. Yet, none of these security protocols were followed, he said as he apologized to the people of Ontario.

“I take this matter extremely seriously and I sincerely apologize to all Ontarians for the worry that this may cause them.”

The security breach, now under investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police, began, in one sense, with the results of the provincial election last fall. The instability of a minority government, according to an initial report on the breach by law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson, meant that Elections Ontario had to be ready to conduct another election on short notice.

The agency’s headquarters in Scarborough, however, did not have enough room to store both the materials for a future election and the materials that had been returned from the election just conducted. That’s why the agency was forced to lease additional space, also in Scarborough — and it was at that temporary location where the security breach took place, on or near April 26 of this year, the report said (Source: Ottawa Citizen)