Liz Sandals

Friday September 30, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday September 30, 2016 Ontario minister says opposition to NestlŽ water taking based on misinformation A senior Ontario cabinet minister is coming to NestlŽ's defence, suggesting public opposition to the renewal of the multinational company's water-taking permit in a small community is based on "misinformation.Ó There has been vocal opposition and protests against renewing NestlŽ's permit in Aberfoyle, after the area 110 kilometres northwest of Toronto suffered a drought this summer that forced residents to restrict their water use. Treasury board president Liz Sandals, who represents nearby Guelph, said Wednesday she finds it frustrating that many residents who have been criticizing NestlŽ are often armed with the wrong facts. "There's no doubt that there is a lot of concern, but my point to you is that many of the things that people will express a concern about actually turn out to be based on misinformation," she said. Sandals said many residents didn't know that NestlŽ agreed to reduce water takings from Aberfoyle because of the drought, and insisted it was routine to see so many people voicing opposition to the bottled water company's permit renewal. "It is actually always true that whenever there is a permit to take water (by NestlŽ) there are thousands of comments that go to the Ministry of the Environment," she said. "I think what is different this time is that it has caught more provincial media attention.Ó (Source: Hamilton Spectator)Êhttp://www.thespec.com/news-story/6884326-ontario-minister-says-opposition-to-nestl-water-taking-based-on-misinformation/ Ontario, Guelph, water, bottled, Nestle, Liz Sandals, koolaid, corporation

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday September 30, 2016

Ontario minister says opposition to Nestlé water taking based on misinformation

A senior Ontario cabinet minister is coming to Nestlé’s defence, suggesting public opposition to the renewal of the multinational company’s water-taking permit in a small community is based on “misinformation.”

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 25, 2016 New permit for Nestle water-taking at low rate 'inappropriate': Wynne Bottled water companies in Ontario may soon have to pay more and take less water as public outcry over revelations that the province charges them just $3.71 for every million litres triggered a government review. There is a difference between taking water for agricultural or industrial use and taking it to sell bottled water, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Wednesday. Some of the conditions of the permits for bottled water use are outdated, she said. "There's the issue of the quantity of water that's taken, there's the issue of the cost of that water," Wynne said. "Also, there's an issue around the timing. As we all know, it's been a dry summer and so I think we need to look at what are the right triggers in place in terms of quantities that are allowable given the conditions.Ó Wynne has asked Environment Minister Glen Murray to review permit conditions for bottled water companies. It will look at whether there is a sufficient price on removing water, he said. "I think for some of the folks that are removing it and taking it away, that they got a really sweet deal," he said. "Maybe too sweet a deal.Ó Environmental group Wellington Water Watchers is urging Ontario not to renew a permit for Nestle Waters in Aberfoyle, Ont., that expired on July 31. It's upset that the company has been allowed to keep extracting water from a local well in the midst of a severe drought in the province. A water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal application is made at least 90 days before it expires. "Quite frankly, that window gives us an opportunity to look at what should change, rather than issuing a new permit under the same parameters as the former permit, which I think would not be appropriate," Wynne said. Times have changed, she said. "Thirty years ago, we wouldn't have envisioned an industry that took water a

August 25, 2016

There has been vocal opposition and protests against renewing Nestlé’s permit in Aberfoyle, after the area 110 kilometres northwest of Toronto suffered a drought this summer that forced residents to restrict their water use.

Treasury board president Liz Sandals, who represents nearby Guelph, said Wednesday she finds it frustrating that many residents who have been criticizing Nestlé are often armed with the wrong facts.

“There’s no doubt that there is a lot of concern, but my point to you is that many of the things that people will express a concern about actually turn out to be based on misinformation,” she said.

Sandals said many residents didn’t know that Nestlé agreed to reduce water takings from Aberfoyle because of the drought, and insisted it was routine to see so many people voicing opposition to the bottled water company’s permit renewal.

“It is actually always true that whenever there is a permit to take water (by Nestlé) there are thousands of comments that go to the Ministry of the Environment,” she said. “I think what is different this time is that it has caught more provincial media attention.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

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)

 

Thursday July 30, 2015

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator -

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday July 30, 2015

Liz Sandals says talks with Ontario teachers will resume

Education Minister Liz Sandals says talks with Ontario’s teachers’ unions will resume following a meeting last week between Premier Kathleen Wynne, union leaders and public school board representatives.

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday May 6, 2015 Ontario elementary teachers plan job action Monday OntarioÕs 73,000 public elementary teachers will begin job action on Monday, when they are in a legal strike position. While a strike is not anticipated Ñ local union districts have been given details about a work-to-rule Ñ it remains one of the options available, says Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary TeachersÕ Federation of Ontario. In a statement released Tuesday morning, ETFO said its members would be taking unspecified Òcentral strike actionÓ in 32 school boards across the province Monday. According to an ETFO bulletin obtained by the Star, titled ÒStrike Protocol: Work-to-Rule Ñ Phase 1,Ó and sent out to its Toronto members late Monday night, teachers will not take part in any EQAO (standardized testing), write report cards, fill in for absent principals or Òconduct any reading, writing or mathematics assessments other than those that the teacher deems necessary to report on student progress.Ó Hammond has told the Star that the recent offer on the table from the government and the school boardsÕ association was ÒoffensiveÓ and contained concessions the union would not consider. He said if the concessions remained, the union would be Òlooking at all the options.Ó ÒWe are hoping on, or prior to, May 10 that we get substantial movement at the table and we wonÕt have to move in a direction nobody wants to move in,Ó he has previously said. While talks have continued with the help of a mediator, they recently broke off. A union spokesperson said Monday that ÒETFO is eagerly awaiting a call from the government that it, and the Ontario Public School BoardsÕ Association, are ready to engage in meaningful and substantive bargaining.Ó ETFO is the countryÕs largest teacher union. A strike or job action would affect more than 817,000 elementary school students across the province. (Source: Toronto Star) http://www.thestar.co

Wednesday May 6, 2015

Sandals calls it a very positive meeting and says the unions “are committed” to getting back to the table in August and reaching new contracts before classes begin Sept. 8.

Representatives from four public teacher unions flew to Toronto from Ottawa for a morning to meeting with Wynne and Sandals. All sides described the meeting as generally positive but it wrapped up in less than an hour with no firm dates set for new bargaining sessions.

“It was a cordial discussion,” said Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario President Sam Hammond. He added that “we need to have confirmed dates,” for new talks and said “we have some issues that we need to have taken off the table.”

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday May 26, 2015 Wynne Government imposes back-to-work legislation on striking teachers The Ontario government will be tabling back-to-work legislation today for striking secondary school teachers, but since New Democrats won't be supporting it, students will be kept from class a few more days. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says her party won't support the Liberals' motion for unanimous consent to get it passed today, but the government could use its majority to pass it by Thursday. That would mean more than 70,000 students in the Sudbury-area Rainbow District, Peel Region and Durham Region, who have been kept from class for up to five weeks, would return to school on Friday at the earliest. The back-to-work legislation is being introduced after the Education Relations Commission ruled that strikes by high school teachers in three boards are putting students' school years in jeopardy. Education Minister Liz Sandals says she respects the collective bargaining process, but it's important to get kids back to class to complete their school years. While the striking secondary teachers in three boards are set to be legislated back to work, their central union said this weekend that talks with the provincial government have reached an impasse. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation plans to apply to the provincial labour ministry for conciliation Ñ the teachers must first use the government third-party assistance to try to reach a contract before they can take provincewide strike action. The Ontario Labour Relations Board had also been set to rule on whether the three local strikes were illegal. This is the first round of negotiations under a new bargaining system the Liberal government introduced last year, separating the process into local and central talks. The school boards argued that the three local strikes were really on central issues such as class sizes. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Tuesday May 26, 2015

Paul Elliott, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, said he “didn’t hear anything that’s changed anyone’s opinion or position,” during Friday’s meeting but agrees it was a positive step to hear from the premier.

Sandals also spoke of a positive tone following the 40-minute meeting.

“This wasn’t about negotiating, it was about how we move forward,” she told reporters. “We need to be getting back to the bargaining table during August.”

No talks are currently scheduled for the three largest teachers unions and English-language school boards.

The government has said there is no new money for teacher compensation. That, along with teachers’ demands for limits on class sizes, are among the major sticking point in negotiations. (Source: CBC News)

2015-08-03_Star

Tuesday May 26, 2015

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday May 26, 2015 Wynne Government imposes back-to-work legislation on striking teachers The Ontario government will be tabling back-to-work legislation today for striking secondary school teachers, but since New Democrats won't be supporting it, students will be kept from class a few more days. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says her party won't support the Liberals' motion for unanimous consent to get it passed today, but the government could use its majority to pass it by Thursday. That would mean more than 70,000 students in the Sudbury-area Rainbow District, Peel Region and Durham Region, who have been kept from class for up to five weeks, would return to school on Friday at the earliest. The back-to-work legislation is being introduced after the Education Relations Commission ruled that strikes by high school teachers in three boards are putting students' school years in jeopardy. Education Minister Liz Sandals says she respects the collective bargaining process, but it's important to get kids back to class to complete their school years. While the striking secondary teachers in three boards are set to be legislated back to work, their central union said this weekend that talks with the provincial government have reached an impasse. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation plans to apply to the provincial labour ministry for conciliation Ñ the teachers must first use the government third-party assistance to try to reach a contract before they can take provincewide strike action. The Ontario Labour Relations Board had also been set to rule on whether the three local strikes were illegal. This is the first round of negotiations under a new bargaining system the Liberal government introduced last year, separating the process into local and central talks. The school boards argued that the three local strikes were really on central issues such as class sizes. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 26, 2015

Wynne Government imposes back-to-work legislation on striking teachers

The Ontario government will be tabling back-to-work legislation today for striking secondary school teachers, but since New Democrats won’t be supporting it, students will be kept from class a few more days.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says her party won’t support the Liberals’ motion for unanimous consent to get it passed today, but the government could use its majority to pass it by Thursday.

That would mean more than 70,000 students in the Sudbury-area Rainbow District, Peel Region and Durham Region, who have been kept from class for up to five weeks, would return to school on Friday at the earliest.

The back-to-work legislation is being introduced after the Education Relations Commission ruled that strikes by high school teachers in three boards are putting students’ school years in jeopardy.

Education Minister Liz Sandals says she respects the collective bargaining process, but it’s important to get kids back to class to complete their school years.

While the striking secondary teachers in three boards are set to be legislated back to work, their central union said this weekend that talks with the provincial government have reached an impasse.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation plans to apply to the provincial labour ministry for conciliation — the teachers must first use the government third-party assistance to try to reach a contract before they can take provincewide strike action.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board had also been set to rule on whether the three local strikes were illegal.

This is the first round of negotiations under a new bargaining system the Liberal government introduced last year, separating the process into local and central talks. The school boards argued that the three local strikes were really on central issues such as class sizes. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)