Ontario

Thursday February 28, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 28, 2019

Doug Ford’s van customization has $50K price tag, documents show

Customizing a van for Premier Doug Ford — with items that included a reclining leather sofa and a mini-fridge — would have cost taxpayers more than $50,000, according to a document filed in Ontario Superior Court.

December 5, 2018

An estimate for customizing the van was filed by lawyers for Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair as part of a lawsuit. Blair is asking the court to force the province’s ombudsman to investigate the appointment of Ford’s friend, Toronto Police Supt. Ron Taverner, to be the next OPP commissioner.

Blair has alleged that Ford’s chief of staff told the OPP to buy a “large camper-type vehicle,” have it modified to the premier’s specifications and keep the costs off the provincial books.

The document shows the van would be kitted out with a dozen specialty items, including a mini-fridge, a 32-inch television with Blu-ray player, a leather power reclining sofa bench, four swivel chairs and desks, for a total price of $50,696 (HST included).

June 27, 2018

“Please keep in mind this is only the conversion cost this is excluding the price of the van,” says the estimate dated Nov. 21, 2018, from a company called A1 Mobility.

Ford’s appointment schedule shows he personally visited the company’s Mississauga office on Nov. 5.

The estimate for van customization is attached to emails between the company, Ford’s executive assistant, Nico Fidani, and members of the OPP. Fidani is using a personal email address, not his government of Ontario address.

The documents suggest two van options were being considered: a Ford Transit or a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

“The sprinter is an overall larger van this will give us more space inside the vehicle by almost 40 [inches],” said an email from the company to Fidani.

A spokesperson for Ford denies there was any attempt to keep the cost of the van hidden from the public.

“The allegations that anyone in the premier’s office requested a van be ‘kept off the books’ are a complete fabrication by Mr. Blair, and are categorically false,” said Ford’s director of media relations, Simon Jefferies, in a statement provided to CBC News. (Source: CBC News) 

February 28, 2019

Meanwhile, February 27 was a day filled with shocking televised testimonies in both Canada and the USA, when Donald Trump’s former lawyer appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee, while in Ottawa, Justin Trudeau’s former Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould, appeared before the Commons’ Justice Committee 

 

Saturday February 16, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 16, 2019

Lisa MacLeod tweets apology, after calls to resign over autism controversy

Ontario’s social services minister said Thursday that she was sorry if she made anyone feel threatened, after behaviour analysts said she warned them of consequences if they didn’t support her new autism program.

February 15, 2019

Lisa MacLeod is resisting calls for her resignation in the wake of the comment, and her apology came late Thursday after the premier was peppered with questions about the remark.

“It’s been an emotional time,” MacLeod wrote on Twitter. “This is an issue I take very personally, and I apologize if my comments made anyone feel threatened or uncomfortable.”

Earlier Thursday, Premier Doug Ford ruled out asking MacLeod to quit cabinet, calling her an “absolute all-star.”

“I would never ever — I want to repeat that — ever ask Lisa to resign. She’s done an incredible job and let’s just make sure it’s factual,” Ford said after an unrelated announcement.

August 21, 2018

MacLeod’s office never denied the assertion, made by the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysts. Instead, it issued a statement saying that despite “collaborative dialogues,” the association was “unwavering” in its desire to self-regulate — and unwilling to work with the government.

The group disputes that, and said MacLeod and her staff requested a quote of support a few days before the new program was announced.

“(They) indicated that failure to do so would result in ‘four long years’ for the organization,” the association said. “The minister also indicated that if a quote of support was not forthcoming, a communication that behaviour analysts are ‘self-interested’ would be released from her office.”

The association, parents and advocates say the revamped autism program will leave many children without the level of therapy they need. (Source: CBC News) 

 

Thursday February 14, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 14, 2019

Blasting Premier Doug Ford for cronyism in appointments

February 14, 2018

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is cranking up the heat on Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford as MPPs prepare to return to Queen’s Park next week.

In a fiery speech last Friday to New Democrats at an Ajax caucus meeting, Horwath accused Ford of cronyism.

“He’s handing out tickets on his gravy train. And while the appointments, the backroom deals, and the favours to friends are piling up, the rest of Ontario is paying for it,” she said.

January 12, 2019

That’s an apparent reference to the Tories’ bid to install Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a Ford pal, as commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Integrity commissioner J. David Wake is currently doing an ethics investigation into the appointment, which has raised questions about the independence of the OPP. Taverner, 72, is in limbo until Wake’s probe, which was triggered by an NDP complaint, is complete.

Horwath also took aim at Dr. Rueben Devlin, head of the premier’s council on tackling hospital overcrowding.

Animated!

“What has Doug Ford done? He has launched a sham health-care consultation and given his buddy a $1-million contract to consult, all while scheming behind closed doors to overhaul health care, and throw open the door to unprecedented levels of privatization,” she said.

Last week, the NDP was leaked draft legislation that proposes to reform the health-care system by creating a new super agency that Horwath claims would increase privatization of medical services.

Health Minister Christine Elliott has denied that charge, insisting nothing has been “finalized.” (Source: Toronto Star) 

 

Friday February 8, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 8, 2019

Ford government autism program overhaul met with outrage by some parents who fear kids will lose out

The Ford government’s plan to overhaul Ontario’s autism program has sparked anger among parents — including a PC political staffer and father of two autistic teens who quit in disgust over the changes Wednesday.

January 25, 2019

Under the revamp, aimed at clearing a therapy wait list of 23,000 kids, parents will be given funding and the power to choose the services they want. But families will face a lifetime limit of $140,000 per child and high-earners will no longer be eligible.

Parents, who say funding should be based on need and not on age or arbitrary cut-offs, were devastated by the move.

“In light of today’s announcement, I told my minister I did not feel I could continue in my role as legislative assistant,” said Bruce McIntosh, who joined Progressive Conservative MPP Amy Fee’s political staff when the Ford government was elected last spring.

McIntosh is the former president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, a parent advocacy group that has pushed for more government support but has been critical of age-based funding.

November 17, 2018

Fee (Kitchener South—Hespeler) is parliamentary assistant for Lisa MacLeod, minister of children, community and social services, who announced the autism overhaul at Toronto’s Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Fee, the mother of two children with autism, spoke about her own family’s experiences during the news conference.

An estimated 40,000 children in Ontario have autism, a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication. About 2,400 of them are waiting for a diagnosis, 23,000 are on a wait list for behavioural therapies and just 8,400 are receiving services.

MacLeod said the government will double funding for diagnostic hubs to $5.5 million a year for the next two years, clear the therapy wait lists and ensure families get their funding within the next 18 months.

The program under the previous Liberal government was inefficient and did not address children’s needs, she said. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

Letter to the Editor, The Hamilton Spectator, February 19, 2019 – A cartoon worth a thousand words

RE: MacKay cartoon (Feb. 8)

I want to commend Graeme MacKay for his Feb. 8, 2019, cartoon. His depiction of Premier Ford providing a mere drop of assistance to the families of those on the autism spectrum is proof once again that a picture is worth a thousand words. As the accompanying piece explained, cutting the same-sized pie into smaller pieces will not address the needs of the families who have been waiting for the services their children require. I thought Premier Ford’s platform promised that he would not be cutting services for Ontario’s citizens. It seems the Conservative politicians have forgotten this. Higher education support, elementary school class sizes, workers’ rights, services to children with autism, who will be next? Health care recipients?

Theresa Flynn-Purchase, Hamilton

Friday February 1, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 1, 2019

1,000 Ontario hospital patients a day being treated in corridors: Report

Roughly 1,000 hospital patients in Ontario are getting medical attention in corridors instead of proper treatment spaces on “any given day,” Dr. Rueben Devlin says in his first report to Premier Doug Ford on improving health care and ending “hallway medicine.”

While the retired head of Humber River Hospital notes there is “much to be proud of” in the provincial health care system, his report found it is “too complicated” to navigate after hearing from more than 340 patients.

“People are waiting too long to receive care and too often are receiving care in the wrong place; as a result, our hospitals are crowded,” Devlin, an orthopaedic surgeon, wrote in the 32-page document titled “Hallway Health Care: A System Under Strain.”

“There needs to be more effective co-ordination at both the system level, and at the point-of-care. This could achieve better value (i.e. improved health outcomes) for taxpayer money spent,” he added. “As currently designed, the health care system does not always work efficiently.”

Animated!

One problem is people with mental health and addictions troubles often go to hospital emergency rooms when they could get better care from a family doctor or community agency, but wait too long and reach a “crisis point.”

According to one survey last year, 41 per cent of Ontarians who went to hospital emergency departments, and 93 per cent who went to walk-in clinics, were treated for conditions that could have been handled by a family physician or nurse practitioner in a primary care setting. This is often because hospitals are the only health care centre open 24 hours a day. (Toronto Star)