News   Dec 03, 2024
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News   Dec 03, 2024
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News   Dec 03, 2024
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Premier Doug Ford's Ontario

I wouldn't be surprised if Clark stuck around this long only because Doug insisted he do so.

Heck, a party mutiny wouldn't be surprising at this point.
Mutineers need a leader and I cannot immediately think of any Tories who would want to take on The Thug, at least not at the moment. If there are further revelations it might be more likely but (unfortunately) I am not holding my breath.
 
To play devils advocate for a moment, what happens if the removed lands actually do get substantially developed before, say, the end of Ford’s term? Not necessarily speaking to the effect on the greenbelt and political integrity. I think there is a large part of the population, especially in the 905, that sees the greenbelt as a “feel-good” measure. Perhaps they don’t really care as much about the greenbelt butchering as the plethora of lawn signs suggest. It just might not be as entrenched in the collective psyche of the 905 as it seems when push comes to shove.

We could go further and consider what happens if the purported intent is met even more intensely. What if the initially-low cost of the land actually results in slightly cheaper homes? Doug might merely “get away” with it, but I think that’s a given. What if he’s vilified?

I can’t help but note that besides the Pickering lands, much of the lands removed were at some point not a part of the greenbelt anyway. I know this is the case for the Book road lands in Ancaster despite its poor housing compatibility. We should now see the greenbelt truly is less of an absolute barrier and more of a battleground for many stakeholders. We all have taken that facade for granted- at all levels of government, but especially local ones, there’s jurisdiction to develop the “greenbelt” if they choose.

Anywho, my point is Ford has leverage since these lands’ protection was precarious to begin with. Again exempting the Pickering lands here as I’m not familiar enough. I for one would embrace some transparency in how the lands were chosen; I don’t think it’s the end of the world if it turns out some of these lands are in fact more easily developable than some whitebelt lands, so long as there is a corresponding reduction to them (which we have not seen).

With Clark’s resignation however, a clean path out of this does seem unlikely.
 
Mutineers need a leader and I cannot immediately think of any Tories who would want to take on The Thug, at least not at the moment. If there are further revelations it might be more likely but (unfortunately) I am not holding my breath.

The question is - are there any left with clean hands at this point? If anything, the only valid options are probably the ones who had already quit on their own volition.

AoD
 
From link.

Allegations of bribes being taken by the government of Sir John A. Macdonald in exchange for the contract to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. The affair forced Macdonald to resign as prime minister in November 1873. (Five years later, Macdonald served as prime minister for another 13 years.)

One of the new government's first measures (after Macdonald) was to introduce secret ballots in an effort to improve the integrity of future elections.


Wonder if they do a TV documentary of Doug Ford, would it be a comedy or horror?


(With a Klingon AKA John Colicos as Cornelius Van Horne)
 
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'Ontarians simply cannot cope': Ford calls on Bank of Canada to stop raising interest rates

From link.

Premier Doug Ford is calling on the Bank of Canada to stop raising interest rates ahead of its next decision expected to come down Wednesday.

Ford echoed British Columbia Premier David Eby, who wrote a letter to BoC’s governor Tim Macklem last Thursday, urging him to think about the “human impact” of the hikes.

In his letter sent on Sunday, Ford writes that “interest rate increases are hurting people,” and harming families and small businesses alike.

He says the 10 interest hikes over the last 18 months have had a “devastating impact on people who are already struggling to get by.”
The last rate hike on July 12 brought the BoC’s key interest rate up by a quarter of a percentage point, to five per cent — the highest it’s been in more than two decades.

The rate hikes are being used as an anti-inflation measure by the BoC, but Ford says it is having the opposite effect, especially for homeowners.

“While the Bank of Canada has a mandate to keep inflation low, the latest monthly figures from Statistics Canada show that because of the interest rate hikes, inflation on mortgage costs for Ontario families is now at 30 per cent,” reads Ford’s letter.

“Ontarians simply cannot cope with the higher monthly payments on their homes brought about by repeated interest rate hikes.”
Ford goes on to suggest that instead of rate hikes, the federal government should work with provinces and territories to build much-needed infrastructure, which in turn will create more jobs and generate better paycheques and “help improve the production of goods and services that will reduce the cost of our everyday essentials that have never been more expensive.”

The Bank of Canada is currently in a blackout period ahead of Wednesday’s decision and refrains from making any comments around this time.



Payday loans are regulated by the province of Ontario. So what have you done to combat payday loan interest rates? The maximum lending rate is set by each province after "careful consultation and review" by that provincial government.
 
To play devils advocate for a moment, what happens if the removed lands actually do get substantially developed before, say, the end of Ford’s term? Not necessarily speaking to the effect on the greenbelt and political integrity. I think there is a large part of the population, especially in the 905, that sees the greenbelt as a “feel-good” measure. Perhaps they don’t really care as much about the greenbelt butchering as the plethora of lawn signs suggest. It just might not be as entrenched in the collective psyche of the 905 as it seems when push comes to shove.

We could go further and consider what happens if the purported intent is met even more intensely. What if the initially-low cost of the land actually results in slightly cheaper homes? Doug might merely “get away” with it, but I think that’s a given. What if he’s vilified?

I can’t help but note that besides the Pickering lands, much of the lands removed were at some point not a part of the greenbelt anyway. I know this is the case for the Book road lands in Ancaster despite its poor housing compatibility. We should now see the greenbelt truly is less of an absolute barrier and more of a battleground for many stakeholders. We all have taken that facade for granted- at all levels of government, but especially local ones, there’s jurisdiction to develop the “greenbelt” if they choose.

Anywho, my point is Ford has leverage since these lands’ protection was precarious to begin with. Again exempting the Pickering lands here as I’m not familiar enough. I for one would embrace some transparency in how the lands were chosen; I don’t think it’s the end of the world if it turns out some of these lands are in fact more easily developable than some whitebelt lands, so long as there is a corresponding reduction to them (which we have not seen).

With Clark’s resignation however, a clean path out of this does seem unlikely.
Having no first-hand knowledge of any of the plots, servicing infrastructure might preclude rapid development prior to the next election. Much of the housing on the Oak Ridge Moraine rely on the York-Durham sewage trunk system, which already has capacity issues, and any expansion would be a multi-billion/multi-year project.

Even with zoning ripped out of the hands of the municipalities, there are still the issues of site plans and all the other development steps, unless the province intends to simply rubber stamp whatever the developers propose. There also might be the issue of trades availability.

I'm not convinced that so-called 'cheaper' land would translate into cheaper housing. Not one bit.
 
Mike Harris had a majority when he resigned. (Though granted, it wasn't a "mutiny circumstance")
True. I meant to suggest that Premiers who want to run again do not resign. Premiers and PM who want to quit often retire and resign while still in power; Harris, McGuinty, Mulroney, and PET are some examples. But suggesting that Ford should resign due to their developer scandal is not the same; he’s not facing internal descent and the opposition parties remain unready to seize power, imo. There’s a good chance that Ford will win at least a minority.
 
My take on the whole debacle:
Mr "the buck stops here is realizing the buck isn't stopping and something has to give, so Clark resigns and Ford is now waiting if the whole affair is stopping and carries on claiming his friends are going to build those "affordable" homes and maybe a Jiffy Lube.
Some of us always said - even when the Ford bros were at City Hall: Follow the money!
 
Resigning on a civic holiday is a choice.

I'm not surprised he isn't resigning his MPP seat, since he won with nearly 60% last time, and would likely win if he runs again in 2026.

With Clark resigning his cabinet role, and the PCs taking a dip in the polls due to the scandal, expect a cabinet shuffle in the coming weeks.

As expected, a cabinet shuffle, albeit a small one. No surprise to see Stan Cho get a promotion, as he appears to be a rising star in the party.

Calandra has always seemed like a bit of a dud, imho.


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