WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS POLITICAST 2022 – Diane Ballantyne, NDP Candidate

Wellington-Halton Hills is a big riding, extending from Puslinch to Centre Wellington and out east all the way to Erin and Halton Hills, so experience counts, and it’s hard to get more experience than Ted Arnott who’s represented the area since 1990. Can anyone challenge 32 years of longevity in what’s a fairly safe Conservative riding? Diane Ballantyne would like to volunteer. Continue reading “WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS POLITICAST 2022 – Diane Ballantyne, NDP Candidate”

Ford Asks Lt. Gov. to Dissolve Legislature to Officially Begin Election

The media release from the Government of Ontario was succinct and to the point. “Premier Doug Ford today confirmed that the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has accepted the premier’s advice to sign a proclamation dissolving the 42nd Parliament of the Province of Ontario.” Ontario’s general election officially began at 4 pm and started a month-long countdown to Election Day. Continue reading “Ford Asks Lt. Gov. to Dissolve Legislature to Officially Begin Election”

Healthcare Improvements Are the Priority in NDP Platform

We’re 37 days away from the Provincial Election that’s not yet been officially called, but there doesn’t mean that campaigning is not hitting a fevered pitch. All the main opposition parties had major announcements on Monday morning, but only the Ontario New Democrats released a whole platform, and the focus was on two planks: expanding healthcare and increasing affordability. Continue reading “Healthcare Improvements Are the Priority in NDP Platform”

Opposition Parties Unite… To Call For Mask Mandates

Remember mask mandates? We had them just a few weeks ago, and mysteriously, once they were removed by the Government of Ontario as of March 21, COVID-19 cases started going up again. Using this advanced scientific reasoning, Ontario’s three main opposition party leaders spend their Thursday calling on the provincial government to bring back mask mandates in some form. Continue reading “Opposition Parties Unite… To Call For Mask Mandates”

Mask Mandate Removal Reaction is Generally Very Concerned

Mask mandates are done in Ontario as of March 21. The new broke yesterday, and with all things COVID-19 there was an immediate reaction that was far from universal. While some people are looking forward with relief and optimism that the worst is over, there are still a lot of people raising the red flag that the province could be in danger in the short-term without masking mandates. Here’s some of the reaction from politicians, educators, and health workers. Continue reading “Mask Mandate Removal Reaction is Generally Very Concerned”

ONgov Offers Nurses $5,000 to Stick Around, Many Unimpressed

Nurses. We say they’re our heroes, but is that how we treat them? Through the course of the pandemic, many politicians, activists, and nursing representatives have said we don’t treat them like heroes, and that responsibility has been thrown at the feet of the Ontario government. So on Monday, the health minister literally raised the ante by $5,000, which will be made available to Ontario’s nurses if they stay in the nursing business. Continue reading “ONgov Offers Nurses $5,000 to Stick Around, Many Unimpressed”

Opposition Gets Ready for New Session (and the Election)

Family Day is supposed to be a day of rest, and an occasion to spend time with the family, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be a little time for politics. Some of Ontario’s political leaders were thinking the same thing. The Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament return to Queen’s Park on Tuesday for the last legislative session before the election, but before that, they want to talk about their agendas. Continue reading “Opposition Gets Ready for New Session (and the Election)”

Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests

Nearly two weeks after the so-called “Freedom Convoy” set up residency in Ottawa, and almost a week after a solidarity blockade began at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford announced action against the protest in the form of the third state of emergency he’s declared during his premiership. Protest is fine, Ford said, but the events in Ottawa and Windsor no longer fit that definition. Continue reading “Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests”

Opposition Leaders Push Ontario Government to Act on Convoy Distruptions

Nearly two weeks after the original Freedom Convoy pulled into downtown Ottawa, all levels of government are still trying to cope with the disruption, and now there’s a growing blockade on the Ambassador Bridge to worry about. Ontario’s opposition parties are now united in one point of view on these protests: the Ontario government is missing in action, and they’re each making some demands of the Premier and his ministers. Continue reading “Opposition Leaders Push Ontario Government to Act on Convoy Distruptions”

Ontario’s Opposition Leaders Unite and Stand With Health Workers

On Thursday morning, the leaders of two different unions representing healthcare workers demanded that the Ontario government bring the legislature back early to deal with the urgent human resources crisis in the province’s health facilities, and they had some powerful optics to back them up. All three of Ontario’s opposition leaders joined them on the call to demand more action from Premier Doug Ford. Continue reading “Ontario’s Opposition Leaders Unite and Stand With Health Workers”