The Ontario legislature is back Monday. Critics say Ford is keener on electioneering
Ontario's legislature will resume sitting Monday after an unusually long summer break, and returns in the midst of intense speculation that Premier Doug Ford will call an early election.
Some of the premier's remarks and announcements over the past few months — from the idea to dig a tunnel under Highway 401 to spending $225 million to put beer, wine and coolers in corner stores earlier than planned — are evidence that Ford is more focused on electioneering than governing, opposition critics say.
Politicians on both sides of the legislature are already thinking ahead to a possible early contest, with more than half a dozen members of provincial parliament already announcing they will not run in the next election, even though it is officially a little over two years away.
The next fixed election date isn't until June 2026. But Ford has left the door open to calling one next year, giving his own caucus members a December deadline to decide if they will run again.
So far, two backbenchers have bowed out, as has Speaker Ted Arnott, after 34 years at the legislature. Kaleed Rasheed, who serves as an independent after getting kicked out of the Progressive Conservative caucus, made a similar announcement. Three NDP representatives have indicated they will instead seek federal nominations.
On Monday, when the legislature sits for the first time in 19 weeks, the government is set to introduce a bill aimed at easing the congestion that is frustrating some Greater Toronto Area voters.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced that the legislation would facilitate construction 24 hours a day, accelerate property acquisitions and an environmental assessment for Highway 413 and require municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic.
Fighting gridlock was one of the main legislative priorities Ford highlighted Thursday in a speech, saying he calls his transportation minister every time he's stuck in a traffic jam.
"I was driving home the other night, it was about 11:30, I look on the 401 and I don't know what the reason was, it was packed on both sides of the highway," he told the Empire Club of Canada crowd.
"People just want to get home. They want to get to work. We want to get goods to their destination a lot quicker."
Opposition leaders say Ford's 401 tunnel idea appears half-baked and designed to shore up votes among frustrated drivers rather than offering any real solutions.
"It appears that he's in campaign mode and it also appears that he's blowing a lot of smoke to distract people from the real concerns people have," said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.
The opposition parties hope to steer the legislative focus to what they see as more pressing concerns, such as the 2.5 million Ontarians without a family doctor and a housing supply shortage.
"I think this is a premier who's more focused, and has been, on gimmicks than on actually addressing the struggles that people are feeling," said NDP Leader Marit Stiles.
"His priority has been, over the last few months ... putting beer in corner stores, and not actually addressing the crisis in our emergency rooms, the hallway health care that has gotten worse under his government."
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said she plans to be around the legislature more, although she remains without a seat and one may not open up until the election is called.
Crombie said she would lay out her party's vision for the province in the coming months to provide a contrast to Ford's plan, as a possible early campaign hangs in the air.
"What this government is really good at doing is booze, bike lanes and boondoggles and fantasy tunnels to distract from the real needs of Ontarians," Crombie said.
Beyond the gridlock bill, another major piece of legislation expected in the coming weeks is the province's plan to deal with the ongoing overdose crisis.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones has said the legislation would result in the closure of 10 supervised consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and daycares.
It would also ban new sites from opening, and bar communities from participating in the federal safe supply program, in which pharmaceutical grade opioids are prescribed to those with substance-use disorders as a method to counter toxic street drugs that are rife with fentanyl.
In their place, the province plans to launch 19 new "homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs" next year, plus 375 highly supportive housing units at a cost of $378 million. The move has outraged health-care workers, homeless people and advocates.
Big moves are also expected in the energy file, which Ford pointed to in his speech as another legislative priority.
The Independent Electricity System Operator announced last week that Ontario's demand for electricity will surge by 75 per cent between now and 2050, setting the stage for Energy Minister Stephen Lecce to soon unveil his "vision" for how to boost the province's supply.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. wakes to election uncertainty, with Conservatives, NDP in tight race
British Columbia woke up Sunday to a reshaped political landscape but no clear winner of a provincial election marked by the rise of the B.C. Conservatives from the political fringe to centre stage.
EXCLUSIVE Expelled Indian diplomat denies involvement in Sikh leader's murder, claims 'no evidence presented'
India's High Commissioner to Canada denies any involvement in the murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot and killed in B.C. last year.
A Kentucky man was declared brain-dead. Then he woke up, moments before donating his heart, his sister says
Nearly three years ago to the day, Anthony Thomas 'TJ' Hoover II was admitted to a Richmond, Ky. emergency room amid a bout of cardiac arrest. Hoover's family says they were told he showed no signs of brain activity, and the following day, they decided to take him off life support.
Georgia authorities investigating 'catastrophic failure' of dock gangway that collapsed, killing 7
Georgia authorities said Sunday they are investigating the 'catastrophic failure' of a dock gangway that collapsed and killed seven on Sapelo Island, where crowds had gathered for a fall celebration by the island’s tiny Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants.
Trump will visit McDonald's as he offers no evidence for saying Harris didn't work there in college
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday is expected to visit a McDonald's in Pennsylvania as he continues to criticize Democrat Kamala Harris and claim without evidence that she never worked at the fast-food chain while in college.
Ottawa volunteer group helps clean up hoarders' home infested with rats
A local volunteer group has agreed to step in a South Kanata home that was infested with rats.
New Mexico authorities: 1 dead, 290 people rescued after severe flooding in Roswell, Chaves County
The New Mexico National Guard continued search and rescue operations Sunday in Roswell after record rainfall resulted in severe flooding in and around the city and Chaves County and left at least one person dead.
Importers brace for launch of new portal to collect duties
Importers say a new online portal for collecting taxes on goods shipped into Canada is creating headaches ahead of its rollout this week, with potential implications for consumers.
Opposition mounts against Quebec’s new flood maps
Opposition is growing over Quebec's new flood maps, with the province's professional association of real estate brokers warning they could disrupt the housing market and directly impact homeowners.