Who is running Ontario?

Dean French was Mr. Ford’s campaign chair. The day after the PCs won power in June, Mr. Ford named him his chief of staff. Since then, he has emerged as something even that job title can’t fully capture: an omnipresent force seen by some of the new government’s members as more powerful than the Premier who employs him.
So says an article in the G & M after said Mr French after he forced the firing of Alykhan Velshi from a job at the energy utility Ontario Power Generation on his first day on the job at a possible cost of $500,000 to Ontario taxpayers.

Mr. French is portrayed by insiders almost precisely as Mr. Ford’s critics perceive the new Premier to be: mercurial, bent on settling scores and indifferent to boundaries that his job usually involves. Most chiefs of staff keep relatively low profiles and make some show of deferring to elected representatives. Mr. French is an extreme exception!

There is the unusual control that Mr. French appears to exert over his government’s appointments processes. He is said to have a tendency to conduct negotiations for high-profile public positions presenting them to Mr. Ford as done deals. The reported $350,000 salary for Conservative insider Ian Todd to serve as Ontario’s trade representative in Washington was cited by multiple sources as an example.
In proceedings where political staff usually aren’t welcome to participate, he has taken a lead role including actively engaging in cabinet meetings, as well as the smaller committee of senior ministers who are supposed to set the government’s agenda. And he uses those positions to clamp down on any semblance of dissent both there and at caucus meetings..

With the above in mind I have to ask who exactly is the Ontario Conservatives 'Leader' the Premier or his chief of staff, I believe that Ford has never been more that a loud mouth 'figurehead' as evidenced by his refusal to interact with the Press in any meaningful way during the pre-election process. What we appear to have is an unelected 'aide' effectively running Ontario, giving the 'Premier' his speaking notes and effectively silencing those few conservative MPPs who dare to question any 'policies' Mr Ford has been told to bring forward.
A bit harsh you say? Time will tell, meanwhile keep your safety belts buckled for we are in for a rough ride!

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Amalgamation raises it ugly head again?

'Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark sent a correspondence to Association of Municipalities Ontario members communicating the province is undergoing a regional review to take a broad look at the current model of municipal governance.'

The above little clip appeared in a short article in a recent Bayshore News item and in normal circumstances would be of little interest but given the enforced changes to Toronto Council and the elimination of elected chair positions in the Peel, York, Niagara and Muskoka regions it perhaps require further scrutiny. That no copy of said correspondence can be found on the ministry web site (or anywhere else that I can see) is perhaps 'normal' for the Ford government but further adds to my concern.

The article also says that Clark's statement explains it is time to consider whether changes are needed to improve municipal governance where the dollars of taxpayers are being stretched. Also that Minister Clark's statement goes on to say the province's goal is to give people what they want: local governments that are working as effectively and efficiently as possible to support the economic prosperity of their residents and businesses.

"We look forward to discussing with our many stakeholders, including our municipal partners, to determine what is working well in our current governance model," says Minister Clark. "And what needs to be improved."

Perhaps I am being a little paranoid but the above brief quote from Minister Clark sounds a lot like bafflegab for “We are going to take our slash and burn agenda seen in Toronto to Municipal government elsewhere in the province”. As the article indicates some individuals are in favor of a least examining the possibilities in the name of 'efficiencies' and this in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing, however given our new provincial governments proclivity for bringing in major changes to our governance with little or no 'consultation' and minimal regard for any opposing views I become deeply concerned.

All municipalities should keep an eye on this one and smaller rural municipalities should be particularly vigilant. I for one do not believe Fords earlier words at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference that “there are no plans to unilaterally slash the size of city councils in Ontario” …. his word is hardly the most reliable indication of his future plans!

Amalgamating large swaths of rural, suburban and urban areas into one monolith may be efficient (although that is debatable) but it sure is not desirable.

A copy of the full Bayshore News article follows.

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Province Appears Open To Municipal Amalgamations: Owen Sound Councillor

Owen Sound | by Matt Hermiz

Outgoing councillor Jim McManaman urges new council to discuss possibility, given recent correspondence from province

Can't play this file? Click here to download/listen -

An outgoing Owen Sound city councillor believes there may be an appetite at the provincial level to amalgamate municipalities.

Jim McManaman says Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark sent a correspondence to Association of Municipalities Ontario members communicating the province is undergoing a regional review to take a broad look at the current model of municipal governance that has been in place for almost 50 years.

Clark's statement explains it is time to consider whether changes are needed to improve municipal governance where the dollars of taxpayers are being stretched.

McManaman says this letter, coupled with the recent move by Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives to quickly make changes to Toronto City Council, show the opportunity exists now to engage the province and push for change to the local government structure in the Owen Sound area.

"Better ways to try and streamline government, that appears to be what (the province) is looking for," McManaman says. "For a long time we've talked about regional government in this area."

At Owen Sound's Oct. 29 council meeting McManaman, who will not be on council next term after foregoing a bid for re-election, encouraged his colleagues to consider engaging the province on creating one larger, amalgamated municipality including Owen Sound and its neighbours.

"Have a serious discussion about what a bigger municipality might look like: What the boundaries might be? What services might be shared?" McManaman says. "In my 15 years on council that's been a difficult discussion with our neighbours. But, looking at the context of the provincial government is looking into these types of issues, perhaps now is the time to have that discussion."

Minister Clark's statement goes on to say the province's goal is to give people what they want: local governments that are working as effectively and efficiently as possible to support the economic prosperity of their residents and businesses.

"We look forward to discussing with our many stakeholders, including our municipal partners, to determine what is working well in our current governance model," says Minister Clark. "And what needs to be improved."

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Enough said...

In a longish op-ed published in iPolitics Michael Harris says the next election is Trudeau's to loose, I cannot help but agree for the other choices are bleak.

“By insisting on making war on the carbon tax his call to political arms, Scheer couldn’t say more clearly that he is yesterday’s man.

That doesn’t mean Trudeau is politically bullet-proof in 2019. Just that, should he lose, it will not be because Canadians suddenly want a Ford prototype in 24 Sussex Drive.

Whatever his shortcomings, the PM’s greatest strength is aspiring to something his father once aimed for: a just society.

Despite the broken promises, the awful lapses of judgment, and a few policy face-plants, Trudeau is arm-in-arm with Canadians on values. Scheer continues to hold hands with Harper on everything from climate change to immigration. And both of them continue to cast loving eyes southward to marvel at the power of lies.

Bottom line? Canadians won’t be flocking to populists in 2019 because they suddenly become climate-change-deniers, anti-immigrant, or bow down to a fact-free universe.

Short of a five-alarm scandal for the Liberals, or a serious abdication of the social values Trudeau stands for, they will choose the Liberals over Republican wannabes.

Which is just to say that, populist waves notwithstanding, the next election is Trudeau’s to win — or lose — all by himself.”

Whilst NO politician is going to be gods gift to the population and some, possible all, may have SOME proposals worth consideration at this point in time I see little choice but the liberals unless the slash and burn policies of the likes of Ford, Scheer, Kenny, Trump etc are your preference. The only thing that we can be certain of for the upcoming federal election is that the rhetoric is going to come thick and fast and be over the top and in all probability very ugly.

At this point in our collective history both nationally and world wide we need leaders who seek to unite us not divide. I very much fear that such voices will be drowned out by those for whom political expediency comes long before such things as social and environmental concerns or cooperation and consensus building.

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