Antonia Zerbisias is keeping
a list. She's counting the things that Doug Ford is doing to make
the lives of "the people" more miserable: Here’s
the list thus far. Thanks to Debra Gallant, Antonia Zerbisias and Kev
Holman for it’s beginnings. This is what Doug Ford has done since
July, 2018. I’ll keep adding to it.
2. Fired Privatization Officer
3. Fired Chief scientist
4. Fired Investment Officer
5. Refused assistance to asylum seekers
6. Killed legislation to reduce scalping prices
7. Killed Bill 175 updating the police service act (police oversight legislation)
8. Delayed Immunization reporting rules
9. Ends electric & hydrogen vehicle incentive program
10. Cut the budget for school repairs
11. Cut 700+ green projects ($100M to shut down 1 wind farm alone)
12. Rolled sex ed back to 1998
13. Cancelled TRC school curriculum after it had already been researched, paid for and was ready to put in place.
14. Cuts Toronto City council in half during an election campaign.
15. Cut promised 3% increase for OW & ODSP & will change definition of disability, leading to further poverty.
16. Basic Income pilot project stopped
17. Considers no more minimum wage increase (considering rolling back implemented wage increase in 2020)
18. Reduced Pharmacare availability
19. Cuts funding for guide dogs for visually impaired
20. Cuts advanced age allowance for elderly
21. Common law changes deleted
22. Cuts to funds to repair social housing
23. Cancellation of opening new overdose prevention sites
24. Buck a beer at taxpayer expense.
25. Launches “Ontario News Now”, a third world style propaganda news site payed for by taxpayers.
26. Reneges on $500,000 for after school music program for kids at risk
27. Muzzles civil servants from using words “climate change” in any social media release
28. Removal of For Profit Maximum Threshold - big box day care coming
29. Fired Howard Sapers - Correctional Reform
30. Fired Frank Iacobucci re: ring of fire consultations
31. Dismissed - high speed board
32. Sued by and lost to Tesla
33. Sued by teachers re: Sex ed
34. Sued by City of Toronto re: Bill 5 / 31
35. Streamlining rules to allow for faster passage of Bills (less debated etc.)
36. Governance deficiency results in downgrade of Hydro One credit rating (interest on debt rises)
37. Invokes s33 of the Charter for the 1st time in Ontario
38. Back to work legislation for CUPE 3903
39. Regulations re: vaping put on hold
40. Mental health funding cut by $1.34B over four years* Udpated
41. Snitch line to complain about teachers introduced
42. Indigenous and ESL language training for schools cut
43. Stops the ban on back end payment mutual funds (cheap up front a mess at the end)
44. Proposed safe injection sites put on hold (google Naloxone)
45. 2 of 4 credit rating agencies downgrade Ontario from stable to negative.
46. Disbanded Anti-Racism Directorate and all sub-committees
47. Stopped WSIB UFL 10 years ahead of recommendation of the Auditor General
48. Considers govt takeover of TTC
49. Cut WSIB payments to injured workers by 30%
50. Kills Bill C-148 which gave p/t workers the same pay as f/t, guaranteed 10 days off (2 paid) & other benefits (reducing bereavement days to TWO days)
51. Ends the Drive Clean program.
52. Paused the parents reaching out program - funding for parent councils for schools including breakfast programs and assisting with tutoring.
53. Cancels or postpones 33% increase to shelters
54. Cost approx $35M to fight the federal carbon tax
55. Cuts French Language Commissioner
56. Cancels plans for French Language University
57. Promise not kept - allows pot dispensaries within 150m of schools (oppose Libs 450 m rule)
58. Shuts down College of Trades (who had a 20M reserve fund i.e. operating at a surplus)*edited
59. Removes rent control. No rent control for new units (not previously rented)
60. Reduces oversight on the Environment
61. Will not implement tax increase on 1% ($275M in lost revenue) Cut $2.7 billion in tax revenue but only shaved $500 million off the deficit. *edited April
62. Appoints OPP Commissioner of questionable qualifications (& lied about pulling strings to put said long time friend in charge of the OPP) *investigation ongoing. Taverner has since stepped down
63. Pulled the plug on expert panel to end violence against women. * edited Feb16
64. Overruling Hydro One Board’s selection for CEO (see #87)
65. Ontario Chief Accountant resigned after she refused to sign off on Finance Minister Vic Fedeli's inflated $15B deficit. Veinot has been blocked from testifying by the PC party.
66. Cut protections for water, food, childcare safety and opened up the greenbelt to development (Greenbelt development currently on hold) *edited
67. Cut all funding for the College of Midwives (retroactively)
68. Cut funding for Indigenous Cultural Fund
69. Cut funding for Friendship Centres
70. $5M slashed from Ontario Arts Council (retroactively)
71. Limits grant for post secondary education, reduces tuition by placing cost on universities and colleges
72. Ends the gap time for repayment of student loans
73. Dissolving LHINs (Local Health Integration Networks) & replacing with no more than 5 oversight bodies) *
74. Pander to Hunters with odd reduction in permits and proposed Double Crested Cormorant cull.
75. Appoints friends to Boards with exceptional salaries
76. Bill 66 - allows municipalities to ignore environmental, heath and safety regulations
77. Consideration of ending regulations to protect endangered species to allow for development
78. Looking for additional $1B to cuts in education
79. Offered $150K to 97 year-old Hazel McCallion as advisor- who pressured Wynn for years to open the Greenbelt to development. McCallion turned position down. *edited
80. Removes electric vehicle chargers from GO station parking lots.
81. Considers removing caps on kindergarten, primary class sizes. Will not guarantee full day kindergarten in 2019. *
82. Removed “red tape” for farmers. (Details TBA) (backed down in section 10)
83. “Streamlines” Landlord Tenant Board. (more to follow)
85. Decision made to appeal the Robinson Huron Treaty claim, after feds agreed not to.
86. Promoted white supremacy and paid zero political price for it.
87. Costs HydroOne $136M in termination fees to Avista and $49M in commissions as a direct result of govt meddling in a $4.4B merger. Hydro One posted a $227M profit in it’s most recent quarter. Growth strategy now toast. see #64.
88. The “keep it off the books” (and paid for by the OPP) personalized camper van request.
89. Backed out of gender identity debate.
90. Refuses to honour funding for sexual assault centres.
91. Fired children's advocate, and closed Ontario Child Advocate’s Office. Elman found out through the media his office had been closed.
92. Scrapped funding for three satellite University campuses citing deficit (see #65)
93. Scrapped the Social Impact bonds issued by the previous government to help pay for social programs.
94. Increased their own monthly housing allowance over 20% (retroactive to July 2018) to combat inflated costs. (see #59)
95. $8M first year loss at OCS (Ontario Cannabis Store)
96. Strips protections for apprentices (1:1 ratio apprentices to skilled tradesmen) therefore placing ALL workers under risk. See injury rates in B.C.
97. Cuts in pay for family doctors working in new primary care models in Ontario (introduced to counter the shortage of docs in 2000)
99. Took credit for CAMH expansion (on Bell Help Day)
100. Docs uncovered by the minority NDP party of a total revamp of the healthcare system with a two-tier privatization system for Ontario residents (done behind closed doors). Records indicate it is already a DONE DEAL.
101. Ford calls on the OPP to investigate #100
102. OPS employee who leaked health docs is fired.
103. Calls on Fed Govt to end all tariffs on steel and aluminum.
104. As part of the OSAP changes, announced a provision making compulsory, non-academic fees optional (hurting much-needed support services to students, and more to the point student unions) with the comment "I think we all know what kind of crazy Marxist nonsense student unions get up to.” *Edited March
105. Pushes to privatize Ontario Place.
106. As per #83 cuts eviction notice time to 6 days, allow private bailiffs to remove renters.
107. Illegally cancelled the Task Force (which made reconciliation possible) that resulted from the OPSEU College Faculty strike in Fall 2017. Sued by task force.
108. Announces plan to upload TTC subways to province spring of 2019, and increase fares. (see #48)
109. Huge cuts and changes announced to Autism funding and entire program with no clear path forward.
110. ONTABA threatened by MacLeod to provide a quote of support for the govt’s new (vaguely revealed) program. Threatens with “four long years” if they don’t endorse changes. ONTABA not consulted in new program after requesting numerous times to meet with MacLeod since last fall. Parents are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements before they can make an appointment with their local MPP
*April 2019*
111. Appoints failed PC candidate to NEW FULL-TIME position as Chair of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) at $140,000 per year (previously a part time less than $5000/year position)
112. Significant reduction in oversight of policing
113. Shuts down The Local Planning Appeal Support Centre that helps citizens challenge big developers
114. Fires OPP Deputy Commissioner, who challenged the appointment of a Ford family friend as Commissioner & was in charge of his brother’s file.
115. Devastating changes to the education system, incl. increased class sizes, mandatory e-learning and the removal of $700M in funding from Ontario high schools. Thousands of teachers will lose their jobs.
116. Supporting systemic discrimination in ON Children Rehabilitation (https://odcoalition.com/…)
117. Redefines what determines a disability.
118. 30% cut to Legal Aid. $133M reduction to funding this year; will no longer cover refugee and immigration programs. Will be followed by an additional $31M cut in 2020.
119. Moves to semi-privatize health care in Ontario. PLANNED CUTS TO OHIP: Plan to cut OHIP-covered services by $500M.
120. April 9, Democracy Watch released the letter sent to Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé calling for an investigation into Ford’s Chief of Staff Dean French (and others) and former deputy minister Steve Orsini providing preferential treatment to Ford’s friend Ron Taverner, and also to Mario Di Tomasso and Chris Froggatt, which would violate the provincial government ethics law.
121. Dismantles CANCER CARE ONTARIO.
122. Cut the Indigenous Affairs budget by 50%. (more than $70M in slashed funding).
123. Moves to legalize tail-gate parties. (I have no better way to say this. Sorry.), drinking in public parks, hours from 9am, free drinks, happy hour adverts, etc.
*alcohol was referred to 60 times in the new budget. Education 25 times.*
124. Rebranding the province's visual identity including the official government logo and slogan, licence plates and drivers’ licences. Will include new commercial licence plates with slogan “Open For Business”
125. Allocates 40M to horse race industry.
126. Open up online gambling opportunities (not sure what this means exactly), push to allow betting on single-game (currently prohibited under the Federal criminal code)
127. *Make Ontario a world class Combat Sport Destination.* (I really wish I was kidding)
126. Forces gas station owners to display stickers against the carbon tax. Will impose heavy fines (10K/day) on owners failing to comply.
NOTE: In a profoundly undemocratic move, the Ford government has refused the Ontario Health Coalition entry into the budget lock up April 11, 2019 for the first time ever. The Coalition has been in the budget lock up for decades (through multiple govts). Other organizations were also refused access for the first time.
A tip of the hat to Owen at Northern Reflections for bringing this to those of us who 'do not do' facebook, I am sure the list will become MUCH longer before the Frord regime is done.
2 comments:
The list, I fear, will only get longer, Rural.
Thats a pretty safe bet Lorne......
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