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“I'm In. Stay Tuned.”

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“I'm In. Stay Tuned.” Queen’s Park Today – Daily Report January 16, 2020 Quotation of the day “I’m in. Stay tuned.” Peter MacKay teases his campaign for federal Conservative leader, which reportedly features ​ ​ connections to Doug Ford’s political circle. ​ ​ Today at Queen’s Park On the schedule The house is in winter recess until February 18, 2020. Cabinet is slated to meet this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. Premier watch Premier Doug Ford hosted Odor Balint, Hungary’s ambassador to Canada, and Valér ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Palkovits, Hungary’s consul-general in Toronto, at the Pink Palace on Wednesday, according ​ to social media. The group discussed trade and economic development between both jurisdictions. Over in the Lieutenant Governor’s suite, her Honour Elizabeth Dowdeswell sat down with ​ ​ ​ Sinem Mingan, Turkey’s consul-general in Toronto. ​ Strikes ramp up in elementary and high schools, Lecce offers to reimburse impacted families Education Minister Stephen Lecce is offering up to $60 per day for parents to help cover child ​ ​ care costs if they’re impacted by next Monday’s planned one-day walkout by elementary teachers. On Wednesday the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario gave the required five-day notice of a one-day strike targeting Toronto — the country’s largest school board — York region and Ottawa, “unless government representatives get serious about reaching a deal by this Friday.” Lecce responded by offering cash back for families who may be scrambling to make alternative arrangements if their children’s school or school-based child care is closed because of strike action. Up to $60 per day will be up for grabs for children up to six-years-old, $40 per day for kids in kindergarten and $25 a day for students in Grades 1 through 7. The move would cost $48 million a day, according to the minister. His office says the government will save $60 million in wage costs per day because of strike action. “We would not be here today if the teacher unions and their leadership did not decide to walk out on students on a weekly basis,” Lecce told reporters at Queen’s Park. “This is now becoming more present and more common.” ETFO president Sam Hammond called the cash-back initiative “a transparent attempt to bribe ​ ​ the public to support the government.” It isn’t the first time Ontario Tories have used the tactic. In 1997, the last time all major teacher unions were engaged in simultaneous job action, the government offered parents up to $40 daily to deal with the strikes. NDP Education critic Marit Stiles said the government should be reversing plans for mandatory ​ ​ e-learning and larger class sizes — major sticking points for the unions — instead of “planning more missed school days.” Green Leader Mike Schreiner accused Lecce of trying to change the channel following a ​ ​ ​ Toronto Star report revealing possible plans to allow students to earn a high school diploma ​ ​ entirely online starting in 2024. “This cash-back program provides some financial relief to families, but it is a distraction from the heart of this dispute, the reckless cuts to education,” Schreiner added. Liberal leadership frontrunner Steven Del Duca called it an “empty gesture,” pointing to a lack ​ ​ of available child care spaces, and an “incompetent attempt” to distract from the “real issue” of adequate funding for public education. That said, 11,991 families had applied to receive the reimbursement by the end of the business day yesterday, according to Lecce’s office. Also on Wednesday, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation staged its fifth one-day walkout in over a dozen school boards and announced a sixth rotating strike set for next Tuesday, January 21. OSSTF is set to ramp up its ongoing work-to-rule campaign on Monday. Next Tuesday will also see a one-day provincewide walkout by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, which will impact both elementary and secondary schools. ‘Essentially the same’: Ombudsman debuts new French-language services watchdog amid concerns she lacks teeth Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé and his newly appointed French-language services ​ ​ commissioner Kelly Burke are downplaying criticism that the watchdog role lacks teeth. ​ ​ Burke was named to the job this week after the Ford government shuttered the standalone ​ ​ commissioner’s office last year. Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park Wednesday afternoon, Dubé said Burke will have a “very proactive” role within his office as a deputy ombudsman, addressing criticism from Opposition politicians and the Francophone community that the new position had been diminished. In a recent interview with TFO, Independent MPP Amanda Simard — who defected from the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ PC government bench over the cuts — and NDP MPP France Gélinas argued the new ​ ​ commissioner is not an independent watchdog but simply an employee in Dubé’s office. “Even a 15-year-old boy knows that as long as he stays with his parents, he is not independent,” Simard said en francais. ​ ​ Dubé disputed that, telling reporters Wednesday Burke will have “the same powers” as former standalone commissioner François Boileau with “more resources” and a “greater platform.” ​ ​ “We have exactly the same vision and the same aspirations in this unit to really promote French Language services,” the ombudsman said. “Essentially she’s going to do the same functions as the previous commissioner did.” Burke echoed the sentiment. In her view, working within the ombudsman’s office is an “expansion” of the previous role as it will allow her a “broader scope” over Francophone services. “I envision this new opportunity as not only un chien de garde but deux chiens de garde,” Burke ​ ​ ​ ​ said. Dubé refused to provide Burke’s salary, saying only that her pay will align with her most recent position as an assistant deputy minister. (Burke’s pay will be revealed in public sector salary disclosures at the end of the fiscal year). According to the 2018 Sunshine List, Burke earned $227,625 as an ADM in the Ministry of Francophone Affairs. Dubé also defended the long search process (he initially expected someone to take on the job by last fall), saying it was necessary in order to find the right person. Today’s events January 16 at 9 a.m. – Guelph ​ Representatives from all three levels of government will make an infrastructure announcement at Guelph Transit, including PC MPP Stephen Crawford, parliamentary assistant to Ontario’s ​ ​ infrastructure minister, federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, local MP Lloyd ​ ​ ​ Longfield and Mayor Cam Guthrie. ​ ​ ​ January 16 at 9:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ Premier Doug Ford will make an announcement outside his Queen’s Park office. ​ ​ January 16 at 10 a.m. – Niagara-on-the-Lake ​ Environment Minister Jeff Yurek will make an announcement about the environmental ​ ​ assessment process at Ontario Power Generation’s Sir Adam Beck Generating Station. January 16 at 10:30 a.m. – Toronto ​ The Ontario Liberal caucus will make an announcement in the Queen’s Park media studio. Topics of conversation ● New Democrats demanded Doug Ford ask Michael Diamond to step down as chair of ​ ​ ​ ​ the Ontario Trillium Foundation following reports he’s overseeing communications for Peter MacKay’s campaign for federal Conservative leader. Diamond — a registered ​ lobbyist who ran Ford’s PC leadership bid and worked on the PC’s 2018 campaign — shouldn’t be taking on a partisan role while holding an (unpaid) public appointment, argued Ethics critic Taras Natyshak. “The Ford Conservatives shouldn’t have a party ​ ​ insider chairing the Trillium Foundation’s board while also so engaged in party politics,” Natyshak said in a statement Wednesday. ○ Ford’s office didn’t bite. “We look forward to Mr. Diamond continuing his excellent work and leadership at the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” spokesperson Ivana ​ Yelich replied in an email to Queen’s Park Today. ​ ​ ○ According to Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake’s office, in general, most ​ ​ public servants such as Diamond are allowed to participate in political activity, as long as it happens outside the workplace. Political activity is legally defined as “anything in support of or in opposition to” a federal or provincial political party or candidate in any government election, but the law does not specifically address party leadership contests. ○ MacKay’s campaign, expected to be made official next week, features other political connections to Ontario’s premier. Rubicon, the firm headed by Kory ​ Teneycke, Ford’s 2018 campaign manager and a member of his 2022 reelection ​ committee, will also be supporting MacKay, though Teneycke himself is staying neutral in the contest, according to the National Post. ​ ​ ​ ● Executive search firm Odgers Berndtson has been hired to hunt for a new patient ombudsman, who will report to the Ontario Health superagency. A job posting is now online. ​ ○ Now-Health Minister Christine Elliott was named the first-ever patient ​ ​ ombudsman in 2015 but stepped down in February 2018 to run for PC leader and re-enter the provincial political fray. ● A fresh poll from Pollara Strategic Insights published in the Toronto Star has Ontario’s ​ ​ ​ ​ three main political parties neck-and-neck when it comes to public support. The Liberals lead the pack with 33 per cent, the Tories have 29 per cent and the official Opposition NDP have 27 per cent. ○ A similar survey published by Pollara last May had the NDP in first place with 31 per cent, the PCs in second with 30 per cent and the leaderless Liberals in third with 26 per cent. ○ This week’s survey polled 2,198 Ontarians online between January 6 and 11. ● Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney says she’s committed to free parking in the ​ ​ ​ ​ wake of a Globe and Mail report revealing Metrolinx is eyeing conversion to paid spaces. ​ ​ ● The RCMP is shuttering its Ontario financial crimes unit, leading experts to warn that ​ ​ money-laundering and other financial crimes could soar.
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