It’s a new beginning for Ontario’s 1.8 million acre Greenbelt. On January 10, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was in Newmarket to announce a significant new designation to Greenbelt legislation, which will make it easier for municipalities to add public land to what is already the largest greenbelt in the world. The new Urban River Valley designation will … Continue reading
It turns out Ontario is not the only jurisdiction getting cold feet about offshore wind development – in the Great Lakes, at least. In October, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo released a new energy blueprint – known as The Energy Highway – that inadvertently put a wet blanket over plans to install wind turbines in either … Continue reading
The question of funding for Catholic education in Ontario is similar to the question of reforming the first-past-the-post system we employ for electing members of parliament – any rudimentary thinking on the issue would show it to be egregiously undemocratic and discriminatory, yet politicians are consistently able to hide behind a perceived public distaste for … Continue reading
Ontario’s Auditor General, Jim McCarter, released his Annual Report to the legislature earlier this morning, and the 460-page document has some troubling findings about the hasty way in which Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty approved green energy investments in his second term. “While this helped these projects get off the ground quickly, their high cost will … Continue reading
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty may be publicly dismissing any interest he may have in running for the federal Liberal top job, but sources close to the Premier told Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin last week that McGuinty has not ruled out the possibility of moving into federal politics once his third term as Ontario’s … Continue reading
Matt Gurney in the National Post lays it on a little thick when he calls the Ontario Liberals – and Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan in particular – “financially illiterate” for their recent announcement that the province will bring in roughly $1B less than anticipated. Projected growth is just that – projected: … Continue reading
Therapy or Surgery? A Prescription for Canada’s Health System examines the state of health care provision in Canada, and offers a staunch defence of the public model. And while the report does indicate that many facets of the current system should remain universal (prescription medication for the elderly, hospital care, etc.) as opposed to moving … Continue reading
For an election that was about as little as an election can possibly be about, last nights results brought more change to Ontario than many anticipated. And despite the set election dates we have in Ontario, Ontarians should not expect to wait until 2015 before casting their next provincial ballot. But they can be forgiven … Continue reading
Well, here we are. The Ontario provincial election is two days away, and the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives are locked in a dead heat, continuing to make election promises at the 11th hour; the House of Commons in Ottawa has been in session for weeks now with Stephen Harper’s Conservative majority firmly in power; and … Continue reading
In advance of the leader’s debate tonight, two competing polls have come out in recent days that indicate both PC leader Tim Hudak and Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty are leading in voter intentions. This means two things: that this race is likely closer than anyone anticipated two months ago, and that polls are worth what … Continue reading