The Ontario legislature is back Monday. Critics say Ford is keener on electioneering
CTV
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.
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.
The Montreal Victoire ended its preparatory mini-tournament as host team on a positive note with a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Charge on Friday afternoon at the Espace Denis-Savard rink in the Verdun Auditorium.
Annie Gallant, a 10-year-old from Nova Scotia, brought home a special gift from her first concert.
A Toronto family is speaking out after their 10-year-old daughter's Crocs got stuck in an escalator, ripping the entire toe area of the clog off.
The operators of the Bruce Nuclear Plant near Kincardine just donated $1 million towards Huron County’s largest affordable housing project in years.
Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns.
Photo radar cameras have caught nearly 300,000 speeders on Ottawa roads so far this year, as the City of Ottawa prepares to expand the automated speed enforcement camera program to another 39 locations over the next 14 months.
As NATO officials met up in Montreal, pro-Palestinian protesters flooded downtown in solidarity with those in Gaza.
Ottawa seniors will be facing a 60 per cent hike in transit fares in 2025, instead of a 120 per cent increase, under a new plan to halve a proposed hike in fares for riders over the age of 65.
Layoffs could be imminent for the Victoria Police Department if it adheres to the requests of the City of Victoria, and cuts over $2 million from its budget.
Snowplows will be on standby ready to go as the province is expected to get more snow over the weekend.
Saskatoon's new downtown shelter must undergo renovations before it can open, according to the operator of the site.