Smith has accomplished a lot in just over two years. Pictured: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: Danielle Smith/X.  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has only been in office for a little over two years, yet has already established herself as a leader within Canada on many different issues. Most recently, her government passed three separate […]

Scathing auditor general report proves government advertising rules need an overhaul. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Too many Ontario families are struggling just to pay their bills. And yet when they turn on the TV to watch a hockey game, they’re bombarded with glitzy government ads that offer no real public […]

The provincial race highlighted issues that resonate nationally. Pictured: Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Photo Credit: Tim Houston/X.  The Progressive Conservatives’ (PC) decisive victory in Nova Scotia’s provincial election last week offers more than just a local political shift—it’s a crystal ball for federal parties.  As Premier Tim Houston secured a second majority government, the […]

Crombie and her team will be wise not to underestimate the Ford. Pictured: Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie. Photo Credit: Bonnie Crombie/X.  An important lesson for career advancement is to know what you don’t know, particularly if you get promoted into a new job. The skill set that got you the new post is no […]

Houston’s PCs ended up winning a supermajority of seats. Pictured: Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Photo Credit: Tim Houston/X.  Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston opted to call an early election for Nov. 26, roughly eight months ahead of the fixed election date that had been earlier established by his own government. Election results this week […]

Faulty data and biased sampling used by city officials to justify their case has hurt their credibility. Pictured: Toronto City Hall. Photo Credit: iStock.  If one is looking for the definition of a “woke” approach to public policy, look no further than Toronto City Council’s obsession over bike lanes.  It doesn’t matter that public opinion, […]

The Ford government has done little to improve things from the previous Liberal record. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  The Ford government in Ontario has been bragging about various aspects of the provincial economy recently, claiming their so-called “open for business” policies have fostered employment growth and attracted new businesses to the […]

Crombie has yet to call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to scrap his federal carbon tax. Pictured: Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie. Photo Credit: Bonnie Crombie/X.  Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie wants to make energy bills more affordable in Ontario, but only by a little bit. That’s because Crombie is pledging to remove the provincial […]

Two conservative premiers have secured their positions in the past week. Pictured: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: Danielle Smith/X.  A couple of recent electoral developments in Canada give comfort that in this age of woke extremism, some sanity is still present. Two notable examples are last week’s election in Saskatchewan and this past weekend’s […]

Bethlenfalvy’s fall economic update offers a path to balance. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Here’s some good news for taxpayers: the Ontario government stands on the cusp of balancing the books and there’s tax relief coming.  Those are great highlights in Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s fall economic […]

Congestion has become a regular complaint in Toronto these days. Photo Credit: iStock. For those on the progressive side of the political spectrum who don’t understand why Ontario Premier Doug Ford, well into his second mandate, is still riding high in public opinion polls, look no further than his government’s recent announcements over bike lanes.   […]

There are several reasons why Ford would favour an early election. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  In this week’s Economic Update, Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy stated that higher tax revenues and reduced costs of borrowing as interest rates are declining left the province in a […]

Corporate welfare is fueling government debt. And it’s time for it to stop. Photo Credit: Shutterstock. Canadians are worried about government debt and axing corporate welfare is the closest thing to a silver bullet politicians have to solve the problem. Canada’s politicians spent $89 billion handing out taxpayer cash to corporations in 2021, the last […]

The New Brunswick election shows that there are still Canadians that get bedazzled by big spending promises. Pictured: New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Photo Credit: Blaine Higgs/X.  Earlier this week, the New Brunswick Conservative government of Blaine Higgs was defeated after having been in power since 2018. The opposition Liberals led by Susan Holt won […]

Philpott will chair a new primary care action team with the heady objective of connecting every person in Ontario to a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Pictured: Dr. Jane Philpott. Photo Credit: Jane Philpott/X.  Ontario Premier Doug Ford seems to be having fun, stirring up a whirlwind of speculation about early election calls with constant […]

Smith’s positions are hardly extreme at all but represent the common sense we need to see more of in all of our governments. Pictured: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: Danielle Smith/X.  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has recently made some bold moves that further solidify positions she has taken earlier in several areas but have […]

The Trudeau government has torpedoed the legal rationale the Supreme Court used to allow Ottawa to impose a federal carbon tax in the first place. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax has never been more vulnerable. It’s time for Ontario Premier Doug Ford to step up to […]

Election campaign signals a shift toward pragmatic policy discussions as voters focus in on affordability and crime. Pictured: B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad. Photo Credit: John Rustad/X.  Last weekend, the provincial election in British Columbia kicked off in high gear. Voters will head to the polls on Oct. 19 to tick their ballots for candidates […]

  What is needed is a clear policy prohibiting indoctrination nonsense and the ability for the province to enforce it. Pictured: Ontario Education Minister Jill Dunlop. Photo Credit: Jill Dunlop/X.  If teachers and school boards spent as much time “indoctrinating” our children in how to read and do math, instead of dragging them into “social […]

We may still see some more policy flip-flops and revisions from Eby. Pictured: British Columbia Premier David Eby. Photo Credit: David Eby/X.  It’s amazing how an impending election loss can focus the mind – and often change the mind too! Rather dramatically, in the case of British Columbia’s current Premier, David Eby. Eby has changed […]

Better test scores and saving taxpayer dollars is a win-win. Pictured: Ontario Education Minister Jill Dunlop. Photo Credit: Jill Dunlop/X.  Ontario taxpayers deserve choice and value-for-money when it comes to educating our kids. It’s unfair to force parents to keep their kids in failing government-run schools. And it’s unfair to force taxpayers to continue to […]

Higgs was able to put an HST cut on the table because his province’s finances are in such good shape. Pictured: New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Photo Credit: Blaine Higgs/X.  It’s a tale of two premiers. New Brunswick’s Blaine Higgs has been disciplined with managing his province’s finances, reducing debt and paving the way for […]

Predicting a federal election date is now a mug’s game. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Last week, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reneged on his promise to support the minority Liberal government on any non-confidence votes, thereby preventing an early election.   This not only complicates life for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. […]

Current public opinion polls put the NDP and Conservatives neck and neck, so the stakes are high. Pictured: BC Conservative leader John Rustad flanked by three other MLAs. Photo Credit: John Rustad/X. There’s an old joke that claims politics has a very different character depending upon where you are in Canada. In the Atlantic region, […]

Taxpayers deserve to see the real numbers and the Ontario’s politicians should have to be accountable for them. Pictured: Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo Credit: Peter Bethlenfalvy/X.  Remember that friend you had in school who would change his report card before taking it home to his parents?  It turns out premiers, mayors and prime […]

Does anyone think their Toyota Highlander disappeared because there wasn’t a cabinet minister watching it? Pictured: Premier Doug Ford and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. Photo Credit: MPPKerzner/X.  Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet was already excessively large. A surprise resignation should have been an opportunity to shed some extra weight. But somehow, Ford managed to add yet […]

The new sites will focus on recovery and treatment, mental health and social services, employment support, shelter beds, supportive housing, showers and food.  Photo Credit: iStock. Government rarely has right or wrong solutions to the problems it faces, but rather, faces a series of less wrong choices.  That is clearly the situation before the Ontario […]

  Ontarians can’t afford to see gas taxes surge in the new year, so taxpayers must make that clear to provincial politicians well in advance of the currently scheduled tax hike. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Premier Doug Ford’s gas tax cut saved Ontario families hundreds of dollars over the past two […]

  The province intends to virtually double the potential energy from wind from its current level, adding 5,000 megawatts of power, largely from additional wind turbines. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Since their election in 2018, the Ford government has switched up its policy on energy several times. Prior to being elected, […]

A so-called conservative government like that of Premier Doug Ford should not hesitate to follow the lead of other provinces in permitting charter schools. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Talk is cheap. The Ontario Progressive Conservative government has talked a good game for years about getting the “woke” agenda out of our […]

For the sake of Alberta and Canada overall, let’s hope Danielle Smith remains as UCP leader and Alberta Premier. Pictured: Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: Danielle Smith/X. On November 1 and 2, the United Conservative Party (UCP) of Alberta will be having its 2024 Annual General Meeting in Red Deer. This meeting will include a […]

The Canadian justice system is failing victims and the public at large, something no blame game can justify or resolve. Photo Credit: iStock.  Do Canadians care more about policies and issues than the political games played around them? If so, they found little to celebrate at a contentious meeting of a House committee on the […]

Higgs’ HST cut pledge is the first major policy proposal laid out ahead of this fall’s election. Pictured: New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Photo Credit: Blaine Higgs/X.  Premier Blaine Higgs made it a priority to pay down New Brunswick’s debt and that means there’s room for tax relief. And that’s exactly what Higgs is promising […]

Despite the current legal limbo regarding plastics bans, British Columbia has nevertheless announced it is going ahead with a provincial ban. Pictured: British Columbia Premier David Eby. Photo Credit: David Eby/X.  Last November, the Federal court overturned Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s ban on plastics. The ban attempted to classify plastics as toxic under the Canadian […]

Ontario’s approach, directing a portion of its considerable existing advertising budget towards local media publications, follows long-established practice. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X. Every so often, a government gets it right.  The recent announcement of the Ontario Government that 25 per cent of its advertising budget will be directed to Ontario […]

The Federal Court decided in Saskatchewan’s favour on the carbon tax, blocking the federal government from garnishing provincial funds, while awaiting a full hearing by the Federal Court. Pictured: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. Photo Credit: Scott Moe/X.  In the latest chapter of the ongoing war between the federal Liberals and the Saskatchewan government, the province […]

Many observers believe the LCBO workers going on strike at all is just going to put another nail in the coffin of this outdated organization. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Images.  The LCBO strike currently underway is the first time the union representing LCBO employees actually proceeded with a strike since the organization came into existence […]

If political parties want to raise cash, they should do so by winning over taxpayers, not raiding their wallets. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  For Ontario’s political parties, the jig may finally be up. Premier Doug Ford is just six months away from scrapping Ontario’s political welfare system. Political welfare has […]

Rather than the current controversy, accusing the Ontario Government of anti-science biases and secret plots, let’s ensure there is a sound, master plan for the centre’s future.  Pictured: Ontario Science Centre. Photo Credit: Trip Advisor. Okay, everybody, let’s take a valium.  Given all the challenges Ontario and Toronto are facing, the future of the Ontario […]

With 36 Progressive Conservatives now in cabinet out of a caucus of 80, no less than 45 per cent of the governing caucus gets a 42 per cent pay bump. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Is Queen’s Park nearly twice as effective as it was six years ago? That’s a question […]

The stakes are high. The energy portfolio, like education, is critical to Ontario’s future economic success. Pictured: Energy Minister Stephen Lecce. Photo Credit: Stephen Lecce/X.  Stephen Lecce certainly didn’t waste any time after the recent cabinet shuffle landed him in the expanded portfolio of energy and electrification, ending a relatively successful five-year run as minister […]

By the end of 2024, total payments from Ontario’s political welfare program will have crossed the $100-million mark. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  One hundred million dollars.  That’s how much Ontario’s political parties will have taken from taxpayers before its sunset clause sets in the new year. Eight years ago, former premier […]

Many of the arguments put forward against more private provision of health services have no factual base and are promoted by those who personally gain from the current system. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  This week the Ford government announced that they would be seeking applications from private providers to expand the […]

Lecce has launched another series of welcome changes to the education system that will benefit our students and improve their chances for success. Pictured: Education Minister Stephen Lecce. Photo Credit: Stephen Lecce/X.  Perhaps the Toronto Star headline, summed it up best – “Taking the home ec out of the kitchen.”  The story refers to Ontario […]

Whatever the reason, it is about time Ontario loosened up the ridiculously Victorian rules around alcohol that have prevailed in this province for far too long. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  With last week’s announcement of a further loosening of the rules around selling alcoholic beverages in Ontario, the province has […]

  Photo Credit: Facebook/John Rustad Wednesday marked the 11th anniversary of one of the most dramatic electoral upsets in recent Canadian history, when former Premier Christy Clark successfully led the BC Liberal Party (now BC United) to a surprise victory over the BC NDP.  In the lead up to that fateful election day, public polling […]

Ford’s claim that Crombie is a tax-and-spend Liberal holds water. But here’s Ford’s problem: he’s a tax-and-spend politician too. Pictured: Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie. Photo Credit: Bonnie Crombie/X.  Premier Doug Ford desperately wants Ontarians to believe Bonnie Crombie is a tax-and-spend Liberal who can’t be trusted with Ontario’s finances.   He’s spent millions of dollars on […]

Premier Doug Ford said Toronto’s request was the “craziest thing he’s ever heard.” Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Some days Premier Doug Ford nails it. Last week, in response to the City of Toronto’s request of the federal government to decriminalize drug use in the city, he said it was the “craziest thing he’s ever heard.” […]

It’s time to turn the page on this failed public policy, in hopes that other jurisdictions learn from the mistakes made in BC. Pictured: Premier David Eby. Photo Credit: David Eby/X. British Columbia’s drug decriminalization pilot project will go down in the history books, serving as a lesson for jurisdictions who are desperately seeking solutions […]

The major element that changed regarded restoring powers to the police to restrict drug use in public. Pictured: B.C. Premier David Eby. Photo Credit: David Eby/X.  It’s amazing how a pending election focusses the mind. Last week, British Columbia’s NDP Premier, David Eby, reversed some of the most contentious elements of the province’s highly controversial […]

The bottom line is that six years into Ford’s time on the job, any excuses for his fiscal fiasco fall flat. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  Ontario’s debt has erupted like a volcano under Premier Doug Ford’s watch and he has no one to blame but himself.  Ford rode into office […]

There is a long-standing rule in the Legislature that MPPs are not allowed to wear visible symbols in support of controversial or political issues. Photo Credit: Legislative Assembly of Ontario.  The divisive ripples emanating from the Middle East war between Hamas and Israel continue to spread.  This past week it hit the Ontario Legislature.   MPP […]

The Alberta Recovery Model is based on the belief that recovery from addiction is possible, and everyone should be supported and face as few barriers as possible when they pursue recovery. Pictured: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: Danielle Smith/X.  One of the issues that was discussed at last week’s annual conference of the Canada […]

The Ford government is raking in $5 billion through the province’s health tax. The tax is charged on top of income taxes, so most Ontarians don’t even realize they’re paying it. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  There’s one statistic in Ontario budget that should raise the ire of taxpayers: a record […]

Ford’s practice of giving nearly everyone in his caucus pay bumps reflects his free spending approach to the province’s budget. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  It’s like a bad joke. How many politicians does it take to screw in a light blub? Nobody knows for sure, but apparently it takes more […]

To truly save money for taxpayers, Ford needs to both cut taxes and shrink the debt burden for future taxpayers. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and Health Minister Sylvia Jones. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/LinkedIn.  It was a week of ups and downs for Premier Doug Ford’s government.  Last Monday, Ford announced […]

It seems the Ontario Conservatives have gotten used to big spending, and they like it. Pictured are Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and MPPs Stephen Crawford and Rick Byers. Photo Credit: Peter Bethlenfalvy/X. This week the Ontario Conservative government delivered its budget, which was notable only for the fact that it contained no new measures […]

Public opinion polls over the last couple of months have demonstrated growing support for the reinvigorated BC Conservatives under leader John Rustad. Pictured: BC Conservative leader John Rustad speaking with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: John Rustad/X. Something interesting and unexpected is happening in the political climate in British Columbia. An election is pending […]

Ford’s gas tax cut has meant real relief for Ontario families. The typical two-car Ontario family has saved about $8 per week at the pumps since July 2022. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X Premier Doug Ford has delivered real relief to Ontario families through his temporary 6.4 cent per litre gas tax […]

It’s good to balance the budget, albeit on the edge of a knife, but Albertans deserve lower taxes, not higher ones. Pictured: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Jason Franson.   Well, that was close. The good news is the Alberta budget is balanced, spending is restrained and money is being saved for […]

Higgs has demonstrated some important leadership in recent years on some difficult issues, especially for a relatively small province. By all indications, he deserves to be re-elected to continue his successful track record. Pictured: New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Stephen MacGillivray.  Most of the news media’s attention tends to focus on […]

If the Ford government addresses three key points – spending control, tax relief and structural change – it will begin to earn back the trust of disappointed Ontario taxpayers. Pictured: Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Chirstopher Katsarov.    Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy has a chance to turn the page on six […]

Keeping the relief going only makes sense for a government that claims to want to lower costs for Manitobans. Pictured: Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. Photo Credit: Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun. From Brandon to Winnipeg to Steinbach and beyond, Manitobans want to keep the gas tax cut. The Manitoba government cut the 14 cent per litre provincial […]

The truth is that Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is using health care as an excuse to continue profiting off inflation at taxpayers’ expense. Photo Credit: X/Tim Houston. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is the only first minister in all of Canada deliberately profiting off inflation at taxpayers’ expense.  By refusing to adjust income tax […]

Dividing people as the school board’s manual does, wanting teachers to react to students according to their membership in a racial or other specially designated group is wrong and it is divisive, and it undermines the whole purpose and value of education. Pictured: Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: […]

Everyone believes teachers should be properly paid – and they are. Endless demands from unions are a fact of life but often not justified. The more information everyone has about teachers’ and other public sector workers’ compensation and benefits, the better the support will be for governments which are fighting back against endlessly demanding unions […]

When it comes to affordability, Ford has shown he understands what families are going through. Trudeau, on the other hand, has shown just how out of touch he is with the lives of everyday Canadians. Photo Credit: Reuters/Cole Burston.    When it comes to making life more affordable for struggling families, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]

The current course of ever-expanding governments costing the productive private sector more and more is not sustainable. Courts that always decide against the majority of citizens are a big part of the problem. The only answer is for we the majority to demand smaller, more efficient governments and tax reductions that will boost economic growth […]

If Ontario wants to be able to meet our future energy needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time, then nuclear energy must remain in the mix with natural gas, hydroelectric, wind and solar. Pictured: Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith. Photo Credit: Twitter/Todd Smith. What often gets lost in the debate over creating […]

As an unelected premier, Eby should be treading much more carefully. For a change as monumental as this, he is having a short consultation period which has been announced very quietly. It seems he would like to sneak this by BC citizens without giving them a fair chance to understand the issue and participate in […]

The politicians and party supporters were in high spirits, as any government would be if they were about midway through a second mandate in which they won an even bigger majority than in the first. That is not a common occurrence in politics, and the PCs are rightly proud of their record. Photo Credit: Twitter/Doug […]

The big news in social policy this week was the announcement in Alberta of a plan to manage the very touchy issue of gender rights, transgenderism and related identity issues as they pertain to children. This is truly a third rail political issue which most politicians are studiously ignoring despite its importance. Pictured is Alberta […]

Ford has made his fair share of mistakes over the past six years. But with two years left in his mandate, Ford still has a chance to right his wrongs. That starts with this year’s budget. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Twitter/Doug Ford.    Premier Doug Ford created a financial mess over the […]

Putting the health tax on the chopping block would be a boon for taxpayers and show Ontarians that Ford is serious about helping families make ends meet. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn.    There’s one tax in particular Ontario taxpayers want to see on the […]

Cross-province consultations are underway to identify the spring budget’s priorities. One of them should be further steps for the childcare sector.  Photo Credit: Stephen Leece/Twitter.    January to March is pre-budget time for the Ontario government.  Cross-province consultations are underway to identify the spring budget’s priorities. One of them should be further steps for the […]

Without action from the province, the combined impact of the end of the gas tax cut and the increase in the federal carbon tax would be a stunning 11.8 cents per litre. That would drive up the cost of filling up a minivan by nine dollars overnight. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan.    Forty […]

This recent decision to overturn an unrealistic OEB decision demonstrates a practicality that is sorely needed in many of our energy policy discussions today. Hopefully, that practical approach will prevail in future energy policy decisions in Ontario and the rest of Canada. Pictured is Minister of Energy Todd Smith. Photo Credit: X/Todd Smith.   As […]

Ford should seize the moment and end political welfare now. Photo Credit: Twitter/Doug Ford.    Ontario’s political welfare system will finally be relegated to the ash heap of history a year from now. But that’s not nearly soon enough. Political parties in Ontario have gotten millions of taxpayer dollars four times a year with no […]

Trudeau’s 2024 tax hikes, including increased payroll taxes and higher CPP contributions, will cost the average $80,000 earner an extra $507 annually. Meanwhile, Ontario’s promised income tax cut by Premier Doug Ford remains undelivered, leaving taxpayers grappling with increased financial strain amid rising expenses. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tara Walton   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]

The Premier promised to expand alcohol sales to convenience stores back in the 2018 election campaign. Move also includes all participating grocery stores, big box stores. Photo credit: X/Doug Ford   Ontarians will soon be able to pick up a two-four at their local corner store.  On Thursday, the province announced that beginning no later […]

P.E.I. residents set to benefit from Premier Dennis King’s 2024 tax relief, potentially saving households $400 in provincial taxes, but concerns arise over bracket creep’s long-term impact Photo Credit: Facebook/Dennis King   Imagine what your family could do with an extra $400. Thanks to Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King, Islanders won’t be imagining what […]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow broker a landmark $9 billion agreement, transferring control of major expressways to the province while allocating funds for crucial city priorities, including transit and homeless services. Photo Credit: Facebook/FordNation   The impression often left by Toronto city council over the years is that it always seems […]

Photo: Facebook/Mayor Olivia Chow Although there had been some hints of this possibility before, it was mostly a surprise that in a joint press conference this week Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced some major changes in provincial and municipal jurisdiction. The essence of the deal is that Ontario will take […]

Photo Credit: Facebook/Jill Dunlop   When judging the value of the recently released “Blue Ribbon” panel on the financial sustainability of Ontario’s post-secondary sector, it is helpful to remember why governments so often use such bodies to help make policy decisions.    Critics often accuse governments of passing the buck or ducking their decision-making responsibility when […]

Photo Credit: Facebook/Stephen Leece   If government action can curtail the recent, alarming rise in antisemitism, then Ontario may have a chance of checking the growing number of such incidents in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East. From street demonstrations to public statements, from university student groups, to violence and vandalism […]

At least, that’s what one advocacy organization in Ontario is seemingly trying to prove. Photo credit: Pexels/Vanessa Garcia   Yes, you read that right. This is just the latest incidence of lunacy in our public education system, and foolishly our so-called “justice” system played along. This all began when the Ontario government decided in 2018 […]

Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal Liberals’ Bill C-69 – the so-called ‘no more pipelines’ bill – was unconstitutional. The decision means a big change in federal-provincial relations, with the federal government much less able to inflict its extreme and economically harmful views, notably on environmental issues, on the provinces. […]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. The Alberta government’s “Tell the Feds” advertising campaign is attempting to offset a lack of information from the federal government about its electrification agenda. Photo credit: Facebook/Danielle Smith   If you’ve been listening to the radio in Ontario recently, it would be hard to miss an advertising campaign from the Government […]

Education Minister Stephen Lecce. Recent EQAO test results suggest the Ford government’s commitment to improving student outcomes is starting to pay off. Math scores, in particular, are trending upwards across all grade levels in both English and French school systems. Photo credit: Facebook/Stephen Lecce   It didn’t receive a lot of news coverage, but the […]

NDP secure majority. Wab Kinew (pictured) becomes Canada’s first-ever First Nations provincial premier. Photo credit: Facebook/Wab Kinew   This week’s provincial election in Manitoba has brought about a number of big changes. The major one is that the NDP won a majority government for the first time since 2016, when Conservative Brian Pallister took over […]

Province introduced expanded treatment power to pharmacists in January 2023. Ontario pharmacists can now treat 19 common ailments. Photo credit: Facebook/Shoppers Drug Mart   As part of its ongoing effort to address the healthcare crisis in Ontario, the provincial government has made it easier for people to receive treatment for common ailments by allowing pharmacists […]

Premier Scott Moe (pictured) said he was “extremely dismayed” by the court’s recent decision to grant an injunction halting the government’s “Parental Inclusion and Consent Policy” from moving forward. Photo credit: Twitter/Scott Moe   Once again, the threat of a provincial government other than Quebec to use the Notwithstanding Clause in the Canadian Constitution has […]

Only time will tell. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It was a rare sight at Queen’s Park last week. A politician stood up, admitted he was wrong, took responsibility, apologized for breaking his promise and abruptly changed course.  After weeks of controversy and perhaps irreversible damage to his brand and to his government, Ontario Premier […]

Doug Ford’s government is anything but the lean, efficient administration he promised taxpayers. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   The man who once promised a leaner, more efficient and effective government at Queen’s Park has instead allowed it to balloon larger than any other Ontario premier in the 21st century.   In Premier Doug Ford’s first throne […]

Another September, another threat of strike. Photo credit: The Washington Post/Maddie McGarvey   If it’s September, we must be talking about a teachers’ strike in Ontario. Like clockwork, the teachers’ unions are rattling the sabres yet again as contracts expire and the school year is about to begin. The current demands are especially outrageous as […]

And it still could help. It is a painful step for any minister, but for the political health and credibility of a government, it is a very important one. It shows that accountability matters. Pictured is Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark. Photo credit: Twitter/Steve Clark   If Ontario Premier Doug Ford loses […]

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. In the span of just two years, Houston managed to increase government spending by a stunning 19 per cent. Photo credit: Twitter/Tim Houston   Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is slamming his foot on the gas pedal and driving the province toward a fiscal cliff. For the sake of future […]

In the ongoing battle to bring common sense back into Canadian classrooms, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are leading the charge. Pictured is New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs at a meeting of the Council of Atlantic Premiers in March 2022. Photo credit: Communications Nova Scotia   Earlier this week, Saskatchewan joined New Brunswick in defending parental […]

Ontario spends more now than it ever has and leads the pack per student among large provinces across the country. Plus, remember those supposed cuts you heard about? The opposite is true. Pictured is Minister of Education Stephen Lecce. Photo credit: Facebook/Stephen Lecce   As Ontario families face the possibility of a looming teachers strike […]

This latest issue regarding the Greenbelt is unlikely to go away, and the Ford government is going to have to do something more substantive than keep insisting its approach is the right one. Pictured are Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, Sept. 10, 2018. Photo credit: Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov […]

Spending on government-run schools has reached record highs, yet performance has worsened. Photo credit: Pexels/RDNE Stock Project   Here’s something Ontario’s education establishment doesn’t want you to hear: improving school choice would improve students’ outcomes and the province’s bottom line. Ontario students get to pick what post-secondary schools to apply for, tutors to hire and […]

Photo credit: Twitter/Stephen Lecce   Cabinet ministers are frequently shuffled into different portfolios according to the changing political priorities of the day. It is a rare gift to be given a long enough tenure in one portfolio to actually develop and execute on a reform agenda.   Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce has been given such […]

The recent by-election in Ottawa’s Kanata—Carleton provides an interesting case study. Pictured is Ontario Liberal MPP-elect Karen McCrimmon. Photo credit: Twitter/Karen McCrimmon   All politics is local, as the old saying goes. While the day-to-day machination of clickbait headlines tend to drive us to focus on the biggest, most salacious stories, we can often forget […]

More money – the proposed solution of choice for virtually all provincial governments past and present – simply won’t get the job done. Pictured is Ontario’s Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. Photo credit: Twitter/Sylvia Jones   Here’s a truth most politicians will never admit: throwing money at Ontario’s health-care system won’t solve its fundamental problems. […]

  Instead of providing the media and Opposition members fodder to cry “patronage”, the PCs should focus squarely on the bevy of important initiatives and fundamental changes its successfully making across healthcare, education, housing, and energy. Pictured is Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Downey   Governments and politicians only have so much […]

Top-down demands and impositions from the feds, by way of Trudeau’s climate czar Steven Guilbeault (pictured), has several provincial leaders up in arms. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Justin Tang   Recent weeks have seen a sharp increase in disagreements between some provinces and the federal government over the Liberal push to achieve its net-zero goals […]

More parents and grandparents in provinces across the country are starting to push back against the radical gender ideology being introduced to young children in schools. Photo credit: Getty Images   It took a while, but we are finally seeing groups of parents and grandparents fighting back in Ontario and other provinces against the ridiculous […]

Though it’ll be a monumental challenge, the province at least has a long-term plan to ensure Ontarians can keep the lights on in the years and decades ahead. Pictured is Ontario’s Energy Minister Todd Smith in Windsor announcing the government’s new ‘Powering Ontario’s Growth’ plan, July 10, 2023. Photo credit: Twitter/Todd Smith   Ontario Premier […]

To help meet rising electricity demands, earlier this week the Ontario government announced development of a new large-scale nuclear power plant. Pictured is Minister of Energy Todd Smith announcing the project at Bruce Power’s Kincardine facility, July 5, 2023. Photo credit: Twitter/Todd Smith   This week, the Ford government announced that a new large-scale nuclear […]

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. From coast to coast, every other government outside of Nova Scotia has acknowledged it is wrong to punish taxpayers simply for receiving a cost-of-living pay raise. Photo credit: CBC/Robert Short   Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston stands alone by deliberately profiting off of inflation. By failing to index income tax […]

Bonnie Crombie (pictured) may be a big city mayor, but she has never experienced the level of scrutiny or faced the kind of political challenge that exists when you are running for the province’s top political post. Photo credit: Twitter/Bonnie Crombie   The next provincial election just got more interesting. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has […]

Provincial government expected to bring in over $200 billion in tax revenue for 2023. According to the FAO, Ontario is positioned to run a surplus of $3 billion this year, $7.4 billion next year and $10 billion the year after that. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Despite increasing government spending rapidly, the Ford government has […]

The notion of an east-west utility corridor from Alberta to Hudson Bay has been contemplated for decades. Pictured is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photo credit: Government of Alberta/Chris Schwarz   Earlier this week, the Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba governments signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue the possibility of establishing a deep-water port at Port […]

 In total, data from the finance ministry shows Premier Doug Ford’s gas tax cut has left over a billion dollars in taxpayers’ wallets, and that tab will continue to grow for the next several months. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Eight dollars every week. That’s how much Premier Doug Ford’s gas tax cuts have saved […]

Blackouts, brownouts, increased costs and the like, just how far is the province willing to go to close the carbon gap and achieve the federal government’s audacious environmental goals. Pictured is Minister of Energy Todd Smith. Photo credit: Twitter/Todd Smith   Right now, Ontario’s electrical power grid is already 90 per cent non-carbon emitting, carbon […]

The unions have completely run amok, and our children and grandchildren suffer increasingly poorer quality, at times harmful instruction. Photo credit: Pexels/Ksenia Chernaya   The horror stories abound. In public schools, themes such as critical race theory, which teaches children that all white persons are oppressors and is terribly divisive of different groups on the […]

Thanks in large part to inflation, provincial government set to collect nearly $25 billion more in tax revenue this year versus last. If he’s truly a man of and for the people, the premier would share some of that windfall with the wider population by lowering Ontario’s sales tax. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It’s […]

The federal Liberals will no doubt be watching the provincial leadership race closely to see what resonates with Ontario voters. Pictured is former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister and current federal MP for Ottawa-Centre Yasir Naqvi, who announced his candidacy this past weekend. Photo credit: Twitter/Yasir Naqvi   The “will they, won’t they” dance for prospective […]

  According to a new study, the province’s historical surplus of hydro power may be coming to an end, with the possibility of shortages occurring as early as 2027. Photo credit: Facebook/Hydro-Quebec   Quebec has long been known as the electricity powerhouse in Canada, generating the most electricity of any province with over 90 per […]

Predicted to end in a nailbiter on election night, on Monday Albertans awarded Danielle Smith’s UCP 49 seats in government, a comfortable 11-seat victory over Rachel Notley’s NDP. The UCP won 52.6 per cent of the popular vote, compared to 44 per cent for the NDP. Photo credit: Twitter/Danielle Smith   It was billed as […]

An assortment of advocacy groups, teachers’ unions, and food banks recently penned a letter to provincial officials asking for the government to fund daily breakfast, lunch for all Ontario students. Photo credit: CBC   One of the best-known sayings of renowned economist and Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman is “There is no such thing as […]

Taxpayer-funded quarterly allowances haven’t been awarded since last spring, when Premier Ford gave Ontario’s political parties three payments in advance, allowing them to spend the funds on attack ads during last year’s election campaign. Come June, the political welfare payments are set to resume. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chris Young   Ontario’s political party slush […]

Ford government has tabled legislation that, once passed, will start the process of dissolving Peel Region and splitting its constituent communities into single-tier municipalities. Pictured (left to right) at Queen’s Park on Thursday, May 18 are Caledon Mayor Annette Groves, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie […]

Currently one-third of the some 100 wildfires taking place across Wild Rose Country are considered ‘out-of-control’. Complicating the entire situation is the fact that Alberta is in the throes of an ultra-competitive provincial election campaign and mere weeks away from E-Day. Photo credit: The Canadian Press   For several weeks, Alberta has been besieged by […]

A new round of opposition to the Ford government’s ongoing desire to supplement the current health care model with more private alternatives recently kicked up again in earnest. If you listened to the activist groups, you would think that all the current system was in public hands. Yet, about 40 per cent of health care […]

There’s no question that updated and expanded training for and increased promotion of the skilled trades in Ontario were long-overdue. However, the province’s pendulum swing in focus over the last four-plus years has caused many traditional institutions of higher education to fall behind in a big way. Pictured is Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and […]

Last week, the Liberal government very quietly indicated its intention to extend the current equalization formula until 2029. The formula, which sees billions of dollars transferred from wealthier provinces to “have nots” each year, largely benefits Quebec and the Atlantic provinces at the expense of Alberta. Pictured is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith alongside Prime Minister […]

Rather than fix the present Science Centre, the Ford government is planning to build a brand-new facility on the grounds of the old Ontario Place. But building a new facility will take time and a lot of taxpayer dough. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   In trying to rationalize moving the Ontario Science Centre to the […]

In March, the governments of Canada and Ontario jointly announced what could turn out to be the largest corporate welfare handout in the country’s history. Experts say the governments collectively gave some $10 billion to Volkswagen to build its new electric car battery plant in St. Thomas. Photo credit: AP/Michael Sohn   Here’s a sad […]

Ontario’s premier fought hard against Kathleen Wynne’s carbon tax scheme and won. Now, he continues to fight the forces that be in Ottawa. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a penchant for recognizing a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When it comes to carbon taxes, Ford wasn’t fooled for a moment. Scrapping […]

Canada’s federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   Did the federal government, in the person of Justice Minister David Lametti, really say earlier this week that he would consider taking over provincial jurisdiction for natural resources in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba? Well, yes […]

The 2023 budget presented by the Newfoundlander and Labrador premier demonstrates clear fiscal prudence. In contrast, Trudeau’s budget spends $20 billion more this year than last. Pictured is Premier Andrew Furey. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan   The premier and prime minister might be young Liberal pals with a lot of star power, but […]

The provincial government released its 2023 budget last Thursday, while its federal counterpart did the same earlier this week. Though both economic plans contain their fair share of high- and lowlights, the document produced by the feds houses noticeably more of the latter. Pictured is Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo credit: Twitter/Peter Bethlenfalvy […]

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (pictured) recently sat down with the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada. Among other topics, she discussed the interdependencies and interconnectedness of Alberta and Ontario, as well as the intrusion of the federal government into provincial jurisdiction. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   Last Friday, we at the […]

 In 2021-22, Ontario finished the fiscal year with a $2.1 billion surplus – but instead of building on that surplus for budget 2023, Premier Ford (left) and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy (right) tore it down. Photo credit: Twitter/Peter Bethlenfalvy   Ontario Premier Doug Ford was like a rookie at a blackjack table during this budget […]

As Atlantic Canadians felt the crunch from inflation last year, the region’s premiers responded in one of two ways. Three premiers chose to deliver tax relief. Only Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston failed to offer any kind of meaningful relief to taxpayers. Photo credit: Communications Nova Scotia    Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston was Atlantic Canada’s […]

Going forward, the P.E.I. premier can’t count on massive revenue windfalls. His election platform should show prudence and outline a plan to stay in the black. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Brian McInnis   Rather than present a budget, Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King has plunged his province into an election. While the election call […]

The latest report from Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office laid out a number of disturbing findings about the province’s health care situation, including a shortage of 33,000 nurses and PSWs by 2028. Photo credit: Pexels/Rodnae Productions   Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office (FAO) has historically provided solid research and analysis on a range of issues pertaining to […]

Premier Danielle Smith and Finance Minister Travis Toews (pictured) struck a reasonable balance between increased spending and posting a surplus. The happy combination was made possible by strong prices in the oil and gas sector boosting government revenues. With Alberta’s next provincial election only three months away, Smith hopes her first budget at the helm […]

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston (left) and P.E.I. Premier Dennis King. Their respective provincial governments are stubbornly refusing to adjust their tax brackets to account for soaring inflation. Photo credit: Twitter and Facebook   Two Atlantic Canadian governments are cashing in on inflation and it’s time for taxpayers to stand up and demand better.  When […]

The shift away from fossil fuels to renewables is not easy, nor cheap. Natural gas remains critical to the province’s electricity grid and isn’t going away anytime soon, as plans for two new gas turbines in Windsor demonstrate. Pictured is Capital Power’s East Windsor Cogeneration Centre. Photo credit: CHA   Following decades of fantastical assumptions […]

Although the premier has made a series of bad financial decisions of late, he has a fresh mandate and a new opportunity to return to his pro-taxpayer roots. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Premier Doug Ford is facing a moment of truth in the next budget. After years of runaway spending, will he finally embrace […]

Last weekend, a group of veteran provincial Liberals led by Deb Matthews, Greg Sorbara, and Liz Sandals wrote an open letter to Mike Schreiner (pictured), in which they urge the current Ontario Green Party leader to consider crossing the floor and vying for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tijana […]

It’s time for the premier to make good on his 2018 promise to nix the per-vote subsidy. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s excuses for maintaining a taxpayer slush fund are wearing thin.  A decade ago, former premier Kathleen Wynne thought it would be a bright idea to give Ontario’s political parties […]

While political leaders around the country used the pandemic as an excuse to increase spending across the board, New Brunswick’s Blaine Higgs took a different approach. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Stephen MacGillivray   If anyone is looking for an instructor to teach a masterclass on defending the public purse, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs should […]

When you dive into what the Premier and his health minister actually announced last week, you could be forgiven for asking “is that all?”. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   From all the hysterical caterwauling from Opposition parties, public sector unions and other assorted government critics, you would have thought that Ontario Premier Doug Ford had […]

Though some unions, certain public officials, and political activists may not like the increase in private sector provision of health care in the province, a greater mix of public and private providers will bring better outcomes for suffering Ontarians. Pictured is Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. Photo credit: Twitter/Sylvia Jones   That sound you […]

Over a quarter of the governing PC Party caucus is not seeking re-election this October. Opinion polls indicate Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson (pictured) is one of the least popular provincial leaders in Canada right now. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/David Lipnowski   In recent weeks, a record number of Progressive Conservative Members of the Legislative […]

Earlier this week, yet municipal council on Canada’s east coast passed a resolution calling for a guaranteed basic livable income. Pictured is Saint John, New Brunswick mayor Donna Noade Reardon. Photo credit: Facebook/City of Saint John   It seems that yet another municipal government has not read the literature on UBI (universal basic income). This […]

The Trudeau government’s anticipated new energy strategy will be bad news for Albertans, and the Canadian oil and gas sector as a whole, but good news for Premier Danielle Smith’s election chances. Photo credit: Winnipeg Free Press   After talking about it for almost two years, and distributing a discussion paper in 2021, it seems […]

By expanding affordable childcare options for families, Minister Stephen Lecce (pictured) and his team are making it easier for parents to enter or remain in the workforce. Photo credit: Twitter/Stephen Leece   For Ontario families looking for childcare support so parents can stay in the workforce, 2023 could be a good year. Ontario Education Minister […]

Though the province wants to be a part of the climate solution, gambling that we can successfully experiment with our electrical supply and prematurely cut out natural gas is not the answer. Photo credit: TVO/Sergey Bobok   Ontarians take electricity for granted. We assume that when we turn the switch, the power will go on. […]

Characterizing private health clinics as “for-profit”, as if profit in any and every form is inherently a bad thing, is all part of the conditioning Canadians experience on a regular basis. Photo credit: Twitter/OFL   The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), a federation comprised of 54 labour unions in the province, released the results of […]

Decarbonizing Ontario’s already clean electricity system would not only be shockingly expensive, but it would also significantly reduce reliability. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette   Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Crown corporation responsible for operating the electricity market in the province, recently published a study responding to the Energy Minister’s request to […]

Much to the delight of union brass and membership, Ontario’s superior court recently struck down the legislation that temporarily capped public sector wage increases. While the aggrieved are pleased, if the decision stands, it will not only let public sector unions ask for wage increases they might have received in the absence of Bill 124, […]

Francois Legault (pictured) leads the pack, with nearly six-in-ten Quebecers displaying a favourable view of the Premier. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot   The Angus Reid Institute has come out with its regular survey of approval ratings for Canada’s Premiers and as usual there is good news for some and coal in the stockings […]

Alberta’s recent efforts to better protect itself from federal encroachment on its internal affairs have received a lot of attention lately, but Saskatchewan is making similar moves toward greater provincial autonomy. Pictured is Premier Scott Moe. Photo credit: Twitter/Scott Moe   Alberta may be getting most of the attention with its Alberta Sovereignty Within a […]

High taxes, environmental regulations, and land claim issues, among other concerns, make Canada’s oil producing provinces some of the least attractive jurisdictions in which to do business. Photo credit: Flickr/Jason Hargrove    If there was still any doubt, a recent Fraser Institute study shows how various Canadian federal government policies have damaged the prospects for […]

Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk (pictured) released her yearly assessment of the province’s financial manaveurs on Wednesday. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Aaron Vincent Elkaim   The annual Ontario Auditor General’s report was released this week, with its usual litany of financial and policy missteps by the provincial government and its agencies. Not surprisingly, some of […]

Atlantic residents will soon be paying considerably more to heat their homes and fill their tanks, as the federal government is set to impose its carbon tax on Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI. Pictured is Premier of Nova Scotia Tim Houston. Photo credit: CBC/Rob Short   The latest provinces to be hit by […]

Premier Smith (pictured) is doing precisely what she said she would do, plus more. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jason Franson   Newly-minted Alberta Premier Danielle Smith isn’t wasting any time making changes. Less than two months into the job, she has fired the entire Board of the Alberta Health Services (AHS), fulfilling a leadership campaign […]

In losing nearly $100 million to a volatile cryptocurrency investment, and by committing to the ESG narrative, two of Canada’s largest and traditionally most successful public pension funds demonstrated that they’re hardly immune to poor judgement and being swept up by the flavour of the week. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Cole Burston   The spectacular […]

Despite claims to the contrary, when it comes to public sector labour negotiations in Ontario, it is, has been, and always will be precisely about the money. Pictured is president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions Laura Walton, Nov. 16, 2022. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chris Young   In the context of labour […]

As economic slowdown looms, province delivers fairly tame, boring mini-budget – but perhaps that’s a good thing. Pictured is Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy presented the Fall Economic Update this week, and not surprisingly the news wasn’t great. In anticipation of a widely expected economic slowdown, […]

The current federal government has had a habit of interfering with areas of provincial jurisdiction, and it is long overdue that certain provinces begin to push back. Pictured is Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe. Photo credit: Facebook/Scott Moe   Canada’s Prairie provinces – Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba – have good reason to be perturbed about […]

Premier Ford’s government was just given another majority mandate by Ontarians to do exactly what it is currently doing in ongoing dispute with CUPE: look out for the public interest by way of keeping kids in school and protecting taxpayer money during tumultuous economic times. Pictured is Education Minister Stephen Lecce. Photo credit: CBC/Carlos Osorio […]

Premier Doug Ford. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It’s time for Premier Doug Ford to be bold. The cost of living is soaring for Ontario families. To deliver relief to every Ontarian across the province, Ford should cut the provincial sales tax. Ford owes Ontarians relief. Four years ago, he promised to cut income taxes for the […]

Canada already has one of the highest levels of per capita health care spending among developed countries in the world, and citizens are hardly getting good bang for their buck. Thus, the country’s Premiers should stop spending time and money asking the federal government for more taxpayer dollars and instead concentrate their efforts on garnering […]

The “day of protest” is ostensibly a response to the Ontario government tabling back-to-work legislation intended to prevent education workers from striking. Pictured is head of the Ontario Federation of Labour Patty Coates during a news conference at Queens Park on Monday alongside OSBCU president Laura Walton (left) and CUPE president Fred Hahn. Photo credit: […]

To date, Ontario’s Premier has resisted all calls to take part in the public hearings currently underway in Ottawa. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Arlyn McAdorey   It is mystifying why Ontario Premier Doug Ford continues to adamantly resist appearing before the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), currently the hottest political ticket in Canada.  Ford has […]

Municipal elections historically drive the fewest number of voters to the ballot box. However, of all levels of government, the local level touches most citizens more directly and frequently than its provincial and federal counterparts – and not just in terms of basic services and policing. In recent years, municipal governments have become increasingly more […]

Ontario is fast-approaching an energy crisis and so-called “green” fuel solutions will hardly be able to fill the gap. Photo credit: Atura Power   Most voters don’t have high expectations of their governments. But they do expect a modicum of common sense. The Ontario government may be on the brink of ignoring it.  How else […]

Overall spending on Ontario public sector salaries has increased from about $36.3 billion in 2011 to $48.2 billion by 2022, about 2.9 per cent annually. It’s projected the wage bill will reach $56.9 billion by 2027, assuming average annual increases of 3.4 per cent. Clearly, an ever-increasing public sector funded by a shrinking private sector […]

Premier Francois Legault won a resounding re-election victory in Quebec on Monday, while Danielle Smith became the new Premier of Alberta Thursday night. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson and Jonathan Hayward   Two major developments this week promise to have a big impact on provincial and federal politics in Canada for the next few […]

Recent analysis demonstrates taxpayers in Canada’s Atlantic provinces pay significantly more in personal income and sales taxes than their western counterparts. Pictured is Spinnaker’s Landing in Summerside, PEI. Photo credit: PEI Tourism/Stephen DesRoches   Whenever an election looms, all politicians claim to want to provide tax relief for the “middle class”.  This is a logical […]

Peter Tabuns (pictured) recently decried the Ford government for raising natural gas prices. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chris Young   We are all accustomed to the enduring hypocrisy of politicians by now, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be challenged. The latest instance came from MPP Peter Tabuns, interim Leader of the Ontario NDP. Tabuns […]

After a temporary six-month pause, the provincial gas excise tax is set to be reinstituted at the end of the year. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   If Ontario Premier Doug Ford doesn’t want to be the grinch who stole Christmas, he’ll start working on a plan to make Ontario’s temporary gas tax cut permanent. Ontario […]

Traditional evaluation methods develop students’ ability to plan, deal with pressure, cope with expectations and, on occasion, experience and learn from failure. Pictured is provincial Minister of Education Stephen Lecce. Lecce’s ministry recently confirmed that local schools and boards can now decide if they will administer an exam to determine a final grade for secondary […]

A number of Canadian jurisdictions are proceeding with plans to continue on the so-called “decarbonization” bandwagon and move away from more reliable and affordable energy sources. Pictured is Ontario’s Lennox Generating Station, dual-fuelled by oil and natural gas. Photo credit: OPG   All indications are that Europe is facing the prospect of a very difficult […]

The changes take place every 10 years and never fail to ruffle a few feathers. Quebec, for example, was set to lose one seat based on current criteria – an act deemed wholly unacceptable by the powers that be.    Following each national census conducted after a 10-year period, the Canadian Constitution requires that federal […]

Direct data for Ontario is not yet available, but all signs from other jurisdictions point to extended school closures having had severe, worrisome effects on students’ academic progress. Pictured is Education Minister Stephen Lecce. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin   The quality of our children’s education should be a priority for parents and the […]

Alberta has joined dozens of industry manufacturers in Canada challenging the federal government’s ban on single-use plastics ban. Premier Jason Kenney (pictured) recently commented that the federal policy intrudes on provincial jurisdiction and is yet another Trudeau government initiative harmful to Alberta economic interests. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito    The province of Alberta […]

Should current favourite for the job Danielle Smith (pictured, centre) become the new UCP leader on October 6, she has vowed to introduce legislation designed to better protect Alberta’s provincial interests against federal encroachment and predation later this year. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh    It is said that the definition of insanity is […]

There are no quick fixes or silver bullet solutions. It will take time, increased resources, creativity, and better cooperation between government and those on the front lines. Photo credit: The Canadian Press   As one watches the Doug Ford government wrestle with the current health care crisis, several observations come to mind.  First, one needs […]

Premier Doug Ford met with his counterparts from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island earlier this week. What emerged from the maritime meeting was a consensus that, as a whole, Canada’s healthcare system needs to not only change, but that new solutions must be introduced in order to address the fundamental flaws exposed […]

Probably the most important of the many changes announced this week by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones (pictured) is the expansion of surgeries to private facilities, while still having these procedures covered by OHIP. Photo credit: Twitter/Sylvia Jones   The Ford government announced the latest phase of its so-called “Plan to Stay […]

New legislation introduced by the province would give the mayors of Ontario’s two largest cities, Toronto and Ottawa, the ability to streamline important decisions. Mayor of Toronto John Tory (pictured left, beside Premier Doug Ford) said he is in favour of the change. Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson (not pictured) said he doesn’t see the […]

Anytime a government tries to talk about changing health care delivery for better outcomes, like the Ford government tried to do last week, the discussion is quickly shut down amidst the scare mongering over “privatization” and “budget cuts.” However, decades of excessive spending and exceedingly poor results indicate talks of change are not only worthwhile, […]

Ontario Legislative Building in downtown Toronto. High cost and poor performance are hallmarks of the public sector, and they are brought about and maintained across the country by a single phenomenon: unionized government monopoly. Photo credit: OLA   The hits just keep on coming. Blacklock’s Reporter, an independent media organization that does not take bailouts […]

Premier of Saskatchewan Scott Moe (left) and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis (right). Photo credit: 980 CJME/Lisa Schick and AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack   Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has developed a reputation for pushing back against a range of leftist government policies including Critical Race Theory in the public education system to, most recently, what he […]

Ontario and other Canadian provinces stand to learn a thing or two from places like Germany (pictured) and Sri Lanka about the real-life consequences of over-reliance on “green” energy solutions and succumbing to climate change zealotry. Photo credit: Getty Images/Sean Gallup   As the evidence continues to pile up about how “green” policies are beggaring […]

Existing teachers’ contracts are set to expire August 31. High-performing Minister of Education Stephen Lecce (pictured) and his team started negotiations early to ensure educators are back and remain in the classroom this fall so that students can enjoy the “full school experience” after two years of closures and uncertainty. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Nathan […]

Premier Tim Houston (pictured) recently stated, “when inflation is at a 40-year high, gas prices are at historic levels and many hard-working Nova Scotians are struggling to make ends meet, it is not the time to increase the pay of MLAs.” Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan   Something truly shocking happened recently and did […]

With an ever-growing backlog of new applicants, and significant need for more labour across the country, one would think the Trudeau government would jump at the opportunity for help from its provincial counterparts. And yet, as is typical with this federal government, the Liberals are dragging their feet, promising to ‘look into’ the problem. Pictured […]

A recent FAO report indicates the provincial government spent several billion less than planned in the last fiscal year: an otherwise good news story that members of the Ontario NDP – like finance critic Catherine Fife (pictured) – are trying to twist as harmful “underspending”.  Photo credit: Twitter/Catherine Fife   The most recent Expenditure Monitor […]

Most politicians and many Canadians continue to promote the fiction that our badly broken health care system continues to be viable and among “the best in the world”. But, at present, the only people benefitting from the current health care system are the public sector unions. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson   The horror […]

A recent poll indicates that the vast majority of residents in the Atlantic provinces are none too pleased with their respective governments’ performance when it comes to health care, among other issues. Pictured is Fredericton, New Brunswick. Photo credit: Atlantic Traveller   A recent public opinion poll by the Angus Reid Institute has highlighted a […]

Fully 32 Ontario municipalities, including most notably Ottawa, have bought in to the notion that they will be able to phase out natural gas in the coming decades while doing no credible planning on exactly how reliable, relatively affordable gas can be replaced by unreliable and costly renewables. Photo credit: University of Ottawa    The […]

Hint: it’s no longer just 2+2=4. Photo credit: Pexels/Ksenia Chernaya    Evidence that our public school system is too “woke” for its own good – and the good of its students and taxpayers – has been clear for some time. Recently, however, there have been a number of episodes in Ontario and other jurisdictions which […]

After winning another majority mandate last month, Premier Ford expanded his Cabinet to 30 members and significantly increased the number of parliamentary assistants that will work alongside his executive council. Pictured: Ford shakes hands with Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell outside Queen’s Park in Toronto before naming his new Cabinet, June 24, 2022. Photo credit: CBC/Evan […]