By David Hains and Jessica Smith Cross

Two days later

Former Liberal leadership candidate Kate Graham wasted no time to declare her intention to run in the scheduled 2022 election.

Just two days after giving birth for the first time, Graham said in an email to supporters that she will seek the Liberal nomination in London North Centre. "She was born during a global pandemic where the importance of Ontario’s public health and health-care systems have never been clearer," stated Graham, who ran for the party in 2018 in the seat that used to be held by Liberal stalwart and Graham mentor Deb Matthews.

While Graham finished third in the Liberal leadership race, the party faithful were impressed with her optimism, energy, ability to fundraise, and her command of many policy files. She also shared her confident personality, singing ABBA on the Liberal leadership stage as she urged party members to take a chance on her.

The Liberals have faltered in Southwestern Ontario in recent election cycles, winning no seats in the region in the 2018 election, and slowly seeing their seat totals in the area dwindle over the past decade.

The Grits have prioritized lining up candidates for a potential election, with leadership runner-up Michael Coteau already earning the Don Valley East nomination and Mitzie Hunter getting the nod in Scarborough—Guildwood.

Given the party's standing in the legislature, recruiting and nominating over 100 strong candidates is a high priority for the Liberals, who have been led by Steven Del Duca since March. The party declared a state of "electoral urgency" last month in order to expedite the process.

QP Briefing would also like to extend our congratulations to Graham and partner Jesse Helmer on their newborn and wish everyone the best of health.

CCTV and policing

Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford used his daily press conference to make an announcement unrelated to the pandemic — $6 million in funding for CCTV cameras.

"Gang members are less likely to commit a crime if they are at greater risk of being caught and video footage of crimes committed will help with investigations," said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.

All municipal and First Nations police services, and the Ontario Provincial Police, will be able to apply for funding for the first year of the three-year program, which will cover 50 per cent of the costs of the successful projects. Ontario used a similar model to increase the number of CCTV cameras in Toronto last year.

Meanwhile, he was also asked about a report on systemic racism and policing from the Ontario Human Rights Commission released Monday, which found Black people are more likely to be arrested, charged, shot and killed than other Ontarians.

"I think it's so important we continue working with the Black community and helping them any way we can," said Ford, adding that Jamil Jivani, the province's advocate for community opportunities, is doing that. "I reach out to the community always, I go right into the community and talk to them and listen to their concerns."

Jones added that the province has begun compelling police services to provide race-based data on use-of-force interventions.

Meanwhile, the NDP called on the province to treat anti-Black racism as a public health crisis and follow its suggestions on how to end police violence, overhaul mental health crisis response, and invest in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities.

“This new report from the OHRC reiterates what the Black community, justice advocates, and dozens of other reports, investigations, commissions, task forces and consultations have been saying for decades," said Laura Mae Lindo, chair of the NDP Black Caucus and her party's anti-racism critic. "It is clear to everyone who is paying attention that anti-Black racism in policing, and in all of our institutions, is corrosive and deadly."

And the Green Party criticized Ford's CCTV announcement as not the solution to the problem outlined in the systemic racism report.

"By choosing today to announce more funding for CCTV cameras and surveillance, the premier has the wrong end of the problem firmly in hand," said leader Mike Schreiner. "We need to address the high number of racialized people in the criminal justice system and jails and the ongoing issues of police violence in these communities."

"Better funding of social service networks, Housing First strategies, mental health and addiction supports, education initiatives and fair and equitable hiring practices will go much further than CCTV cameras ever can," he continued. "By turning to the police and CCTV cameras, the premier is asking the wrong people to solve our deeply rooted problems.”

In Brief: A candidate steps up for the 2022 election, CCTV cameras, and systemic racism in policing

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