By Jack Hauen and Jessica Smith Cross
Ford announces $12 billion for schools
The Progressive Conservative government will put $12 billion over the next decade toward building new schools and refurbishing old ones, Premier Doug Ford announced.
This year, $500 million of that is going toward building 30 new schools and expanding 15 existing ones to create 25,000 student spaces by 2023, he said. The premier promised they'll be modern facilities, with air conditioning and accessibility features like ramps and elevators. The funding will also cover almost 900 new child-care spaces, which is part of the Ford government's promise to add 30,000 spots in total.
"This is about unleashing the incredible potential of our bright young students, now and for generations to come," Ford said, speaking from a gymnasium in Brampton in the midst of his cross-province tour.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce also said over 330 schools and child-care projects are in planning stages or currently being built, with about 90 tracking to open by September.
He also promised every high school in Ontario will have internet by September. Installation is in progress at 2,954 schools, including 99 northern schools, according to a ministry release.
Ford made the announcement alongside Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown — his former rival and leader of the PC party, who the premier said is "doing an incredible job" getting the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two of the new schools will be built in Brampton, which put the mayor in a good mood.
"Any time you want to come with a funding announcement, Premier Ford, you're always welcome in Brampton," he said.
The NDP pointed out that Ford had cut planned education infrastructure spending from $3 billion in 2018-19 to $2.2 billion in 2020-21.
“It’s insulting for Doug Ford and his education minister to claim they’re doing anything to fix our crumbling classrooms and jam-packed schools when they’re actually cutting the budget, year after year,” education critic Marit Stiles said in a statement. “Students and parents and educators are pleading for a plan to get kids back to class safely in the fall, five days a week, and what they’re getting instead is a government that congratulates itself with a photo op and a totally disingenuous announcement.”
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca framed the funding as a cut, compared to what the previous Liberal government had planned to spend.
"In 2017, $16 billion was allocated by the previous Liberal government to build and renovate public schools over ten years, and an additional $1.2 billion was earmarked for renewals and repairs over two years," he said in a statement. "Today, Ford announced only $12 billion over ten years and $500 million this year for capital projects."
"This kind of cut is particularly appalling at this moment, given that our public schools need to urgently be in a state of good repair to withstand the challenge arising from the COVID-19 pandemic."
Opposition asks Ford to reverse Metrolinx reversal
All opposition parties were quick to slam Metrolinx for reneging on its promise to donate land in the Jane and Finch area for a community hub and to call on Ford to reverse the decision.
The NDP MPP for the area, Tom Rakocevic, wrote to Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney urging the Ford government to make Metrolinx honour its commitment.
“Jane and Finch families are counting on this community hub, and the decision to abruptly change course on this visionary project is a devastating blow,” he said. “It’s cruel, it’s unacceptable, and I am urging Doug Ford to do the right thing and tell Metrolinx to reverse this decision so we get this community hub built."
Del Duca, a former Liberal transportation minister, called the reversal "unconscionable." He said in a statement the decision is "just the latest in a growing list of blows Doug Ford has struck at vulnerable and racialized communities," including cuts to the Anti-Racism Directorate, the Black Youth Action Plan and after-school programs for marginalized youth.
Green Leader Mike Schreiner said he was "really disappointed" by the U-turn.
"At a time when we should be doing everything possible to support racialized communities, this move does the opposite. Provincial agencies take their cues from above, and Doug Ford needs to step in and work with Metrolinx to correct this mistake," he said in a statement.
Charges come for man allegedly involved in PC-connected data theft
York Region Police have laid charges in connection with the theft of 407ETR customer data — an incident that sparked the <a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2018/05/16/brampton-east-pc-candidate-resigns-over-nomination-allegations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">resignation of a PC candidate</a> in the 2018 election campaign.
Varun (Bobby) Sanai is charged with mischief to data and unauthorized use of a computer. Police said their investigation revealed an "employee had used a company computer to access and compile a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of 60,000 customers in specific geographic regions."
During the campaign, Brampton East PC candidate Simmer Sandhu resigned amid allegations, which he denied, that he was connected to the data theft. According to a <a href="https://lfpress.com/news/politics/internal-theft-of-data-on-60000-customers-of-ontarios-private-407-freeway-could-be-linked-to-pc-party-recruitment/wcm/933fc9ec-5587-4fdf-886d-061816cc0144" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Postmedia report</a>, the data was accessed by a controversial PC political operative named Snover Dhillon who has twice been convicted of fraud and was accused of having a hand in a number of the nomination irregularities that plagued the party during the tenure of former leader Patrick Brown.
QP Briefing <a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2018/02/28/tories-considered-settlement-spurned-nomination-candidate-reimburse-money-spent-various-illegal-activities-leaked-emails/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported on leaked PC emails</a> that connected Dhillon to a settlement proposal concerning his alleged activities in a Hamilton-area nomination race that one senior Brown-era Tory described as "illegal." QPB has also <a href="https://www.qpbriefing.com/2018/04/27/eight-interesting-tidbits-from-the-integrity-commissioners-report-on-patrick-brown-every-ontario-politico-should-know-about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported on Dhillon's involvement in a controversial loan arrangement</a> between former PC candidate Jass Johal and Brown.
At his daily press conference, Ford was asked if he would hold an internal investigation into the matter, and he did not commit to that. He said he had nothing to do with the issue and noted the candidate in question had resigned.
In a quirk of fate, Brown was also present at the press conference but did not comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, the NDP called on Ford to answer "lingering questions about how that data may have been used."
"We asked during the 2018 election whether the PC Party or any of their candidates used even a single name from that stolen customer data to try to win votes,” said Taras Natyshak, the NDP’s ethics and accountability critic, in a statement. “Premier Ford and the PCs have never answered if their candidates improperly used any of that data. Ontarians deserve answers to these outstanding questions about whether that stolen data may have entered their campaign databases or voter outreach tools, or that of anyone seeking a PC Party nomination.”
NDP calls for investigation into youth deaths in care
The Official Opposition called for an investigation into youth in care and child welfare agencies after APTN revealed that there have been 11 deaths connected to the sector since the start of the pandemic.
Ontario's ombudsman should conduct an in-person "emergency investigation into each of these deaths, and the child welfare system during the state of emergency," said Monique Taylor, the NDP's critic for children and youth services, and Sol Mamakwa, the critic for Indigenous relations and reconciliation, in a statement.
Indigenous children make up a disproportionate number of children in care. Their treatment is "inexcusable," Taylor and Mamakwa said. “We mourn the life of each child who died in this province when they most needed our help. No child should die in Ontario for lack of care and support. These children should have been protected, and cared for."
The tragedies can be linked to systemic racism and colonialism — the type that set out to "kill the Indian in the child," the two said, referring to the former Canadian government policy aimed at erasing Indigenous identities.
The Ford government has "made life more dangerous for children dependent on government oversight" by removing the provincial child advocate, who should be reinstated, they said.
"Not one more child should die due to provincial neglect."

In Brief: Calls to reverse a reversal, NDP asks for investigation into kids in care, and $12B for schools

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