Premier Doug Ford didn't take part in the last question period of the week, as he was presumably preparing for Gov. Gen. Mary Simon's afternoon visit to Queen's Park.
<h3>In-house house talk</h3>
Without him, Thursday's quarrel of quotes was kicked off on the topic of housing.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath's referenced how renters are dealing with prices "jacked up by 20 per cent or 30 per cent" and, directing her question at the absent Ford, asked: "Why has this premier thrown up his hands and literally given up on the housing crisis facing Ontarians?"
Housing Minister Steve Clark responded by talking up the More Homes, More Choice Act, which the government passed in 2019, and the More Homes for Everyone Act, which it introduced earlier this week.
In her second question, Horwath said the price of buying a home in the Greater Toronto Area is now $1.8 million — a statistic that appears to be lifted from the Building Industry and Land Development Association, which recently said in a report that new, single-family homes now cost that much in the GTA, <a href="https://bildgta.ca/news/newsreleases/GTA-new-home-sales-continue-strong-in-February">which is 35.3 per cent</a> greater than they did a year ago.
She then accused the government of not helping prospective home-buyers, including many who have had "their dreams (of buying a home) dashed."
Clark responded by saying "there's no one silver bullet" to solving the housing supply crisis, and said the province needs municipalities to buy in to addressing the problem long-term.
Later in question period, Green Leader Mike Schreiner also criticized the government's new housing bill as being underwhelming and offered a sarcastic solution.
"After almost four years in office, the government's primary response to the housing affordability crisis is to consult," Schreiner said.
"I would suggest that the premier consult the Ontario Greens' housing affordability strategy."
He then asked if the government would commit to funding building 160,000 "deeply affordable" homes — but to no avail.
Clark wouldn't make that commitment, instead asking Schreiner to add his name to the PC government's request of the federal government that Ottawa give Ontario another almost $500 million to use to build more affordable housing.
<h3>Return of the $1-million man</h3>
NDP MPP Taras Natyshak, the critic for ethics and accountability, brought up a familiar name in question period on Thursday: Ian Todd.
Todd — Ford's "$1-million man," as Natyshak dubbed him — had been the premier's top man in Washington, D.C. for three years. Before then, Todd was the PCs' tour director in the last election — which was partly why his $350,000/year salary as Ontario's U.S. trade representative <a href="https://www.ipolitics.ca/news/fords-man-in-washington-could-be-paid-more-than-canadas-ambassador" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised eyebrows</a> when he was appointed.
Now, as Natyshak revealed Thursday, Todd's back as the PCs' tour director.
"(Todd) collected his million bucks and the “$1-million man” title in Washington rubbing elbows with far-right Republicans and scheduling “office work” day after day with, actually, no meetings to be found," Natyshak said. "But he is back here — he’s back in Ontario."
He continued on to ask the government, why Ford gave Todd "a job in Washington when the intent all along was to just help him find something to do between campaigns."
Government House Leader Paul Calandra clapped back at Natyshak, saying it shouldn't shock anybody that New Democrats "would not want Ontario's interests being represented" in Washington and talked up the two jurisdictions' trade ties, all without mentioning Todd by name.
Natyshak rephrased his question in a second attempt but Calandra didn't bite that time either.
<h3>Tinker Bell</h3>
In the spirit of nickname-giving, Liberal MPP John Fraser debuted a new one of his own for Ford: Tinker Bell.
Given that Thursday was the deadline for the PC government to deliver a budget — before delaying it by giving itself a one-time exemption to the law it made a few years ago — Fraser criticized Ford for "flitting around the province like Tinker Bell, spreading billions like it was pixie dust — pixie dust — like it was going to make the pandemic go away."
"We don't need magic," Fraser said, before asking, "how is it in the premier's plan to reopen (that) there is no plan to get Ontarians' vaccination rates up?"
The government side of the house didn't take kindly to Fraser's name-calling, with one PC MPP shouting, "Come on!"
Giving the official response for the government was Health Minister Christine Elliott, who pointed to the fact that more than 90 per cent of Ontarians have been fully vaccinated, and said the government was awaiting the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's advice about giving fourth doses, as well as "actively moving on this and … continuing with our plan across the province."

Your question period briefing: Return of the ‘$1-million man’

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