Earlier today, Ontario's Auditor General released a special report on Doug Ford's changes to the Greenbelt and to say it was scathing would be an understatement. Surprising? Not so much.
Through its 95 pages, the report made clear what your Ontario NDP has known for some time. The Ford government's agenda, particularly Bill 23, is not about solving the housing crisis. It's about making their friends rich(er) through policy changes that "favour certain developers" by freeing up protected conservation land; land conveniently bought last year by a small handful of Ford's friends at thirty-times less the price than it is worth today. That's right. Their $240 million purchase price has skyrocketed to $8.3 billion (with a B) through one single piece of legislation.
This is corruption, plain and simple. This is a government acting without fear of consequence and only with pure, unadulterated egos that are paving our province down a path to oligarchy.
Your Ontario NDP is working hard to ensure consequences come anyway. We are calling on the removal of MPP Steve Clark from his role of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for the breach of his ministerial responsibility, as well as resumption of the Legislature to immediately repeal Bill 23. Read our full statement here.
The long weekend saw the return of Toronto Carnival (also known as Caribana) as one of MY favorite festivals in the city! Sadly, I wasn't able to get down to the grounds this year but hope you did to celebrate Toronto's rich Caribbean culture with great music, better food and of course, the BEST fashion the city sees all year in the Grande Parade.
What was your Carnival highlight? Let me know at [email protected] (pictures are encouraged as I brace for FOMO)!
At the centre of today's report is that our province is, and has been in a deep housing affordability crisis; one getting deeper by the day with a Premier prioritizing profit above people.
It is shameful, and it is harming our community. I look forward to standing back in the House to hold Ford and his government to account to finally make life more affordable for all of our St. Paul's community.
How can I stand up for YOU and your family? What do you need to see from this government? How can the $7.2 billion (with a B) Ford is sitting on work to help you? Let me know by emailing [email protected].
The long weekend saw the return of Toronto Carnival (also known as Caribana) as one of MY favorite festivals in the city! Sadly, I wasn't able to get down to the grounds this year but hope you did to celebrate Toronto's rich Caribbean culture with great music, better food and of course, the BEST fashion the city sees all year in the Grande Parade.
What was your Carnival highlight? Let me know at [email protected] (pictures are encouraged as I brace for FOMO)!
The Vaughan-Oakwood (VO) Youth Network, a youth and volunteer-led network working to strengthen the Vaughan-Oakwood community, is hosting their community basketball tournament this September 30, 2023. Registration is now open to compete in the tournament! You must be aged 15-21 to apply. Register at voyouthnetwork.ca. Application deadline is August 18, 2023.
If you have donations to spare, please consider bringing them down to Marian Engel Park on Saturday between 11AM - 1PM! If you need some extra groceries, come on down no questions asked (we have tote bags)!
Each year across Ontario, thousands of lives are lost to overdoses. We need every level of government to prioritize implementing harm reduction strategies to combat these senseless deaths, and you can help.
As many of you know, Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and these kits are FREE with training at participating pharmacies across the city. Together, we can prevent unnecessary deaths and work toward a more compassionate society that is safe safe for everyone.
Find a pharmacy with Naloxone kits near you, and make sure you can recognize the signs of an overdose.
