Dear Neighbours,
After several busy weeks at Queen’s Park, the legislature was adjourned on Thursday, and the government announced it will not resume until March 3, 2025, raising speculation that the government may call an election as early as February.
I am deeply concerned about the current provincial government’s continued attacks on our democratic rights. In Ontario, the government changed the rules of Toronto’s 2018 municipal election and eventually the Supreme Court ruled that Ontarians do not have the right to democratic municipal elections. The Strong Mayors bill stripped us of the right to majority vote democracy in municipal councils. Our fundamental freedoms and legal rights under the Charter have been stripped away using the “notwithstanding” clause in three separate pieces of legislation. The right to an impartial judiciary is being stripped away as Premier Ford has said that he wants to appoint his own judges.
On the final day in the legislature, the government tabled legislation that would allow police to “arrest people without evidence”. Six years of the current government’s policies have created a crisis where we have 234,000 people homeless, 1400 encampments, and 3600 people per year dying of addictions in Ontario. We need to bring an end to tent encampments, but stripping Ontarians of our Charter right not to be arrested without evidence will not help. Neither will imposing $10,000 fines on people that can’t even afford rent. The solution to homelessness is embedded in my legislative motion to build 250,000 units of co-op, social and supportive housing so everyone has a home they can afford. Watch the video here. See more on this below.
Municipally, the City of Toronto announced that it is working to open six new shelter sites and enhance existing ones as part of its 10-year strategy to build shelters citywide, providing necessary supports, and creating more pathways out of homelessness for people in Toronto.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra Youth Wind Quintet and A visit from “Santa”
Bishop Macdonell School Choir
Thank you to the hundreds of people who attended this year’s Holipalooza! It was a fun-filled afternoon with amazing musical performances from the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, Bishop Macdonell School Choir, musician Evan Denley, and Newchoir! Special thanks to all the incredible volunteers and to the staff and Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre for helping to make the event such a huge success.
Toronto skating rinks are now open! Join me on the January 17th PA day for my annual Skate with Chris at The Bentway skate trail. See more below. Don’t forget to check out my updated list of Fun Things to Do!
Wishing everyone all the very best for the holidays!
Latest News
Skate with Chris Jan 17
Looking for something to do with the kids for the January 17th PA day? Come join me for our annual Skate with Chris from 12-2 pm at The Bentway Skate Trail (250 Fort York Blvd).
Visit our table for free hot chocolate vouchers, hot apple cider, and treats! Be sure to bring your helmet and skates! Rentals will also be available on site. Register here!
Auditor General Report Outlines Financial Mismanagement and Negligence on Multiple Files
The Office of the Auditor General of Ontario released its annual report this month. Instead of investing in housing, schools and hospitals, this report shows more evidence of preferential treatment, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, and tipping the scales to favour insiders.
Report Highlights:
Ontario Place
From start to finish, the Ontario Place deal was mismanaged and driven by an opaque process with preferential treatment for vendors.
- Certain bidders were invited to meet with government officials despite the contact being prohibited during the process. Some had direct access to Infrastructure Ontario’s VP, who was in charge of the financial assessments.
- The total cost to the province for the redevelopment increased by $1.8 billion since the call for development process.
- Winning bidder Therme has an equity value of less than one million euro, falling below the financial test required for the project. Financial troubles were flagged by IO staff but ignored.
- Cost of closing and relocating the Ontario Science Centre has increased by $400 million since the government presented its business case last year.
Watch my questions to the government on the Auditor General’s report on Ontario Place.
Watch my questions to the government regarding the Therme deal.
Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis has consistently escalated since 2023, with 7 Ontarians dying a day due to opioid use in 2023.
- The government failed to implement and follow its own opioid strategy.
- The decision to change supervised consumption services was made without proper planning, impact analysis, or public consultation.
- The report comes a day after the government fast-tracked a bill through the legislature that will close consumption sites.
Minister’s Zoning Orders
- Preferential treatment was given to favoured developers when selecting who would or would not receive MZOs, echoing the AG’s findings in the Greenbelt report.
- There is no protocol and no rationale for the way the government distribute MZOs – even after the Greenbelt scandal.
Government Advertising
- Ad spending was the highest ever recorded, totaling $103.5 million this year, tripled from last fiscal year.
- 62% was in campaigns that would have been considered “too partisan” to qualify for public spending under the previous ad rules (changed just before the 2018 election).
Infrastructure Ontario
- The report found an increased use of a private-public partnership model has not resulted in better outcomes – instead, projects are consistently over budget and over time.
Environmental Regulations
- The government routinely ignored their duty to consult the public and adhere to the environmental bill of rights.
Toronto District School Board
- The report found that a safe environment is not always being provided to students and teachers, and that TDSB school buildings are on average in the worst condition in Ontario with an estimated renewal needs backlog of $4.1 Billion.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
- The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development does not track outcomes or benefits of the OINP.
- As of the end of 2023, occupations with the largest vacancies have received little attention through the program.
- The Ministry did not properly monitor a third-party contract to boost the entrepreneurial stream of the program worth $4 million.
Digitalization of Government Services by ServiceOntario
- With auto theft top of mind for Ontarians, and Service Ontario staff caught committing Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) fraud, the Auditor found the government had underplayed the extent to which staff were accessing the VIN registry without a valid transaction.
FAO Report Shows Systemic Underfunding in Key Sectors
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario released its Expenditure Monitor on spending by the Province. The latest report shows the current government’s systemic underfunding of education across the board. This is a strategy that is designed to fail our colleges and universities and to let our schools languish.
The FAO report shows:
- Hundreds of millions increase in spending due to the unconstitutional Bill 124 retro payments to workers
- $87 million increase in spending to get beer in convenience stores ahead of schedule
- Ontario is spending $123 million less than planned on education and $229 million less on colleges and universities
Province Tables Legislation to Clear Encampments
The government has tabled legislation that will give municipalities and police the power to arrest people without evidence. I don’t think this legislation, along with closing down safe consumption sites, will do anything to solve the crisis we are seeing on our streets. The solution to the homelessness crisis is housing with wraparound supports.
There are a number of problems with the legislation being proposed:
Municipal Responsibility
Once again, the government is placing all of the responsibility on municipalities. Municipalities will have to track how many homeless people are moved from encampments into new accommodations and report to the province to justify how the funds are being spent.
Unrealistic Fines & Penalties
The legislation will allow police and provincial offences officers to ticket or arrest people using illegal drugs in public, with penalties of up to $10,000 or six months in jail. If people living in encampments had $10,000, they certainly would not be living in a park. It is cheaper to find someone a permanent home for someone than it is to send them to jail. Clogging up our already backlogged judicial courts will put more stress on yet another system that is in crisis because of government inaction.
Human Rights Violations
Legal experts have been raising concerns about human rights violations as the government plans to use more power and harsher penalties to deal with growing encampments. In response to two Ontario court rulings that removing homeless people from encampments is unconstitutional if there aren’t enough available shelter beds, Premier Ford has stated that the government is ready to use the Constitution’s “notwithstanding clause” to override any legal hurdles that would prevent the removal of tents from parks.
Threat to Democracy
This is not the first time the government has used the notwithstanding clause. Canadians assume that our rights to freedom of speech, the press, religion, association, and to democratic elections are guaranteed. But we are losing our democracy. Over the last six years, the provincial government has passed legislation that violates every fundamental principle of democratic government.
Watch my Member’s Statement on this here.
Fighting for Rent Control for All Tenants
On December 11, my colleagues MPPs Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale-High Park), Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale), Jill Andrew (Toronto-St. Paul’s) and I held a press conference to bring attention to Bill 48 that we tabled in the legislature. The bill, if passed, would end predatory rent gouging, and reinstate rent control on all units. By exempting units built after 2018 from Ontario’s rent control guidelines, the current government has left many tenants vulnerable to unfair and unpredictable rent increases.
In Spadina-Fort York, 58% of households are renters, and 44% of those renters are in core housing need. The waitlist for social housing in Toronto is 89,838 households long. Ontarians deserve safe, affordable, and reliable housing. In the midst of an affordability crisis, skyrocketing rents are making it harder and harder for people to keep a roof over their heads. No one can build a life without knowing how much their single largest expense will be.
As expected, the government voted against the bill.
Coyotes in Liberty Village
I am concerned about the increase of coyote sightings and attacks in the riding, particularly in the Liberty Village area. The cause may be directly related to the government exempting both the Ontario Line and Ontario Place construction from environmental assessments. Environmental assessments are designed to protect wildlife and people.
We know the West Island was a wildlife habitat with 190 bird species, foxes, mink, beaver, and coyotes. It was destroyed in the middle of the night with no plan to relocate or manage these creatures. There are reports that dens along railway tracks may have been destroyed with the Ontario Line construction. With their habitats destroyed, coyotes have moved into the city.
The City of Toronto has posted information about coyotes on their website here.
Watch my Member’s Statement on this here.
Ontario Pre-Budget Consultations
You are able to participate in the Ontario Government’s Pre-Budget Consultation meetings. There are multiple ways to participate, including attending a meeting in-person or by Zoom and/or submitting written material. Email my office at [email protected] if you would like more information.
Toronto Hearing Date: January 29, 2025
Deadline to apply: January 17, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Deadline to submit written material only: February 5, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Participate in committees | Legislative Assembly of Ontario
GST/HST Break: What You Need to Know
The federal government has announced a GST/HST break that will run from December 14 to February 15, 2025. Following the federal government’s approval of the tax break, the Ontario government agreed to match it. This is a temporary measure that will exempt the Goods and Services Tax (GST) or Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) from some items. In Ontario, the GST is 5%, and the PST is 8%, with a total rate of 13% on most items.
Shoppers will automatically receive the tax break on the qualifying items and no GST/HST will be charged making a purchase. Full details available here.
If you own a small business and are concerned about how this tax break will impact you, please reach out to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business or email my office. Businesses with technical questions can also call 1-800-959-8287.
Items on the Tax Break:
Prepared Foods and Snacks
- Vegetable trays
- Pre-made meals
- Salads
- Sandwiches
- Chips, candy, granola bars, etc.
Dining
- Restaurant meals (dine-in, takeout, or delivery)
Beverages
- Beer, wine, cider, and sake
- Pre-mixed “ready-to-drink” alcoholic beverages 7% or less ABV (alcohol by volume)
Children’s Products
- Children’s clothing
- Footwear
- Car seats
- Diapers
- Other important family items
Toys and Entertainment
- Children’s toys (board games, dolls, video game consoles, etc.)
- Books (but not e-books or audio books)
- Print newspapers
- Puzzles for all ages
Seasonal Items
- Christmas trees and other holiday items
On December 9, Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh tried to get the GST removed permanently from basic essential items like home heating, grocery meals, internet and mobile phone bills, diapers and kids’ clothes. But that motion failed in the House of Commons.
TTC Extends Deadline to Use Tickets/Tokens
The TTC Board voted to extend the deadline for customers to use any remaining TTC tickets, tokens or day passes they may have to June 1, 2025. The deadline was extended to give customers more time to use up their remaining tickets, tokens and day passes, as refunds, exchanges or credits will not be provided. Details here.
MPP Scrolls for Special Occasions
Turning 30, 40, 80, 90 or 100? Celebrate a significant birthday with a certificate from my office.
Is there a new addition to your family? Send the name of your baby, the parents’ names and other relevant information and we’ll send a “Welcome to the World” certificate to celebrate this special event.
Chris in the House
Below are some of my recent statements at Queen’s Park:
Ontario Place
- Will Ontario taxpayers be on the hook if Therme goes bankrupt? Watch here.
- MPP Bhutila Karpoche and I ask the government to work with Ontarians on the redevelopment of Ontario Place. Watch here.
- Calling for more transparency on the redevelopment. Watch here.
- Questioning the Therme timeline. Watch here.
Education Cuts
- Decades of budget cuts to our schools. Watch here.
- Petition from our local schools regarding staff cuts. Watch here.
Environment and Bill 69
- Climate Critic MPP Peter Tabuns and I debating Bill 69, Reducing Inefficiencies Act and how development is taking priority over the environment. Watch here.
- Impacts on Ontario Place and the environment. Watch here.
Health Care Privatization
- The government’s funding of private, for-profit clinics will only worsen the health care crisis. Watch here.
Arts Funding
- Culture Critic MPP Jill Andrew and I address the cuts to arts funding in Ontario. Watch here.
International Women’s Day
- Actions the government can take for pay equity, including repealing Bill 124. Watch here.
Bill 39: Red Tape Reduction and Democracy
- Is it not possible to build housing while still respecting the outcomes of our recent municipal elections? Watch my question here.
Debate on Bill 26: Misogyny in Post-Secondary Institutions
- Statistics show that 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual assault on campuses. It’s a difficult discussion we need to have to raise awareness so we can change the culture. Watch my statement here.
The Impact of Interest Hikes on Student Loans
- Ontario students have the highest debt rate and the lowest per-student funding in the country. We need to eliminate interest on student debt. Watch my question here.
Double ODSP Rates & Improve the Homelessness Crisis
- CTV recently reported that at least two Ontarians with disabilities are choosing to die through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) because they could not pay for housing that would reduce their suffering from their disability. Current monthly ODSP payments are 47.5 per cent short of the municipal poverty line in Toronto and 30 per cent below the province's poverty line. It is not possible to survive on these amounts in Ontario and many on ODSP are ending up homeless. I asked the Ford government to double ODSP rates. Watch my statement here.
Affordable Housing
- Rents in Toronto rose 14.5% in 2021. Those in non-rent-controlled buildings are facing rent increases of $500/month. To say that housing under the Ford government is unaffordable is a huge understatement. Watch my statement here.
Environment
- In January, my daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! Becoming a grandparent has further put into perspective how urgently we need to act on the climate crisis so future generations can have a sustainable world to live in. Watch my statement here.
Ukraine
- We need to do everything we can to support the people of Ukraine in these incredibly difficult times. Watch my statement here.