May 18 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Former prime minister Stephen Harper is injecting himself into the Ontario election campaign, the Star has learned. Harper will speak on May 28 at a private $1,222-a-head Toronto fundraiser, hosted by former premier Mike Harris for his son Mike Harris, Jr., who is running for the Progressive Conservatives in Kitchener-Conestoga.
May 17 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Doug Ford breached Ontario’s strict new campaign rules by attending a Progressive Conservative fundraiser last month, the Star has learned. As a result, Tory organizer Srini Suppiramaniam was fired Wednesday shortly after the Star inquired about the event.
May 14 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — The NDP platform has at least a $3 billion hole in it due to a “major mistake” in crunching the numbers, the Liberals charge. Finance Minister Charles Sousa said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath made “a significant, sizable, and undeniable mistake” in crafting her party’s 97-page campaign manifesto. “As a result they have refunded billions of […]
May 4 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Like moths to a flame, the best and the brightest in Canadian politics have descended upon Ontario for the upcoming provincial campaign. Strategists familiar to viewers of political panel shows are helping all three major party leaders in their bids to win the June 7 election. Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne has again turned to David […]
May 1 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Doug Ford’s plan to allow housing construction on the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area’s Greenbelt of protected land is “wrong on so many levels,” charges Premier Kathleen Wynne. The Progressive Conservative leader’s proposal would promote urban sprawl and damage the environment, the Liberal leader told reporters Tuesday. “When that land is gone, it’s gone forever. […]
Apr 25 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Ontario’s fiscal watchdog is again questioning the government’s accounting, warning the province’s deficit projections are far greater than outlined in last month’s budget. Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk, who has an ongoing accounting dispute with Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals, said Wednesday that this year’s shortfall is $11.7 billion, not $6.7 billion, as Finance Minister Charles Sousa […]
Apr 25 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Emotions were high as about 1,000 Liberals rallied in Vaughan with former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Grits gathered Tuesday night for Economic Development Minister Steven Del Duca’s nomination meeting in the new riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge, where Chrétien struck a reflective tone
Apr 21 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Doug Ford has taken the unprecedented step of appointing 11 Progressive Conservative candidates to run in the June 7 election — including the son of former premier Mike Harris. The Tory leader, who took the reins March 10 in the wake of former leader Patrick Brown’s departure, placed his own stamp on the party Saturday […]
Apr 17 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Lock her up! That’s Doug Ford’s Trump-ian threat about Kathleen Wynne after he accused the Liberal premier of campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime. The rookie Progressive Conservative leader on Tuesday said if he is elected June 7 he will commission an “outside audit of Kathleen Wynne’s reckless spending on his first day of office.” “If […]
Apr 13 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Ontario’s governing Liberals are launching a $1-million attack-ad blitz on Doug Ford, using the rookie Progressive Conservative leader’s own words against him. Starting Monday, the party will begin airing pre-election ads that target Ford for his policies and past pronouncements on autistic children, abortion and race. “There’s the Doug Ford you think you know,” intones […]
Apr 13 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — It’s a debate and switch. In a break from political tradition in Ontario, Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling for the Green party to be allowed to participate in the televised leaders’ debates in the upcoming campaign. One day after challenging rookie Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford to three broadcast debates before the June 7 election, […]
Apr 9 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Doug Ford has said he would have voted for Donald Trump if he could, but he insists he doesn’t “give two hoots” about the polarizing U.S. president. The rookie Progressive Conservative leader told Toronto Life in November 2016 that he would have cast a ballot for the mercurial New York businessman — “not a doubt […]
Mar 28 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Ontario’s Liberal government is borrowing billions to bankroll new pre-election budget spending aimed at seniors and young families. Finance Minister Charles Sousa — who finally balanced the books last year when he promised surpluses for the foreseeable future — said Wednesday that Queen’s Park will run a $6.7 billion deficit in 2018-19.
Mar 26 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — An online guerrilla campaign attacking Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is causing a buzz at Queen’s Park. While the June 7 election campaign does not officially kick off for another six weeks, the new grassroots group, Not Doug, has launched a slick website aimed at the rookie Tory leader. “There are many reasons why Doug […]
Mar 21 2018 — Robert Benzie — Toronto Star — Ontario’s Liberal government is promising $2.1 billion in additional mental health funding over the next four years. Premier Kathleen Wynne made the pre-budget announcement Wednesday at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. The new money is over and above the $3.8 billion spent annually on mental health services.