Mar 12 2023 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — It was expected to be a smooth cruise to victory in a riding staunchly New Democrat for almost two decades under former party leader Andrea Horwath, who quit last year to become mayor of Steeltown. But accusations of antisemitism against NDP candidate Sarah Jama — which she denies — are buffeting the campaign in Thursday’s […]
Dec 21 2022 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Ontario is moving more seniors and people on social assistance from original brand-name drugs for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease to cheaper “biosimilar” drugs despite concerns the switch could throw some patients off track. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the change for Ontario Drug Benefit plan recipients Tuesday, saying biosimilars are “safe and effective” alternatives […]
Jun 21 2022 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Former NDP leader Andrea Horwath has sent her strongest signal yet she will run for mayor of Hamilton in the fall. The longtime MPP for Hamilton Centre dropped hints Monday after Mayor Fred Eisenberger announced he would not seek re-election Oct. 24. “I’m humbled that Fred considers me a strong candidate for mayor of our […]
Jun 8 2022 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Many New Democrats have come to the sobering conclusion that they abandoned “the working class to get the chattering class” and were outflanked by Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. While the NDP held a slew of urban ridings like Toronto-St. Paul’s that many expected the Liberals to win back in last Thursday’s election, it lost […]
May 19 2021 — Rob Ferguson — Cambridge Times — Ontario is poised to proceed with second doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the use of which was put on hold last week over concerns about an increase in rare blood clots after first shots, the Star has learned. An announcement is coming “within days,” a senior government source said as thousands of doses are […]
Aug 24 2020 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Premier Doug Ford is urging Conservatives to “rally around” new federal Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole but says he won’t campaign for him in the next federal election. “I’m so swamped right here,” Ford told a news conference Monday at Queen’s Park, where he has been working long hours tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and controversy around […]
Mar 30 2020 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — There’s strict new advice to stay home and self-isolate for Ontarians with compromised immune systems, underlying health conditions and anyone over the age of 70 to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19. Chief medical officer Dr. David Williams said Monday he is “strongly recommending” people in those circumstances do not go out except for essential […]
Mar 30 2020 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — The number of Ontarians with confirmed cases of COVID-19 has soared by 351 cases or almost 26 per cent over night as the testing backlog continues to come down. New figures from the Ministry of Health released Monday morning show the provincial tally of cases has now reached 1,706 since the first case was reported […]
Dec 3 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Premier Doug Ford brushed aside controversial climate-change comments from his appointee heading the board of Ontario’s electricity agency as opposition parties said the evasion shows the government doesn’t take the problem of global warming seriously. The New Democrats zeroed in Tuesday on Joe Oliver, a Conservative and former federal finance minister who is now chair […]
Dec 3 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — The agency that operates Ontario’s electricity system is distancing itself from controversial climate-change comments made by its chair, Joe Oliver, a former federal finance minister appointed to the board last spring by Premier Doug Ford’s government. Concerns about how seriously the environmental challenge is viewed by the province grew Monday as opposition parties — who […]
Nov 9 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli is keeping mum on an attempt to block his $8-million defamation lawsuit against former PC leader Patrick Brown over a tell-all memoir published a year ago. “I won’t be commenting because it’s a very active lawsuit,” Fedeli said Friday of the legal action, which claims Brown’s book mounted a “vicious […]
Jul 25 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — The Ontario government is defending a grant for this year’s Jesus in the City parade to an evangelical Christian group associated with a friend of Premier Doug Ford — the controversial Rev. Charles McVety, a vocal opponent of the updated sex education curriculum and same-sex marriage.
Jul 16 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — The cronyism scandal that has rocked Premier Doug Ford’s government and fuelled its tumble in a new public opinion poll has now claimed seven people, including his former chief of staff, Dean French, who was behind several of the controversial appointments. While Ford has pledged that the Treasury Board under cabinet minister Peter Bethlenfalvy will […]
Jul 5 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — The Ontario government is keeping mum on how much severance Peter Fenwick will get after being fired as the province’s first “strategic transformation adviser” the same day the Star uncovered his two-decade business relationship with Premier Doug Ford’s former chief of staff. Fenwick, who started the job last November, was paid more than the premier, […]
May 7 2019 — Rob Ferguson — Toronto Star — Ontario’s integrity commissioner is citing “insufficient grounds” to investigate an NDP allegation that Premier Doug Ford violated ethics legislation by approving the firing of OPP deputy commissioner Brad Blair. New Democrat MPP Kevin Yarde charged in March that Ford breached the Members’ Integrity Act by using his office to influence the decision to terminate Blair, […]