The long and winding road to review lobbyists
Ford's feeling chatty
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ABOVE THE FOLD
All eyes may be glued to news reports stateside this morning as DONALD TRUMP is on the verge of clinching a presidential victory — but closer to home, the Ford government is teasing its own eye-popping report.
Remember that years-delayed review of the law governing lobbyists, and when the PCs promised a closer look last year after the Greenbelt drama exploded? Attorney General DOUG DOWNEY assures the Legislature that he’s “making progress.”
“I met with the Integrity Commissioner [J. DAVID WAKE] over the this summer. We’ve received some of his ideas, we’re waiting on some more, and I hope to close the loop on some of that before he retires [in January],” Downey said Tuesday after Oppo NDP Leader MARIT STILES grilled him about allegations of unregistered lobbying that were unearthed in Wake’s Greenbelt report.
“Here we are, no review, no accountability and former staffers like RYAN AMATO are flat out refusing to comply with FOI requests. My question again to the Premier: Is flouting integrity rules just business as usual for this government?” Stiles wanted to know.
Details and timelines are scant, but Downey promised it’ll be an opportunity to “move forward” (notwithstanding the RCMP’s ongoing investigation into the now-defunct land grab). “When the review is brought forward, it will last well beyond any of us in this place. It will be a solid piece of reform that will endure and set a standard that is even tighter than what we have.”
That’s probably music to Wake’s ears. The outgoing ethics watchdog has repeatedly called on the Ford government to get going on its review of the Lobbyists Registration Act, which is supposed to happen every five years.
Go deeper: Here’s what Wake wants to see in the new law — including lowering the threshold for registering to eight hours of lobbying activity (instead of 50), tightening the rules around unpaid volunteers who lobby, and beefing up penalties for folks who fail to register. Another recommendation from Wake that DOUG FORD might bristle at: Raising MPPs’ salaries — a politically unpalatable move that the Premier recently ruled out again.
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HAPPENING TODAY
9 a.m.: NDP MONIQUE TAYLOR is in the Media Studio alongside the family of a missing child to renew her call to create an amber alert for vulnerable folks like those with autism. Also on hand: BRUCE McINTOSH, president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, KATE DUDLEY-LOUNGE, the OAC’s VP, and JENNY TOZER, mother of 16-year-old LOGAN, who was found hiding in an abandoned building after 16 days.
9:30 a.m.: NDPers LISE VAUGEOIS and GUY BOURGOUIN follow, to “demand answers on the safety and rights of wildland firefighters.” Also in tow: NOAH FREEDMAN and MARK BELANGER, members of OPSEU and Ontario’s Wildland Firefighters.
2:30 p.m.: Transportation Minister PRABMEET SARKARIA is headed to Hamilton for an announcement alongside his former political foe, ex-NDP leader, now-Mayor ANDREA HORWATH.
ON THE ORDER PAPER
First up: It’s another round of second-reading debate on the PCs Bill 218, the Honouring Veterans Act. That’s expected to continue in the afternoon.
After the morning’s Question Period, a deferred vote: On House Leader STEVE CLARK’s time-allocation motion speeding up the process for Bill 212, Transportation Minister PRABMEET SARKARIA’s legislation dealing with bike lanes and highway construction…Bill 214, Energy Minister STEPHEN LECCE’s electricity-grid-connecting bill…and Bill 216, Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY’s mini-budget implementation legislation.
Later on: PC CHRISTINE HOGARTH will move a motion calling on the government to “provide greater resources and options for families that wish to have children and are struggling to conceive.” It’s topical: The PCs just announced a 25 per cent tax credit to help cover the cost of fertility treatments.
TUESDAY’S RUNDOWN:
Passed: PC AMARJOT SANDHU’s (non-binding) motion calling on the Transportation Minister to beef up driver’s licence training for commercial vehicles. Full text.
ON THE COMMITTEE CIRCUIT
1 p.m.: Procedure and House Affairs is turning an eye to the Legislature’s broadcast and recording services and will hear from director MICHAEL DONOFRIO, the man behind the switchboard.
COCKTAIL CHATTER
The Scleroderma Society of Ontario and Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations are each putting on breakfast receptions. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority has lunch covered. And closing out the reception circuit in the Dining Room is the CAA Club Group.
CLIPPINGS
— MR. FORD GOES TO OTTAWA: The Premier was in the capital for a very timely talk at the Economic Club of Canada that focused heavily on U.S. relations. Ford also did a one-on-one with Mayor MARK SUTCLIFFE.
Shot: DOUG FORD’s story about the time he rang up federal Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND to complain about U.S. steel tariffs: “I said, ‘Tariff everything. I don’t care if it’s popcorn.’”
Chaser: Ford’s reference to “doobies.”