Fine print for planning changes

And Crombie's big reveal

ABOVE THE FOLD

Premier DOUG FORD is back at the podium this morning, but Liberal Leader BONNIE CROMBIE is doing her best to steal his thunder. Meanwhile, the PCs have dropped the fine print for recent changes to the Planning Act and Long-Term Care. Let’s start there.

First in Observer — REGULATORY ROUNDUP — After reversing hot-potato changes to Official Plans that many municipalities didn’t ask for, the Ford government is laying out the regulations for amendments to the Planning Act that would exempt certain cities and towns from the need to get Ministerial approval of said Plans.

Specifically, some lower-tier municipalities are moving up a rung. The PCs are allowing these cities and towns to make most Official Plan amendments without Ministerial approval as of January 1 — In Durham Region: Oshawa, Pickering, Whitby, Ajax, Clarington, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Brock…In Waterloo: Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.

These Niagara-region municipaliti…