ABOVE THE FOLD
News Fridays are back. The Ford government cracked open the Public Accounts, dropping the real numbers from last year’s books — and tossing in a hiring freeze at provincial agencies for good measure (consider it red meat for the “Ford’s-not-fiscally-Conservative-enough” crowd convening IRL tomorrow). Over in Liberal land, the Grits fired the starting gun on the race to replace BONNIE CROMBIE. Let’s get to it.
FREEZE, PLEASE — Treasury Board Prez CAROLINE MULRONEY hit the brakes on hiring at Ontario’s agencies — think: Metrolinx, the LCBO, Infrastructure Ontario; the list goes on.
Not so soft on the spreadsheets: Mulroney pitched the play as “disciplined and responsible” — but, real talk: it’s also fodder for the fiscal hawks gathering tomorrow who think DOUG FORD isn’t Conservative enough (more on that momentarily).
The gist: Agencies that want to expand can still recruit new hires, but the powers-that-be will have to sign-off first. Consultants will also be capped at Mar…