McVety vs. Teneycke
The controversial pastor is seeking judicial review of the Canada Christian College decision and taking aim at a top Ford adviser
ABOVE THE FOLD
A Liberal candidate is again in hot water, this time over a political donation and government appointment. It’s the first Question Period since June. The top doc is about to announce rapid testing for hot-spot schools. Parties are in campaign mode following the Throne Speech. But first — two Ford allies are going toe-to-toe over PC policy.
CHARLES MCVETY — controversial evangelical pastor and friend to Premier DOUG FORD — is seeking a judicial review over the decision to deny his Canada Christian College university status. (To wit: Ontario’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board had recommended the bid be denied and the government accepted that, despite passing legislation that would have empowered the College to grant arts and science degrees.) McVety will be up in the Media Studio this afternoon with the details.
He’s also taking aim at KORY TENEYCKE, the veteran Tory operative who’s running the PCs 2022 re-election campaign. Teneycke took a leave of absence from his lobbying firm Rubicon, but McVety alleges that his company was benefitting from PC policies like vaccine passports because it represented vaccine-makers like AstraZeneca and Janssen. “Is it right for Kory to be intimately involved with PC Party decision-making while his company profits and Ontarians suffer?” McVety said.
Teneycke dismissed the allegations. “I’ve never lobbied on behalf of a pharmaceutical company…It’s a ridiculous, spurious accusation, and it’s made by him because he’s upset because his college didn’t qualify for university status.”
Teneycke isn’t paid by the Premier’s Office but he does regularly attend caucus and cabinet meetings and gives updates on the campaign.
He also isn’t sweating any potential political fallout with McVety. The pastor is Ford’s political ally and helped bring in the social-conservative support that won him the PC leadership in 2018. “Charles fancies himself the pope of Christian conservatives, but he isn't. He represents a very small subset of that community,” Teneycke told me.
Details of McVety’s application — and what specific rules he alleges Teneycke breached — are expected at this afternoon’s presser. McVety claims that because Rubicon also lobbied for the Council of Ontario Universities, they wouldn’t have wanted the “competition” that comes with giving his College university status. But there’s no indication that that was actually the case behind the scenes.
LIBERAL CANDIDATE’S PAST APPOINTMENT RAISES EYEBROWS
ROOZBEH FARHADI — who was nominated as the Liberal candidate for Richmond Hill last week following a string of accusations that he was given the inside track to run — is again in hot water for past donations to the party and the timing of his government appointment.
Back in 2017, Farhadi — who is married to Leader STEVEN DEL DUCA’s chief of staff NAJVA AMIN — was appointed to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s board of directors by the then-Grit government. That same year, he donated the maximum amount to the Liberal party — $1,200 — which was more than usual.
Up until 2017, Farhadi hadn’t forked over more than about $500 in a year. After the big donation, his contributions went back down to $375 in 2019, then ticked up to $998 in 2020 and $2,447 to Del Duca’s leadership campaign.
Democracy Watch’s co-founder DUFF CONACHER said that doesn’t pass the smell test and the rules should be tightened up to “stop donations and fundraising and other favours from being used as an unethical means of influence over politicians, parties and the government.”
“Ontario’s political donation system is essentially a legalized bribery system that allows anyone to buy access and favours from the government through donations to the ruling party, even more so now that the Ford government doubled the annual donation limit,” Conacher said. “The only way to stop the unethical influence of donations is to do what Quebec did and lower the donation limit to the level the average donor is giving, which is between $50 and $100 annually.”
THRONE SPEECH POST-MORTEM
Monday’s Throne Speech felt like the starter pistol for the 2022 election and all parties are now in campaign mode. After the PCs ran down their pandemic-era accomplishments and teased improvements to health and long-term care, NDP Leader ANDREA HORWATH seemed to test out a new slogan, looking directly into cameras and saying DOUG FORD is “not here for you.”
— What was said: The Ford government is also pledging no tax hikes or spending cuts, but banking on a rosy economic outlook to help get Ontario’s books back in the red and bring down the big yet half-of-what-what-forecast deficit ($16.4 billion last year). There was also talk of infrastructure projects to “build Ontario” including new roads, highways and expanded public transit.
— What was left out: Education, child care and climate change came up short — all issues that factored majorly into the federal campaign, which was the province’s excuse for proroguing in the first place.
— Riding shout-outs: Brampton and Windsor—Essex got specific mentions, which may offer a hint at which ridings the PCs are hoping to flip from NDP orange to blue. Many Tories think they can take the Windsor—Essex region, represented by TARAS NATYSHAK and other NDPers, and the 905 had several close races, including in Brampton Centre.
— Park steals Throne Speech thunder: Questions are still swirling around LINDSEY PARK’s undisclosed medical exemption and the fact that RICK NICHOLLS was booted for refusing the shot while she remains in caucus. Government House leader PAUL CALANDRA defended the move after Park “misrepresented” her status — but NDP Leader ANDREA HORWATH was skeptical, calling it “statistically curious” that two PCs have medical exemptions, which are supposed to be rare. Liberal Leader STEVEN DEL DUCA said Premier DOUG FORD is being inconsistent and “half-hearted” in applying the rules and that it shows “weak” leadership.
— Nicholls out, Walker in as Deputy Speaker: Calandra also confirmed Nicholls is out as Deputy Speaker, and BILL WALKER is in. It’s a boost for the MPP for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, who was demoted from his role as associate energy minister in the last cabinet shuffle.
FORD’S MONDAY: After watching the Throne Speech, the Premier headed north to Timmins to meet with frontline health care workers and local business owners, alongside Ministers GREG RICKFORD, VIC FEDELI, ROSS ROMANO and MICHAEL TIBOLLO. Calandra revealed the itinerary Monday after fielding questions on why Ford couldn’t face reporters himself.
HAPPENING TODAY
— RAPID TESTS FOR (SOME) SCHOOLS: Dr. KIERAN MOORE is expected to announce rapid testing for schools in Covid hot spots at 8:45 a.m.
— Media Studio Lineup — 9:30 a.m.: Independent MPP ROMAN BABER will discuss his forthcoming Jobs and Jabs Act. 10 a.m.: Liberal MPP JOHN FRASER will discuss his Safe Zones bill — More on both proposals below. 10:20 a.m.: Ousted PC RICK NICHOLLS will make an announcement. 1:15 p.m.: CHARLES MCVETY will discuss his conflict-of-interest case.
— Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY was scheduled to attend an Ontario Chamber of Commerce event for business groups.
ON THE ORDER PAPER
— QUESTION PERIOD is back for the first time since June — but don’t expect Premier DOUG FORD to be there for the Opposition’s grilling around 10:30 a.m. — he’ll be trekking back from his jaunt up north, so it will be up to his front bench to answer questions on rapid testing for schools, the ongoing funding spat with eye doctors, and tougher vaccination policies for health and education workers.
— FIRST UP: PC House leader PAUL CALANDRA has a motion on the table that would allow the special pandemic-era Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight be reappointed with the same mandate and membership that it had before prorogation. Reminder: The PCs have extended their emergency-level powers until December at least.
— THE BABER BILL, AND A POLITICAL WEDGE: Anti-lockdown MPP ROMAN BABER will try to get unanimous consent for his Jobs and Jabs bill, and take another crack at a press conference this morning to pump up a union endorsement (Baber’s last newser was derailed by a last-minute legal dispute). The NDP has indicated it will block Baber’s attempt — something the local union president said was a head-scratcher, given the party’s friendly stance toward organized labour. Baber’s bill would ensure no one is terminated or suspended based on their vaccination status.
“We just believe in freedom of choice, we don’t want to see any harassment or bullying tactics whatsoever within the groups that are vaccinated or unvaccinated,” said TERRY GROVES, president of CUPE Local 1483, which represents custodian and maintenance workers at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. “At no time should anybody be suspended or terminated from their workplace.”
— SAFE ZONES: Liberal MPP JOHN FRASER will tease his upcoming private member’s bill to create safe zones around hospitals, schools and child care centres. The NDP have teased a similar proposal.
AROUND THE PRECINCT — The cost of admission to Queen’s Park isn’t only proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. Visitors who enter through the south basement doors will also have to go through airport-style security screening, placing their bags on a conveyer belt to be scanned and going through a metal detector. The new screening centre, which cost $5.3 million, was constructed after an uptick in violent incidents around the city. There’s also been a rise in protests at the precinct since DOUG FORD took office.
Meanwhile on Monday, NDP House Leader PEGGY SATTLER tried — unsuccessfully — to get unanimous consent on a motion requiring all MPPs entering the chamber or committee rooms to be fully vaccinated.
MAKING HEADLINES
— LINE 5: “The Canadian government has invoked a 1977 treaty with the United States to trigger formal government-to-government negotiations over the fate of Line 5, a vital petroleum pipeline for Canada that faces a threat of shutdown from the State of Michigan,” the Globe and Mail reports. Premier DOUG FORD lauded the move.
— VAX IN CLASS: About 80 per cent of school staff say they’re fully vaccinated, according to Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE. That matches up with the rate for the general eligible population, but Green Leader MIKE SCHREINER said it’s not good enough to protect younger children who can’t currently get a shot.
Context: Some school boards, including the country’s biggest in Toronto, have enacted tougher policies than the vax-or-test one laid out by the province, which include possible termination.
— PEOPLE’S PARTY OF ONTARIO? “A group affiliated with the federal People’s Party of Canada (PPC) may be working to form a provincial version in Ontario. Speculation about a party forming in time for the 2022 Ontario provincial election began with a now-deleted tweet.” More from CityNews.
— FUNDRAISING WATCH: After laying low on the fundraising email front during the federal campaign, the NDP is soliciting support again, celebrating 60 years as a party this month with the launch of a merch store. Would-be donors can get tote bags and T-shirts with slogans such as “Orange you glad you vote NDP”…“Contribute to the next 60 years of our movement by purchasing limited-edition anniversary merch…Here’s to 60 more years,” added party president MARY RITA HOLLAND.
SPOTTED:
New Deputy Speaker BILL WALKER, PCs BOB BAILEY and JIM MCDONELL having post-Throne Speech brunch in the basement cafeteria…A big nurses protest…and an anti-vax crasher:
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
MEET THE PRESS — The Narwhal is the newest accredited outlet in the Queen’s Park Press Gallery. The environmentally-bent publication has enlisted two familiar faces to cover Ontario: FATIMA SYED and EMMA MCINTOSH, who previously covered #onpoli for other outlets.
— JAMES WATTIE, most recently a CBC reporter, has joined Metrolinx as an adviser on the media relations team.
REGULATORY ROUNDUP
It’s Tuesday — which means it’s time to check out the government’s latest proposals on the regulatory registry, where the nitty-gritty of policymaking is hammered out.
TEST-DRIVING AVs — The proposal: Expanding the automated vehicle pilot program by “removing restrictions on modification or manufacture of automated vehicles by pilot participants…Allowing all approved pilot participants to modify and test originally manufactured automated vehicles under the pilot…Expanding Manufacturer Plate Program eligibility to include approved AV Pilot participants…Expanding Manufacturer Plate Program to allow carrying freight/goods and charging a fee…Permitting the testing of automated farm vehicles under the AV Pilot Program and…Developing a pilot framework for the testing of automated micro-utility devices.” Deadline for public feedback: November 13.
SAY CHEESE — Amending the rules for “Grades, Standards, Designations, Classes, Packing and Marking under the Milk Act to help reduce burden and costs for dairy processors and to stimulate economic growth in the sector while maintaining strong health and safety standards.” For example: “Eliminating fees for a dairy plant licence…Removing the requirement to pasteurize ice-cream mixes…Removing prescriptive space requirements for butter.” Deadline: November 11.
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
— Andrew Brander, Crestview Strategy: Morneau Shepell
— Drew Fagan, McMillan Vantage: National Hockey League Players Association
— Karl Baldauf, McMillan Vantage: Proofpoint Inc, Green Shield Canada
— John Penner and John Duffy, StrategyCorp: Woodbine Entertainment Group
— Emily McCullough, StrategyCorp: Air Products & Chemicals Inc.
— James Lin, Hill + Knowlton Strategies: X-energy Canada Inc
— Kyle Larkin, Impact Public Affairs: Associated Equipment Distributors, Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada
— Joshua Albert, The CCS Group: Shawanaga First Nation
In-house organizations: Ottawa-Carleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities.