Mystery solved
Also: Fresh EA regs, Jama snub, McNaughton's "low-hanging fruit," Stiles' mini-tour, SolGen staffs up, Greenbelt streaker, media watch, birthdays and much more
ABOVE THE FOLD
A JOLT FOR EVs — It’s another surge for Ontario’s electric vehicle industry: Europe’s biggest automaker is building its first overseas EV battery plant in St. Thomas — reviving a ghost-town region that’s lost manufacturing factories in recent years.
It’s official: Volkswagen’s long-rumoured plant, run by its subsidiary PowerCo, was unveiled by Trade Minister VIC FEDELI, fresh off his mission to Texas.
“It will be huge employment for all the communities within Elgin County,” Fedeli said, noting that “this is land that the province has been accumulating.”
Mystery solved: As such, it appears the 1,500-acre plant was a factor in the quiet redrawing of St. Thomas and Central Elgin’s borders, first scooped in this newsletter.
Mystery persists: Details are scant for now, including how many jobs will be up for grabs and production timelines. Fedeli said the province is now on the hunt for suppliers and will “look for as many companies as possible to make those parts, hopefully here in Ontario.” Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, he teased.
EVEN MORE JAMA DRAMA — Antisemitism watchdogs are piling on SARAH JAMA, the NDP frontrunner in the race for Hamilton Centre.
The latest: With voters headed to the polls Thursday, the group Documenting Antisemitism unearthed fresh dirt in which Jama, speaking at a 2021 rally, comes out in support of Palestinian human rights. At issue for the group: Jama’s remark that Israel-linked powerhouses “will continue to fund the killing of people here, locally and globally.”
The background: Jama has been accused of antisemitism for her past comments and associating with certain social media groups, prompting B’nai Brith to call on the NDP to pull her candidacy. Jama has denied the allegations and the NDP is standing by their contender. We’ve been covering the Jama drama all week — Go deeper.
Meanwhile, Jama backed out of our scheduled interview. The Observer was slated to interview Jama later this morning, but her team cancelled at the eleventh hour.
“Sorry Sabrina, we are going to have to decline this interview,” emailed party spox SHIRVEN REZVANY, who offered a consolation statement on Jama’s behalf:
“We’re busy getting to those last few doors and trying to connect with as many people as possible here in Hamilton Centre. The energy and support for my campaign has been amazing.”
I look forward to hounding the (likely) next MPP at Queen’s Park instead.
YOU BETTER WORK (FROM HOME) — A consolation prize for the laid-off WFH crowd: you’ll soon have the same rights as in-person office mates.
Hint hint: Labour Minister MONTE McNAUGHTON teased forthcoming legislation this session that would align rules around mass layoffs, particularly for remote workers — a club many joined at the height of Covid.
That includes: Making work-from-home-only employees eligible for the same eight-week minimum notice of termination, or pay-in-lieu, as folks who work in-person. As it stands, the Employment Standards Act lays out an eight-to-16-week notice period for mass layoffs — when 50 or more employees are let go within four weeks.
Specifically, McNaughton’s bill would “broaden the definition of ‘establishment’ to include employees’ remote home offices, making employees who solely work remotely from home eligible to receive enhanced notice.”
At first blush: Labour advocates are pretty happy with the move, but tell me it’s “low-hanging fruit” for the Tories, who have been gunning for worker-voters with labour-friendly legislation.
The spin: The province included a friendly quote in its press release about the legislation, from Communitech — where McNaughton unveiled the move.
“We applaud Minister McNaughton for taking steps to ensure that all workers in Ontario are afforded the same rights and protections, regardless of their workplace setting,” said the company’s president and CEO CHRIS ALBINSON.
Fun fact: MATTHEW BONDY, a former top staffer to Premier DOUG FORD, went on to work at Communitech as senior adviser to the CEO.
More: McNaughton’s bill would also force employers to provide new hires with written info about their job, such as pay, location and hours. Currently, employers are only required to share the latest version of the employment standards poster.
Hat trick: The forthcoming bill rounds out the worker-friendly package from McNaughton, who has tabled three bills in as many years. That includes the “right to disconnect” after work hours and better standards for app-based gig workers.
HAPPENING TODAY
9:30 a.m.: NDP Leader MARIT STILES continues her constit week tour, hitting up Peterborough today to call for OHIP coverage of mental health services. Stiles will also meet with the local Peterborough and Kawarth Chamber of Commerce.
Pit stop: Yesterday, Stiles was in Kingston to call for more transparency over a partnership between the local hospital and a private eye surgery clinic.
THE HOUSE IS OUT. Ditto committees. MPPs get back at it March 20.
IN OTHER NEWS…
— SCHOOL’S OUT: New Democrats are sounding the alarm over the $61-million deficit the Toronto District School Board is projecting, thanks to “Ministry funding gaps in a number of areas.” Also in jeopardy: 522 staff positions.
Oppo MPPs want the PCs to pay up. “The Ford Conservatives have put the TDSB in a very tough financial predicament, and it’s our kids who will pay the price if Doug Ford continues down his harmful path of budget and staff cuts,” said MPP JESSICA BELL.
— HOT HOUSING (OR NOT): “Ontario has more than 1.25 million potential new homes already in the development pipeline — it just needs to figure out how to convince builders to get shovels in the ground, say experts who manage planning in cities across Ontario.” CBC has the story.
— DAYCARE DEBACLE: It’s also the CBC’s turn to take a crack at the worker shortage that’s threatening $10-a-day child care. “Agencies that run daycares say they're so short of early childhood educators that they doubt the national program of $10-a-day child care can be delivered to all the kids who will need a spot.”
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
First in Queen’s Park Observer — STAFFING UP — Remember ROLANDO ONG, the longtime staffer to House Leader PAUL CALANDRA that we first told you was headed to SolGen MICHAEL KERZNER’s office? It’s now official — Ong has taken over as Kerzner’s director of operations.
BEYOND THE BUBBLE — JAMES LIN is the newest recruit at Infrastructure Ontario, taking on the role of program director for transit oriented communities. Lin hails from Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and before that, he worked as a top policy adviser in the Transportation and Tourism ministries.
PROMOTION — PAULA EL-KHOURY goes from comms specialist to comms manager at the WSIB.
MEDIA WATCH
Budget watchdog and media darling PETER WELTMAN tees up budget week on The Herle Burly podcast.
Queen’s Park alumni, now MP CHARLES SOUSA talks about his renaissance on Navigator’s Political Traction pod.
SPOTTED:
LISA GRETZKY in Lego form…Comms pro BRAD ROSS on the mend after a heart attack…A topless “save-the-Greenbelt” streaker crashes the Junos…
REGULATORY ROUNDUP
On Tuesdays, we sum up the government’s latest proposals on the regulatory registry — where the nitty-gritty of policymaking is hammered out.
First in Queen’s Park Observer — EAs 2.0 — The proposal: Another day, another change to the Environmental Assessment process. This time, the PCs have tacked on to their proposal to move to a “project-list approach” for EAs, adding “the proposed designation of rail, multi-lane highways, electricity transmission and waterfront projects.” Deadline for public feedback: May 9.
MINES, MINES, MINES — Proposal: Regulations to accompany Bill 71, the PCs move to speed up mining permits, including: “amendments to closure planning and the Mine Rehabilitation Code” and those “to create new statutory authorities for conditional filing and phased financial assurance…The decision-maker for some decisions under the Mining Act will change. As a result, administrative amendments to several Ontario regulations will be required.” Deadline: April 23.
ANTI-CRUELTY, INC. — Proposal: “Confirm the continuation of the corporate status of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, retroactive to January 1, 2020.” Deadline: March 20.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NDP MPP JOHN VANTHOF (Timiskaming—Cochrane)…LIAM ROCHE, ex-Liberal staffer at the Leg and on the Hill, now tech consultant for KPMG.
⌛ COUNTDOWN: T-minus 2 days until the byelection in Hamilton Centre…9 days until the budget drops…104 days until Toronto’s mayoral byelection.