SCOOP: It's Hammer time
Also: Hints on Stiles' first caucus speech, Unifor vs. Torstar, Ford wants Tory to stay on, Q3 finances incoming, NDP caucus retreat, Hazel's final moments, more OLP candidates, V-Day Spotteds
ABOVE THE FOLD
First in Queen’s Park Observer — BYELECTION WATCH: The countdown is on to a byelection in Hamilton Centre — and our sources say today could be the day Premier DOUG FORD sets a date.
There’s not much time left. Ford legally had six months from when now-Mayor ANDREA HORWATH formally resigned her seat to make the call, which puts the deadline at Friday. Cabinet will then appoint a day, which must be a Thursday, for the close of candidate nominations. A byelection will be held 14 days after that.
Our sources are feeling lucky that today is the day Ford calls it — but the PCs would not confirm.
The stage is already set. All parties have their candidates locked in: SARAH JAMA, a prominent disability advocate and city hall staffer, is carrying the NDP banner. PETER WIESNER, a longtime local police officer, is vying to turn the seat Tory blue. DEIRDRE PIKE, a justice and outreach program consultant for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, is the Liberal contender. And hardware engineer and environmental activist LUCIA IANNANTUONO is running for the Greens.
The state of play: Hamilton Centre has long been NDP territory, but there is a slight opening for the PCs, who have been wooing organized labour and workers into their tent — something that could go over well in Steeltown. (That strategy seemed to work in the Windsor and Essex area and up north, where the PCs managed to wrest a few seats from veteran NDPers last June.)
This byelection will be the first test for new NDP Leader MARIT STILES. Stiles and her caucus have been canvassing in the Hammer for weeks, and their candidate was the first out of the gate to be nominated. That’s given Jama a leg up on the ground game, which is crucial in byelections since they tend to have lower turnout.
It’s not the only byelection in the wings. Ford will soon have to call a byelection in Kitchener Centre, to replace another NDPer, LAURA MAE LINDO. Lindo has not officially handed in her letter of resignation to Speaker TED ARNOTT — but once that happens, it will trigger the six-month countdown to when Ford has to set a date.
It could be a double-header: Both byelections could still be held on the same day, something that’s happened in the past because it’s less of a strain on party resources.
Speaking of Horwath replacements:
STILES DEBUTS — MARIT STILES will address her NDP crew for the first time since taking the party helm earlier this month. She’s also kicking off the Official Opposition’s caucus retreat at Queen’s Park today, which runs through Friday.
We’ve got the skinny on Stiles’s speech, which lays out the NDP’s priorities for the upcoming legislative session. That includes health care and mental health, housing and cost of living.
Catch up on our profile of the synchronized swimming, Eminem-rapping, Newfoundlander-turned-Ontarian and new leader of the NDP.
UNIFOR SPEAKS OUT — Another subplot twist in the developers-attended-Ford-wedding-events story: Unifor, the union organizing iPolitics/QP Briefing workers, is calling out the alleged editorial interference that led two reporters to quit in protest, which was first reported in this newsletter.
“Freedom of the press is essential to our democratic society. It’s a huge issue if somebody is interfering with that right. So it’s something we stand up for,” said CARLEEN FINCH, a representative from Unifor Local 87-M, which represents media workers. “Hopefully by exposing what’s happening it will make companies and owners think twice before trying to interfere with a story again.”
Asked if PAUL RIVETT — the owner our sources blamed for spiking the QPB story about developers attending Ford’s daughter’s wedding events — should resign, Finch wouldn’t say. But she wants an investigation to shed light on the matter.
“We don’t have a say in whether he stays on or not,” Finch told me. “Hopefully, there will be an investigation that’s opened as to why there was interference.”
Further complicating the matter: Unifor organized iPolitics staff in December, but the bitter Torstar split between Rivett and JORDAN BITOVE has muddled that. “It is Unifor’s position that QP Briefing staff are employed by iPolitics and are included in this certification. This will be determined in collective bargaining,” the union said.
Three other QPB reporters were let go amid unrelated layoffs. Our sources say more layoffs are coming to the Torstar side, which includes the Star and Metroland.
HAPPENING TODAY
DOUG FORD’S WEDNESDAY — 10 a.m.: The Premier is in Brampton for an announcement alongside Economic Development Minister VIC FEDELI. The pair will also take questions from reporters.
— 12 p.m.: An announcement in Ottawa from Social Services Minister MERRILEE FULLERTON and Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity CHARMAINE WILLIAMS.
— 1 p.m.: Think of it as a fiscal appetizer before the main course of the budget: Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY releases the third-quarter finances for the province and provides an update on the state of the books in the Media Studio.
Later on, NDP Finance critic CATHERINE FIFE will follow with Oppo’s response.
— Committees are out. They’ll be back at it tomorrow.
IN OTHER NEWS…
— KEEP CALM AND TORY ON: Premier DOUG FORD “has reached out to Toronto Mayor JOHN TORY, encouraging him not to resign, a source tells CityNews.”
It’s the latest in a shocking resignation saga that has upended the Ford government’s housing plan for the strong mayor.
Deputy Prime Minister CHRYSTIA FREELAND was also reportedly on the Tory bandwagon, but her office has since denied that.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Meanwhile, a reader and ex-councillor writes in, re: yesterday’s issue on mayoral candidate speculation at the Leg: “Why any MP or MPP without experience with city politics thinks that they can swoop in and garner support is beyond me. It is no time for amateur hour. I guess they like the speculation to raise their profile. Being mayor of Toronto is a big job, much bigger than being a provincial cabinet minister, or backbench MP.”
— WILD WEST OF LTC: “Not-for-profit long-term care homes in Ontario are spending millions of dollars on temporary health-care staff because the agencies they work for are ‘exploiting the health human resource crisis.’” CBC News has the story.
— POLL WATCH: “As Ontario battled a triple-threat of respiratory illnesses in the fall of 2022, placing overwhelming strain on hospitals province-wide, the Ford government commissioned a public opinion poll on whether or not the health care system was in a state of crisis. The polling, conducted for the Ontario government in late-October and early November and accessed by Global News, asked respondents… whether the news coverage was too negative and their views on the private delivery of public health care.”
IN MEMORIAM
Top moments from HAZEL MCCALLION’s funeral, courtesy of CTV News. That includes a teary-eyed speech from Premier DOUG FORD: “In those final moments, I did what any friend would. I took her hand, offered her as much comfort as I could. I told her ‘I love you Hazel,’ those words will stay with me until my final moment.”
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
RUN, GRIT, RUN — Remember DAVID FARROW, the former Liberal candidate for Sudbury and a retired elementary school principal that was once considering running for party president? He’s now switched races and is gunning for party vice-president of organization.
SPOTTED:
Toronto Mayor JOHN TORY courtside at the Raps game…PC ROSS ROMANO sporting a chameleon…A Super Mario-esque promo video from the Colleges and Universities Ministry…Ontario’s favourite sign-language interpreter CHRISTOPHER DESLOGES back at it at McCallion’s funeral…Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE back to wooing the Nonnas on a rose tour…Aurora Mayor TOM MRAKAS’s winning Valentine’s blazer.
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
— Christina Mitas, Upstream Strategy: Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres LP
Fun fact: Mitas was a PC MPP up until the last election, when she didn’t seek re-election. As first reported in this newsletter, she joined Upstream — run by PC president and veteran party operative MICHAEL DIAMOND — last summer.
— Alexander Glista, StrategyCorp: The Regional Municipality of Durham
— Elizabeth Wagdin, Global Public Affairs: Canadian Steel Producers Association, Zipcar Canada Inc., Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee
— Karl Baldauf, McMillan Vantage: AbbVie Corporation
— Stephanie Gawur, Santis Health: Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc
— Frank Klees, Klees & Associates: Condor PropertiesLtd.
— Chris Benedetti, Sussex Strategy Group: Red Jar Capital
In-house organizations: Red Bull Canada — Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium — Agnico Eagle Mines — Gilead Sciences Canada.
⌛ COUNTDOWN: T-minus 2 days until the Premier has to call a byelection in Hamilton Centre…6 days until the House reconvenes…44 days until the budget is legally due out.