Under the radar policies, overkill at committee

Sylvia's secret, politico pups and more

ABOVE THE FOLD

More reaction is pouring in on the Ford government’s housing supply bill — but first, the legislative week closed out on a low note at committee.

Fireworks…er, fired-works: Some Independents were unceremoniously booted from the Standing Committees — and they aren’t happy about it.

What happened: The PC motion rearranging the committee roster yesterday seems to follow the earlier Standing-Order tweaks — first laid out in this newsletter — that saw the Liberals, Greens and Independents lose their guaranteed spots at committee. There was also a Parliamentary Assistant shuffle (also scooped by us) so some government positions had to be filled.

Why it happened: From now on, non-party-recognized MPPs have to make a special request to join a committee. The ruling PCs and Official Oppo NDPers automatically get seats.

There’s potential for partisan shenanigans. The PCs still maintain their majority on committees, and, if they felt like it, they could play partisan games and bloc…