Winners and losers in the 905

And an ex-minister pens a new book

ABOVE THE FOLD

RE-PEEL IT — It’s happening (or not). The Ford government has flip-flopped on yet another pledge, changing course on Peel’s divorce, certain MZOs and civic audits.

Here’s how it’s playing out:

Winners — Brampton Mayor PATRICK BROWN, who has long lobbied against dissolution, citing cost concerns and the possibility of higher taxes. “We have averted a disaster. The Ford government has stopped a potential financial train wreck and diminished emergency services.”

It’s a “told ya so” moment for Brown, as Housing Minister PAUL CALANDRA echoed his concerns when justifying the one-eighty, saying the breakup would cost taxpayers too much and disrupt shared services such as police and paramedics.

— ANNETTE GROVES, Caledon’s Mayor and self-proclaimed child in the civic divorce, who had urged the Ford government to rethink the breakup amid uncertainty over the numbers. “They listened to our concerns, to our paramedics, they listened to the police.”

— Ontario’s Big City Mayors, who a…