[SaugeenJunction]

Not really transit related, but we'll...

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This man's politics are a walking trash fire. Can't win Mayor of Toronto? He'll do it as Premier! 4 the people!!!! What an idiot. I hope this gets challenged in court if that is even possible.

 

[steveintoronto]

This man's politics are a walking trash fire. Can't win Mayor of Toronto? He'll do it as Premier! 4 the people!!!! What an idiot. I hope this gets challenged in court if that is even possible.

There is a Superior Court ruling that pertains. As to how it's tested remains to be seen, but I'd suggest this hasn't been properly vetted by legal experts. That phrase would be a mouthful for the Premier....ummmm..."The Elites against The People". Wait for it!

Court dismisses councillor’s request to appeal Toronto’s decision on ward boundaries
By JENNIFER PAGLIAROCity Hall Bureau

Tues., March 6, 2018
A Superior Court judge has tossed the request from a city councillor to appeal the city’s new ward boundaries.

The decision, which came in writing on Tuesday, ends Councillor Justin Di Ciano’s nearly year-long endeavour to overturn a decision of the council he sits on.
[...]
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...eal-torontos-decision-on-ward-boundaries.html

The snakes are happy in the grass:

 

[nfitz]

There's no way this would clear the legal challenges before the election.

Particularly after the OMB already ruled against the 25-ward scheme in December, which was upheld by the Ontario Superior Court earlier this year.

With nominations already closed before the government even attempts to introduce legislation - let alone passes it - I'd think that there'll be injunctions in place to protect the status-quo well into 2019.

I don't see how the Progressive Conservatives plan to pull this off quickly without assuming direct control of the city by some emergency measure.

 

[JSF-1]

Not really transit related, but we'll...

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Ah the PC's. Messing with Toronto for no real reason than "just because". I wans't aware we traveled back in time to 1998.

 

[hw621]

^by eliminat IMG the regional chairs DoFo basically screws up Patrick Brown and Del Duca, who are running.

 

[steveintoronto]

I don't see how the Progressive Conservatives plan to pull this off quickly without assuming direct control of the city by some emergency measure.

Ah the PC's. Messing with Toronto for no real reason than "just because". I wans't aware we traveled back in time to 1998.

I have a new term for the Inglorious Leader: Ford Van Detta.

Nothing was even alluded to as per City Council Slash in the campaign. I can believe that the Ford Scrap Merchants machinated this, the one who really surprises me is Mulroney. Was this hoisted on her, or was the gear change in the automatic shift to her joining the Cult?

I don't have reference handy, this is just intuition, but I've got to agree with @nfitz and @JSF-1 . This was a drive-by shooting purely based on vengeance.

Is it a good idea to downsize Council? Perhaps. Is it a good idea to appoint a regional chair instead of elect them? That's up to the region, and here's an example:
Karen Redman enters race for Waterloo Region council chair

I'm of two minds on electing v appointing by the regions' constituent conurbations. But that's *their* decision, not the Premier's. "The People"! Hello? Appoint a cmte to study this if fair outcome is the goal. Don't just do it because you love the smell of blood in the morning.

Thug Van Detta is breaking in his jackboots. Legalities seem to matter little, albeit he might be in for a shock...is this the move that tips the Palace Coup? It's hard to tell how many are just as savage. Watching Question Period today was like being at a Satan's Choice picnic. Except the bikers have more scruples...

Edit to Add: Here's a bit more background on this: (pardon this being full length, I've attributed it fully, and the entirety is necessary for the now unfolding story)

Regional chairs to be directly elected

By ROBERT BENZIEQueen's Park Bureau Chief
SAN GREWALUrban Affairs Reporter
Wed., Nov. 16, 2016

Democracy is coming to regional government in Ontario.

The chairs of regional councils, in places such as Peel, York, and Niagara, will be directly elected in 2018 under new legislation introduced at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro said the change will “help strengthen local governments and enhance their ability to serve the residents of their communities.”

While the regional chairs of Durham, Halton, and Waterloo are already elected by voters, those at the helm of Peel, York, Niagara and Muskoka are appointed by local councillors.

That has led to controversy in the past.

In Peel Region two years ago, regional chair Frank Dale cast the tie-breaking vote for himself over rival John Sanderson to win a job that came with a salary of $184,898.

The mayors of the second and third largest cities in the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga and Brampton, respectively, were divided on Wednesday’s changes.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie blasted the new law, saying it was neither wanted nor needed.

“This is a solution to a problem we do not have,” said Crombie, questioning the expense of the new system.

“We need to know whether or not there will be increased costs to taxpayers to administer the election process for a directly elected regional chair and how much staffing and administrative costs will increase to support someone representing well over 1 million people at Peel council,” she said, suggesting the new law may affect Mississauga’s decision to remain in Peel.
But Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey welcomed the legislation.

“The Region of Peel currently chooses our chair through a flawed and undemocratic process,” said Jeffrey, noting for years she has been calling for an “open and democratic vote for our chair in the same way we elect other political representatives.”

York Region Chair Wayne Emmerson, an appointee, said he is ready to put his name on a ballot in 2018.

“It is my intention to run for regional chair in the next municipal election if the legislation passes,” said Emmerson.

The only exception to the new law will be Oxford County. That’s because, unlike other regional municipalities, its head is chosen by elected councillors from their own ranks, so there is no separate seat that could be directly elected.

As part of Wednesday’s legislative changes, the government will incorporate Liberal MPP Daiene Vernile’s private member’s bill that would mean municipal councillors who give birth or adopt a child will no longer need council’s approval for parental leave.

Under the existing law, councillors who miss meetings for three months can lose their seats unless they seek permission for time off from their colleagues.

“I’m pleased to be working to help more parents, and especially women, get involved in politics,” said Vernile (Kitchener-Centre).

“Accommodating parents at the local level sends a strong message that municipal politics can be family-friendly.”

Also in the new legislation will be a requirement for all municipalities to have a code of conduct for council members and local boards.

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/11/16/regional-chairs-to-be-directly-elected.html

Late Edit: How's that sex-ed rollback going there Dougie? Don't worry, Church Lady isn't around anymore, you killed her off already, remember? You sure know how to pick 'em...

 

[felix123]

Ah the PC's. Messing with Toronto for no real reason than "just because". I wans't aware we traveled back in time to 1998.

This particular batch of PCs has reached a new level of stupid. They can't even disrupt successfully - they're already failing to be consistent (marijuana) and reversing direction on ideological battles they've waged (Cap and Trade, Sex-Ed -- speaking of time-travelling back to 1998).

But all this and many transit debacles are to be expected when their leader is a total moron who sounds like a 12 year old bully at the school from which he never actually graduated.

 

[steveintoronto]

This just up at the Globe:

[...]
Justifying the sudden changes to Toronto’s council, the talking points suggest that most Ontarians believe they have too many politicians, and that “decisions can be made quicker while services can be delivered more efficiently and effectively” with fewer of them at City Hall. And they suggest that shifting Toronto’s municipal electoral boundaries to be the same as federal and provincial ones – which elect 25 members of Parliament and 25 members of provincial Parliament – will save approximately $25-million over council’s next four-year term.

[...]

As for the regional elections, the talking points paint the election of regional chairs – which were to happen for the first time in the four affected regions, courtesy of legislation introduced by the previous Liberal government – as a needless imposition of more politicians on a region that did not want them. They suggest that power to choose the regional chairs will be returned from voters to municipal governments within the region, many of which had opposed the changes brought in by the Liberals.

Neither set of changes was mentioned by Mr. Ford during the provincial election campaign that brought him to power this past spring, although while serving on Toronto’s council from 2010-14, he made known his view that the city would benefit from having fewer elected politicians.
[...]

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/can...all-municipal-elections/?intcmp=notifications

The entire article must be read, there's details not appearing elsewhere in the media that I've found, but pay close attention to this:

Multiple sources said that Mr. Ford’s plans come as a surprise even to members of his own cabinet. And they are said to have been a subject of debate within the Premier’s Office this week, with some members of his staff incorrectly believing they had talked him out of the sudden changes after he first expressed enthusiasm for the idea.

That answers my querying Mulroney's position on this. She might be ready to go ballistic on this! (She should be)

Toronto had just undergone a lengthy process to revise its 44 existing ward boundaries and expand its council to 47 councillors, in an effort to spread votes more evenly among wards, as required by a Supreme Court of Canada ruling.

I'd initially stated the SCC in a prior post, only to edit it to 'Superior Court of Ontario'...which would/could have their ruling rendered moot by legislative change.

If it is the SCC...oh boy...

Where's that bag of popcorn again?

Addendum: Just checked to make sure it is the SCC, and it is:

TORONTO WARD BOUNDARY REVIEW NEW WARDS FOR TORONTO – FINAL REPORT MAY 2016

[...]
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that voter parity is required based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provision of the “right to vote”. Besides just voting, the right to vote asserts that one person’s vote must be similar in weight to any other person's vote. Voting weights do not need to be identical but they must be 'similar' and within a reasonable range. Within this range other factors such as geographic communities of interest or capacity to represent are considered. [...]

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/8d62-Attachment-1-TWBR-Final-Report-FINAL.pdf Pg 14

A Ford supporter would jump to concussions (worry not, it makes no difference to them) and say: "Aha! But Dear Distinguished Leader is just copying existing provincial and federal ridings."

It's not as simple as a Ford supporter:

[...]
In the Canadian context, the Supreme Court of Canada has employed the term “effective representation” to set the standard for creating municipal ward boundaries and provincial and federal riding boundaries. Effective representation has evolved to include several components, all of which need to be considered in designing a ward structure. These components are:
[...]
Ward History
The history of some wards extends to well before amalgamation and those wards have developed a strong identity. Ward design should, where possible, attempt to consider the history of the ward. For example, Victoria Park Avenue has historically been the western boundary of five of the Scarborough wards. However, ward history, in and of itself, cannot override other major criteria such as voter parity, strong natural/physical boundaries and communities of interest.

Capacity to Represent
Capacity to represent is often equated with Councillors' workload. It encompasses ward size, types and breadth of concerns, ongoing growth and development, complexity of issues, etc. For example, wards with high employment, major infrastructure facilities, tourism attractions, or special areas such as the Entertainment District, generate a host of issues a Councillor has to deal with, in addition to the concerns of local residents. The courts have noted that Councillors perform two functions. The first is legislative and refers to passing by-laws and considering city-wide issues. All Councillors have this role in common. The courts have referred to the second function as the “ombudsman role”, which is interpreted as a constituency role. It speaks to a Councillor's responsibility to represent the interests of a ward’s residents to the city government and its administrative structure. This latter function, the constituency role, is captured by the concept of the “capacity to represent”. This role can vary greatly depending on the issues prevalent in any given ward. There is no specific information or data set to quantify this criterion. Some data on development pressures can be gleaned from development pipeline reports and areas that play a special role in the city's economic life are known. Wards with these types of issues can remain in the lower reaches of the voter parity range. Homogeneous, stable wards can rise to the upper end of the voter parity range.
[...]

-: Report above pg 11, 12

Dougie Doo-Doo been stepped in, big time...

 

[raptor]

I'm sure there's a better thread for this somewhere....but Keesmaat is running for mayor. Many of us had a hunch all along.

 

[steveintoronto]

I'm sure there's a better thread for this somewhere....but Keesmaat is running for mayor. Many of us had a hunch all along.

Wow! That's going to impact the dynamic of Tory v. Ford now underway.

 

[crs1026]

Is it time for a Toronto election promises for transit 2018 thread?

Up side: if JK wins, there is a strong voice for DRL and protecting other projects that Ford might kill and that Tory will mishandle.

Down side: if she loses, or even while she is running, DoFo is just enough of a meanspirited hardball player to cancel support for these, just to get revenge.

- Paul

 

[steveintoronto]

Is it time for a Toronto election promises for transit 2018 thread?

Up side: if JK wins, there is a strong voice for DRL and protecting other projects that Ford might kill and that Tory will mishandle.

Down side: if she loses, or even while she is running, DoFo is just enough of a meanspirited hardball player to cancel support for these, just to get revenge.

- Paul

Agree with every point, save that I do think Keesmaat can win based on polls a year or so ago, albeit flash polls can be shallow. I also agree on Premier Petulance exacting revenge. But to counter that, I don't think he'll survive a Palace Coup, which at this rate, is inevitable. He made this announcement unbeknownst to his Cabinet and Party. That's not leadership unless you relate to the Jonestown massacre.

I honestly think he's thrown a massive wrench into this Con-fabulation being able to govern effectively. God knows what the discussion is like behind closed doors right now.

Is it time for a Toronto election promises for transit 2018 thread?

Yes, but that title may have to be improved. It's hard to know if one's being reactive, but I think it very possible that Ford has just cooked his transmission.

 

[Jeff Morgan]

I honestly think he's thrown a massive wrench into this Con-fabulation being able to govern effectively. God knows what the discussion is like behind closed doors right now.
Yes, but that title may have to be improved. It's hard to know if one's being reactive, but I think it very possible that Ford has just cooked his transmission.

I was just wondering if Tory will be forced to move to the left in order to combat Keesmaat.

 

[steveintoronto]

I was just wondering if Tory will be forced to move to the left in order to combat Keesmaat.

You must have heard me thinking! I was approaching that thought from the other direction though: Ford being such a 'brute' has almost ensured Keesmaat's victory. Tory vacillates at the creamy soft centre, and cavorts with the 'power players' (it's his background) and he's Mr Beige at best.

Keesmaat has been unafraid to state some pretty obvious realities, and unlike some of the provincial leaders, it's a joy to listen to her speak and expound policy. She's not perfect, she had to eat poo on various occasions (SSE, for instance) but she finally snapped, and quit. That's much in her favour.

The irony is profound! Ford has pretty much kicked her up to win Mayor.

Popcorn is in order, lots of it, with butter. This is going to be good, because immediately she's going to be speaking out on the Ogre that ate Ontario in a way that Tory never could.

Tory will be forced to move Left, but it will be like a wrinkled suit on him. Keesmaat can wear it without it being a contrived style. She wears reason, and she wears it well.

 

[Jeff Morgan]

It would be so rich for Ford to unilaterally push the expansion of mayoral powers only to have Keesmaat win.