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Veteran MPP Michael Mantha has been ejected from the New Democratic caucus for alleged personal “misconduct” involving a colleague.
Sources, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations, said the NDP received the complaint last December and that Stiles only learned about it upon becoming leader in February.
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www.thestar.com

MPP Michael Mantha ejected from NDP caucus over ‘misconduct’ allegations

The MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin has been removed while a third-party investigation takes place.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com
 
Admiral Beez said:
It’s a wacked world when allegations can get you fired and canceled. If Mantha feels he has a chance I hope he sues for slander, plus reputation and financial losses.
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He wasn't fired or "cancelled". He is still an MP.

Also, this is reported to have been reported to the party many months ago, per the article. It's not something that happened last weekend and he's been decided guilty by default immediately or "cancelled" in the childish sense.
If anything, this is slower than how the world has worked for decades now. The allegation was made to the party in December, so it has been three to four months where there's not even been a public acknowledgement something was alleged to have happened.
 
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Admiral Beez said:
It’s a wacked world when allegations can get you fired and canceled. If Mantha feels he has a chance I hope he sues for slander, plus reputation and financial losses.
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Not fired or cancelled. Are you suggesting that allegations are ignored and swept under the carpet? Accusations and allegations need to be investigated and person or persons involved need to be removed (with pay) until proven innocent or guilty.
 
Thinker said:
Are you suggesting that allegations are ignored and swept under the carpet?
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I apologize for not being clear, and perhaps English is not your first language or you struggle with literacy, but are you asking if I am suggesting allegations should be ignored, or if I think they are being ignored?

I can answer your question as presented. Allegations are increasingly not ignored.
 
Admiral Beez said:
I apologize for not being clear, and perhaps English is not your first language or you struggle with literacy, but are you asking if I am suggesting allegations should be ignored, or if I think they are being ignored?

I can answer your question as presented. Allegations are increasingly not ignored.
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You’re partially correct, English is my third language, and do not suffer with literacy, I was merely asking a question, which you decided to answer with a snipe. So to be clear: I asked if you had an answer to handling workplace harassment or allegations, as you seem to have an objection against having said person removed from the work place (with pay) until proven innocent.
 
Thinker said:
So to be clear: I asked if you had an answer to handling workplace harassment or allegations…
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That question was neither presented nor implied. I did my best to answer the question that was asked.

As for the workplace, if allegations are criminal in nature, the police should be called and charges applied. This gives both the accuser and the accused a chance to prove their innocence or guilt. If the accused is found innocent I’d support a lawsuit of slander, which is anyone’s right. If the allegations are not criminal, and just violate some workplace code of conduct or other HR policies, these should be easy enough to convert from allegation to statement of fact, at which point slander likely can not be asserted.

As it stands, Mantha stands accused of something related to misconduct, but we’re not told. Maybe he propositioned a junior co-worker, maybe he sold party secrets to the Liberals, or maybe he stole some printer toner…? Who knows, so it’s left up to the public‘s imagination, which often goes straight to sexual misconduct.
 
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Admiral Beez said:
That question was neither presented nor implied. I did my best to answer the question you asked.

As for the workplace, if allegations are criminal in nature, the police should be called and charges applied. This gives both the accuser and the accused a chance to prove their innocence or guilt. If the accused is found innocent I’d support a lawsuit of slander, which is anyone’s right. If the allegations are not criminal, and just violate some workplace code of conduct or other HR policies, these should be easy enough to convert from allegation to statement of fact, at which point slander likely can not be asserted.

As it stands, Mantha stands accused of something, but we’re not told. Maybe he propositioned a junior co-worker, maybe he sold party secrets to the Liberals, or maybe he stole some printer toner…? Who knows, so it’s left up to the public to judge.
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The world in general, and 'allegations' and how to react to them, in particular, are not black & white. First, one must remember that people are innocent until proved guilty and that just because someone is charged by the police does not imply guilt - many people charged are subsequently found not guilty..

Being charged is certainly evidence that someone THINKS an allegation may be true but one can also have cases where a company, family, club or, as in this case, political party think that the accusation is serious enough to warrant a suspension. In this case, Mr Mantha is NOT suspended from his job, he continues to be paid BUT his 'club' (AKA the NDP) thinks , presumably after some 'amateur' investigation, that they need to 'isolate him' while the charges are investigated further. If he is innocent, this is certainly very sad for him but if he is eventually charged and found guilty but he was NOT suspended, I bet most people would say the NDP failed to act fast enough. One can also have situations where a person is not guilty of a 'crime' so will not be charged but whose actions 'bring disrepute' to their party/club/company and they are expelled.
 
DSC said:
but one can also have cases where a company, family, club or, as in this case, political party think that the accusation is serious enough to warrant a suspension. In
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True. But the challenge is how does one clear one‘s name if there is no public investigation. I don’t have a suggestion on how to do it any better, and those who allege should be separated from those they accuse. But it must suck to be publicly accused of something undeclared with no means of clearing your name. Friends and acquaintances are looking sideways, are you a potential rapist or a petty thief?
 
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Admiral Beez said:
True. But the challenge is how does one clear one‘s name if there is no public investigation. I don’t have a suggestion on how to do it any better, and those who allege should be separated from those they accuse. But it must suck to be publicly accused of something undeclared with no means of clearing your name. Friends and acquaintances are looking sideways, are you a potential rapist or a petty thief?
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True, it would suck. There's no smoke without fire is sometimes wrong!
 
I take no position at all on Mr. Mantha's background, actions or fate, but these types of incidents can go several ways. If the allegation is criminal, the police obviously become involved, the burden of proof is very high and information is highly guarded until a public trial. If it is falls under the Human Rights Code, they will conduct a confidential information and if it ends up in a hearing, they are also public as far as I know. If it is an internal workplace matter, we may never know. It can be a combination of any of these; if it is, the latter two are typically held in abeyance until the criminal process is completed.

One problem with public officials or anyone that is high profile or in the public eye, is that the "when there's smoke there's fire" assumption can be unfair and corrosive. They, more than most of we unwashed masses, can be more susceptible to vindictive, frivolous or otherwise groundless complaints.
 
www.thestar.com

Ford government to tackle ‘renovictions’ and beef up Landlord and Tenant Board

Premier Doug Ford’s government is doubling the number of Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicators and imposing new rules for property owners in hopes of preventing more renters from being “renovicted.”
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com

Paywall free here: https://archive.is/i3mB5

IMO, the best fix to renovictions and to reduce evictions where the owner claims the property is now needed for their personal or family use, is to enact a specific commercial-residential property category. Under such a category, the property owner must apply to legally reclassify their property as personal use rather than rental, and tenants must be compensated as part of the reclassification. As for renovictions, the system must ensure the existing tenants are returned at the same rent, or otherwise compensated. On the flipside, the government needs to enact ways for quickly evict tenants who do not pay rent or otherwise break their leases. Also, a government database of bad tenants should be accessible to landlords.
 
Doug Ford taking notes. Correction, he instructed Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to take notes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signs 'Live Local Act,' which bans rent control and gives tax breaks to developers​


The law pre-empts local government rules on zoning, density and building heights in certain circumstances.​

From link.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed into law a $711 million plan to make housing more affordable for working Floridians.

A priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, the “Live Local Act,” will more than double funding for housing and rental programs, provide incentives for investment in affordable housing and encourage mixed-use developments in struggling commercial areas.

“As demand is high to move to a place like Florida, it makes it more challenging for folks to be able to afford,” DeSantis said during a bill-signing event in Naples. “I think this is the biggest effort that's ever been done in the history of Florida.”

But the new law (SB 102) has drawn criticism from some groups because it will bar local rent controls and pre-empt local government rules on zoning, density and building heights in certain circumstances. Passidomo, R-Naples, said the goal is to make it possible for people to afford to live in neighborhoods where they work.

“Florida has attracted so many new people to move here. And that has just exacerbated the problem,” Passidomo said. “And we don't have one solution to the problem. But the Live Local Act is an amazing, multifaceted, 106-page bill of ideas and suggestions on how we can provide affordable, safe housing for our workers.”

Among other things, the bill will create tax exemptions for developments that set aside at least 70 units for affordable housing and will speed permits and development orders for affordable-housing projects. The bill will provide money for a series of programs, including $252 million for the longstanding State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, program; $150 million a year to the State Apartment Incentive Loan, or SAIL, program; and an additional $100 million for the Hometown Heroes program, which is designed to help teachers, health-care workers and police officers buy homes.

The state budget for the current year includes $362.7 million for affordable housing. The House on Friday voted 103-6 to approve the measure, after the Senate unanimously passed it on March 8.
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Electricity rates​

From link.

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If you’re a residential or small business customer, you can choose to switch between Time-of-Use (TOU) and Tiered prices. Beginning May 1, 2023, electricity utilities that are ready can offer the Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) price plan. Check with your utility to see if they offer ULO now. By November 1, 2023, all utilities must offer ULO to their customers. Read more about choosing your electricity price plan.​
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The TOU and Tiered prices set by the OEB for November 1, 2022, are shown in the table below. ULO prices were first set for May 1, 2023.​
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