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Premier Doug Ford's Ontario

The essential Mafioso quality of the Ford family really can't be disguised or covered up, can it? Loyalty is rewarded and "disloyalty" is punished. In this case, the former is duly ladled out to a longtime family 'friend' - that is to say, a longtime Ford family retainer (you know. a servant) and the latter is deployed against someone whose crime was not kissing Ford's gigantic ass to Ford's satisfaction.

This is the sort of shit that would have people up in arms if, say, Trump did it, but here, we barely blink. It's all so fuckin' predictable. And sleazy. Heh, heh.
 
Provincial auditor:

Metrolinx spending millions on LRT cost overruns, Ontario's auditor general says in latest report

Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, came under fire Wednesday from Ontario's auditor general, whose latest report details delays and cost overruns in the hundreds of millions of dollars due to late changes in plans for light-rail transit projects, and allegations of political influence over decision-making about the placement of new GO Transit stations.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk unveiled the findings during a news conference at Queen's Park. Her office conducted audits of 15 provincial departments and programs.
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According to Lysyk, Metrolinx, which controls regional transit across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, incurred about $436 million "in sunk and additional" — unrecoverable — costs between 2009 and 2018 due to changes in transit planning over the last decade, and problems with how the agency itself is doing its work.
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She also cited Metrolinx's decision to sign what's called an Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) contract with the consortium tasked with building Toronto's Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Such contracts typically include a premium for the private-sector partners assuming the risks of cost overruns and delays. But according to Lysyk, under this contract, Metrolinx had to pay the consortium $237 million in 2018 to ensure the project still meets its September 2021 target date.
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Other findings of the auditor general's report include:
  • The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), which is tasked with enforcing the safe maintenance and handling of everything from fuels and boilers to elevators and ski lifts, "is not operating in accordance with its mandate and is ineffective in protecting the public in nearly all of the areas for which it is responsible."
  • Waterfront Toronto, created in 2002 to oversee the development of the city's waterfront, has only directly developed some five per cent of publicly owned waterfront land deemed "developable," and has provided help to other agencies to develop another 151 acres (14 per cent).
  • The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) has seen an increase in those receiving grants and aid of about 25 per cent, but post-secondary enrolment has only grown by about two per cent.
  • Ontario Works, which provided financial help to about 250,000 unemployed or underemployed Ontarians in 2017/18, helped only 10-13 per cent of clients find work in each of the last five years. The average length of time that clients received benefits rose from 19 months in 2008/09 to nearly three years in 2017/18.
  • Ontario's Assisted Devices Program, which supplies things like mobility equipment and hearing aids to about 400,000 people, spent $514 million in 2017/18. While the program has made improvements to service delivery since its last audit in 2009, "efforts to improve oversight by identifying ineligible claims remain inadequate," as do efforts to ensure vendors are being paid reasonable prices for devices.
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Lysyk's office also looked at the refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, and found that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) "has put a clear accountability structure in place" to monitor the work and ensure it comes in on time and on budget. However, the project faces "significant risks," including a potential shortage of skilled tradespeople, that could affect both, she said.
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-auditor-general-findings-1.4933334
 
John_Dee said:
The essential Mafioso quality of the Ford family really can't be disguised or covered up, can it? Loyalty is rewarded and "disloyalty" is punished. In this case, the former is duly ladled out to a longtime family 'friend' - that is to say, a longtime Ford family retainer (you know. a servant) and the latter is deployed against someone whose crime was not kissing Ford's gigantic ass to Ford's satisfaction.

This is the sort of shit that would have people up in arms if, say, Trump did it, but here, we barely blink. It's all so fuckin' predictable. And sleazy. Heh, heh.
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Doug Ford has connections with Biker gangs. But for some reason our media won't go down this road.

The Taverner appointment will be an absolute fucking travesty.
 
DSC said:
Yes, rightly so but I assumed police still have to meet physical standards etc. Not that 72 year olds can't but ..... I find it interesting that his predecessor as Commissioner of OPP just retired, at age 56!
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No ongoing physical standards benchmarks for any police in Ontario. Annual skills requalification. They have to physically be able to perform their duties (and the Commissioner or Chief aren't 'road warriors'). Some forces have non-sworn (civilian) senior staff members. His predecessor probably left at age 56 because he decided he had a life.
 
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin...

Screen Shot 2018-12-05 at 4.34.26 PM.png
 
Province’s chief accountant quit after refusing to sign off on Fedeli’s $15 billion deficit figure

See link.

The Ontario government’s chief accountant resigned earlier this fall because she refused to sign off on Finance Minister Vic Fedeli’s inflated $15 billion deficit, the Star has learned.

Cindy Veinot, the provincial controller, quit in September because she “did not agree with accounting decisions made by the current government.”
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“I believe that the consolidated financial statements of the province of Ontario as issued … materially overstate the deficit of the province for the year,” she said in a submission to the legislative “transparency” committee examining the province’s books.

Veinot, a civil servant, has declined to speak publicly, but the Star obtained her 12-page summary that was sent to the standing committee on Tuesday.

That committee, which is dominated by Progressive Conservative MPPs, has repeatedly blocked efforts by NDP MPPs on the panel to call Veinot as a witness.

Tory sources, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, admit there has been concern over what Veinot might say under oath...
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...Veinot, a leading expert on pension accounting who finished first among 63,000 candidates in the 1998 certified public accountants exam in the U.S., contends the holdings are an asset.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk — and her predecessors — used to count them as such. However, Lysyk changed her tune in 2015 and no longer does.

In contrast to the previous Liberal government, the new Progressive Conservative administration sided with the auditor general over the provincial controller...
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Guess Doug Ford doesn't like "folks" who actually complete post-secondary school. Especially those at the top of their class, who he'll consider to be "elites".
 
And so it (or they) go ...... The most telling line in the Star's report is: " Tory sources, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, admit there has been concern over what Veinot might say under oath." Quite scary as Thug has actually only been in office for about 5 months and we seem to be sinking into the swamp!
 
tiffer24 said:
Ouch...

BREAKING: “Provincial government interference in Hydro One’s affairs" scuttles the company's $6.7 billion (Cdn) takeover of U.S. utility company Avista.

https://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/washington-state-denies-hydroones-acquisition-of-avista/

Washington State regulators say they have denied Hydro One Ltd.'s proposed takeover of Avista Corp. citing political interference by the Ford government.
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From another source, at this link:

Hydro One’s Avista takeover rejected by U.S. regulators citing political interference by Doug Ford

Washington State regulators say they have denied Hydro One Ltd.’s proposed takeover of Avista Corp. citing political interference in the Ontario utility by the Doug Ford government.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission says it found the deal, which valued Avista at $6.7-billion, to not be in the public interest after it became clear that the Ontario government was willing to interfere in the utility.
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The U.S. regulator cited how Ford forced the retirement of the Hydro One CEO, which was followed by the resignation of the entire board, as evidence that the province was willing to put political interests above those of shareholders.

Hydro One, which is 47 per cent owned by the Ontario government, had assured in testimony on the Avista deal that the province was a passive investor that would not exert political pressure on the company.

The U.S. regulator says the promised benefits of the deal, including rate credits, are inadequate to compensate for risks Avista customers would face.

The Ford government hailed the leadership changes at Hydro One at the time as a “great day” for the province after heavily criticizing the company’s management on the campaign trail.
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Wonder what sort of "business history" the Ford family has?
 
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