#peter bethlenfalvy

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Hundreds of people staged a protest Sunday outside the office of Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy to demand permanent protection for the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP), which was removed from the Greenbelt.

The protest comes days after the province's auditor general said the Ontario government's process for choosing protected Greenbelt land to open up for housing development was heavily influenced by a small group of well-connected developers who now stand to make billions of dollars.

In a 95-page report released Wednesday, Bonnie Lysyk offered a damning assessment of how the province selected sites last year for removal from the Greenbelt — a vast 810,000-hectare area of farmland, forest and wetland stretching from Niagara Falls, Ont., to Peterborough, Ont., that was meant to be off limits to development

Lysyk made 15 recommendations in the report, but Premier Doug Ford said his government would accept and implement only 14. The single recommendation it will not accept is the call to revisit the land swaps and possibly reverse those decisions, he said. [...]

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Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[college-girl199328]

The provincial government will not reinstate two outstanding protections on the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP), the Pickering News Advertiser has learned. The DRAP in Pickering was one of the 15 parcels of land the Ontario government announced it was carving out of the Greenbelt in 2022 to make way for housing. Last September, Ford reversed his decision and announced all protections would be reinstated.

But so far, only the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act and Greenbelt protections have been returned. The Central Pickering Development Plan (CPDP) and the minister’s zoning order, O. Reg. 154/03, have not. The CPDP establishes a comprehensive vision for central Pickering: a sustainable urban community in Seaton integrated with a thriving agricultural community in the DRAP, as well as an extensive natural heritage system.

The MZO is a zoning regulation that limits land uses and every erection, location, and use of buildings or structures on the DRAP to agriculture and conservation uses. Stop Sprawl Durham is urging the Conservative government to fulfill its promise by fully reinstating the DRAP protections.

Alexandru Cioban, spokesperson for the minister of municipal affairs and housing, said in an email that through the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023, the province restored all areas of land removed from or redesignated within the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine areas.

Concerning the DRAP, the government is not reinstating the CPDP or the MZO as part of the legislation “as both are now redundant.”

He said because municipalities are required to conform to the Greenbelt Plan in their decisions on land-use planning matters, which include zoning bylaws, the MZO would not be required to ensure these lands are zoned for agricultural and related uses.

But stop sprawling. Durham is concerned that when the next Greenbelt review takes place in 2025, the missing protections could make the DRAP vulnerable to development.

In December, Stop Sprawl Durham co-leads Abdullah Mir and Helen Brenner met with Pickering-Uxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy, asking him to advocate on behalf of Pickering residents to fully restore the DRAP to its original state, specifically to have all four prior protections returned. They said Bethlenfalvy advised he would take their feedback to MPP Paul Calandra, minister of municipal affairs and housing. Despite numerous requests for an interview, Bethlenfalvy provided a statement instead.

[blogynews]

"Ontario Shatters Expectations: Deficit for 2022 Turns Heads with Unforeseen Improvement!"

ONTARIO RECORDS SMALLER DEFICIT THAN PROJECTED IN 2022 BUDGET TORONTO — Ontario’s deficit for the last fiscal year was smaller than projected in the 2022 budget, thanks to higher tax revenues resulting from economic growth and inflation. Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy released the province’s public accounts for 2022-23, revealing the final…

[blogynewz]

"Ontario Shatters Expectations: Deficit for 2022 Turns Heads with Unforeseen Improvement!"

ONTARIO RECORDS SMALLER DEFICIT THAN PROJECTED IN 2022 BUDGET TORONTO — Ontario’s deficit for the last fiscal year was smaller than projected in the 2022 budget, thanks to higher tax revenues resulting from economic growth and inflation. Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy released the province’s public accounts for 2022-23, revealing the final…

[skillstopallmedia]

Provincial budget | Ontario Government Projects $1.3 Billion Deficit and Surplus One Year Ahead

(Toronto) The Ontario government plans to start posting budget surpluses a year from now, relying heavily on booming revenues to offset rising health care spending — including for hospitals, home care and medical personnel. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on Thursday tabled a budget of nearly $205 billion in spending — proof he said the province can spend responsibly. In the fiscal year…

[isfeed]

Bethlenfalvy says province will ‘be there’ to help Toronto out of $815M budgetary shortfall from COVID

Bethlenfalvy says province will ‘be there’ to help Toronto out of $815M budgetary shortfall from COVID

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said Tuesday that the province will “be there again” to help Toronto through a massive budgetary shortfall brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and said he is confident the federal government will commit to doing so as well. Source: CP24 Bethlenfalvy says province will ‘be there’ to help Toronto out of 5M budgetary shortfall from COVID

[thenetionalnews]

Doug Ford announces new cabinet ministers in Ontario

Doug Ford announces new cabinet ministers in Ontario

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced his new, 30-person cabinet, including Sylvia Jones as deputy premier and health minister. Many of the cabinet ministers remain in the same portfolios they held during Ford’s last government, such as Stephen Lecce in education, Peter Bethlenfalvy as minister of finance, and Caroline Mulroney in transportation. Steve Clark remains as municipal affairs and…

[kayla1993-world]

Premier Doug Ford will take office on July 1st, promising to "get it done"--as the election slogan put it.

Ford and his Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy if re-elected table the budget without any significant changes.

The budget for 2016-2017 was tepid at first but by 2018-2019 it had shifted dramatically--adding a $450 million promise that they had neglected to put in the budget.

The Alberta PC government has promised to cut the fuel tax by 5.7 cents per litre of gasoline, effective July 1st but only for six months. The loss of revenue for the provincial treasury during that period is estimated at $645 million.

Housing affordability was the issue named most frequently by a representative sample of Ontarians who responded to a CBC News civic engagement tool Vote Compass.

The plan will help keep costs down for families by "building the supply that meets home-ownership demand."

A re-elected Ontario PC government will build 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years, the party says.

Doug Ford has pledged to get Highway 413 built in his home province of Ontario and it's hard to imagine he won't follow through on this promise. However, he has been deliberately vague on the cost and the timeline, buying himself some wiggle room on whether it comes in on time and on budget.

The Ontario Progressive Conservative government has kept its promise to build Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, something it had already promised during the election campaign.

The timelines for when some of these will actually be built remain unclear, with some of the promises merely for the next phase of planning.

The Ontario government has pledged to create 30K new long-term care spaces by 2028. The bulk of them is to be constructed by the time the next election rolls around in June 2026. In April, the Ministry of Long-Term Care said the 365 projects now in the planning and construction pipeline exceed this target.

The government is promising tougher inspections of long-term care homes and stiffer fines for those that break the rules.

The Plan to Stay Open is part of the government's long-range blueprint for dealing with the post-Omicron phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The election platform commits to "hiring more nurses, doctors and personal support workers and keeping vaccines and other critical supplies in Ontario if elected.

The Ford government is directly linking the future of the electric vehicle industry in southern Ontario to the mineral-rich deposit in northern Ontario nicknamed the Ring of Fire. The region is said to have a supply of the critical minerals essential to the production of EV batteries.

Doug Ford has promised a $1-billion road to the Ring of Fire mineral deposit, something he had actually pledged back in 2018 to do even if he had to jop on that bulldozer myself."

The government has re-engaged on a promise to scrap the taxpayer-funded subsidy provided to political parties and extended it until 2024.

The amount provided to each party is based on the number of votes each received in the most recent election. The PC Party is in line to receive about $4.9 million in each of the next two years, at the current subsidy rate. The NDP and Liberals get about $2.8 million annually and the Green Party about $700K.

The government has repeatedly said it will hit its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels. In April, the government quietly revised its plan for how it will achieve this but is still forecasting success.

"We are going to make sure we keep every single promise," he told a news conference on election day.

[markoferko]

az eddigi legsúlyosabb magyar szankció:

az ontarioi pénzügyminiszter, Peter Bethlenfalvy betiltotta az orosz vodkát!

Canada’s Ontario province has directed the Liquor Control Board Of Ontario to withdraw all products produced in Russia from store shelves.

“The people of Ontario will always stand against tyranny and oppression. To that end, I am directing the LCBO to withdraw all products produced in Russia from store shelves,” Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said in a statement.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Hundreds of demonstrators called on the Doug Ford government Sunday afternoon to halt the development of the Greenbelt in Durham Region. ‘Stop Sprawl Durham’ protesters gathered outside Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s office in Pickering, Ont., rallying to save Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve, which makes up nearly 60 per cent of Greenbelt land set to be removed. “This is a non-partisan issue in Pickering,” Abdullah Mir with Stop Sprawl Durham told CTV News Toronto. “We don’t want development on the Greenbelt land largely because we don’t need development on the Greenbelt land.”

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[college-girl199328]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Toronto continues to go to other governments “hat in hand” asking for funding as the city grapples with more than 900 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comments were made in an announcement in Hamilton, Ont., where the premier was re-announcing a 2023 budget commitment to hiring more nurses.

When asked about the shortfall, Ford said officials should be “driving efficiencies” and “focusing on lean practices.” “They just go there and think the taxpayer is going to constantly bail him out no matter if the municipal, provincial, or federal government,” he said. “They have to start treating Toronto like a big change.”

Toronto officials said earlier this week that significant cuts to services and state-of-good-repair work may be necessary for 2024 after funds municipalities. Speaking to reporters at the April city council meeting, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said Toronto was still “very much in the mode of recovery” following the pandemic.

“You’re going to see those cuts rapidly happen in 2024,” she said. “If we don’t get assistance, we can use the reserves we’ve squirreled away to pay for this year. But it’s not a good strategy… it’s like taking out your RRSPs to pay your mortgage groceries. It’s not sustainable.”

Without aid from other governments, the city is looking at a nearly $1 billion shortfall. McKelvie suggested the city could make up some of that revenue by raising property taxes.

The city also has to consider freezing development fees when addressing budgetary concerns. As part of Ford’s housing strategy, some development charges—to help pay for municipal services or infrastructure such as roads and transit.

A staff report indicated this could result in a loss of about $230 million released last week, providing municipalities with additional funding to help offset either COVID-19 or housing revenue losses. Instead, it committed $48 million in funding for Toronto’s supportive housing costs. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said this was the city’s “top request.”

It was a "key funding ask" made by former Mayor John Tory and McKelvie directly to the province. The funding is part of an additional $202 million each year to the Homeless Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program.

The federal government, for its part, provided municipalities with funding in 2020 and 2021 to offset COVID-19 shortfalls. There was no new funding in the 2023 budget.

[onpoli]

Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner has released info about each MPP’s income, assets, and liabilities, and it’s kind of ridiculous to see how many MPPs own or partially own “investment properties” they can rent out to make more money.

The map above doesn’t even capture the full extent of what’s happening - Roman Baber and Stan Cho have three and four investment properties, respectively, in Toronto; Rudy Cuzzetto and his wife have nine, spread across Oakville, Burlington, Niagara Falls, and Montreal. In total, 17 PC MPPs own 31 investment properties, 7 NDP MPPs own 8, and 2 Liberal MPPs own 2.

That’s a huge number of landlords sitting in Queen’s Park. With home ownership being out of reach for an increasing number of people and with rent costs for retail spaces skyrocketing, especially in the GTA, it’s hard not to feel like this is a problem. Additionally, we can’t trust any of these MPPs to protect renters given that deregulation allows them to increase their profits.

A full list of which MPPs have investment properties is below the cut.

Teresa Armstrong (NDP, London-Fanshawe) has two in London

Roman Baber (PC, York Centre) has three in Toronto

Peter Bethlenfalvy’s (PC, Pickering-Uxbridge) wife has one in the US

Will Bouma (PC, Brantford-Brant) has one in St. George

Stan Cho (PC, Willowdale) has four in Toronto

Stephen Crawford (PC, Oakville) has one in Collingwood

Rudy Cuzzetto (PC, Mississauga-Lakeshore) has nine across four cities

Parm Gill (PC, Milton) has one in Ottawa

Chris Glover (NDP, Spadina-Fort York) has one in Toronto

Percy Hatfield (NDP, Windsor-Tecumseh) has one in Windsor

Christine Hogarth (PC, Etobicoke-Lakeshore) has one in Toronto

Andrea Horwath (NDP, Hamilton Centre) has one in Hamilton

Mitzie Hunter (Liberal, Scarborough-Guildwood) has one in Toronto

Logan Kanapathi (PC, Markham-Thornhill) has one in Keswick

Bhutila Karpoche (NDP, Parkdale-High Park) has one in Toronto

Vincent Ke (PC, Don Valley North) has one in Aurora

Billy Pang (PC, Markham-Unionville) and his wife each have one in Toronto

Sheref Sabawy (PC, Mississauga-Erin Mills) has one in Mississauga

Amarjot Sandhu (PC, Brampton West) has one in Brampton

Sandy Shaw (NDP, Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas) has one in Hamilton

Gurratan Singh (NDP, Brampton East) has one in Brampton

Dave Smith (PC, Peterborough-Kawartha) has one in Peterborough

Nina Tangri (PC, Mississauga-Streeetsville) has one in the UK

Michael Tibollo (PC, Vaughan-Woodbridge) has one in Brampton

Effie Triantafilopoulos (PC, Oakville North-Burlington) has one in Niagara Falls

Kathleen Wynne (Liberal, Don Valley West) has one in Newmarket

[newsdurham]

Three-year-old English mastiff Fennel at The Second Wedge Brewing Co. Nov.2, where an announcement was made regarding new legislation that has been tabled to relax rules around dogs in breweries. November 2, 2019 To read the full story click on the link in bio. Sabrina Byrnes/Torstar Second photo features owners Rob Garrard and Joanne Richter with their dog Sadie. Third photo features MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy with his dog. #dogsallowed #dogsandpints #uxbridge #ontariogovernment #uxbridgetimesjournal #newsdurham #photography #photojournalism (at The Second Wedge Brewing Co.) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4coB--J_4I/?igshid=1434gppq0ipsg

[ontarionewdemocrats-blog]

How many pithy openers can I make up for your important news for May 23rd, 2019? Well one less now

Ford government will need to cut another $6-billion to hit future budget goal, watchdog says

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ford-government-plans-6-billion-in-additional-cuts/

Cuts need to double for Ford government to keep election promise, financial watchdog says

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/22/cuts-need-to-double-for-ford-government-to-keep-balanced-budget-promise-financial-watchdog-says.html

Ontario government watchdog says spending growth under PCs slowest in 30 years

https://globalnews.ca/news/5302492/ontario-watchdog-spending-slowest-30-years/

Ontario government slashes funding to children’s aid societies

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/05/22/ford-government-slashes-funding-to-childrens-aid-societies.html

10 former Ontario health ministers issue joint letter decrying ‘attack on public health’

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/10-former-ontario-health-ministers-issue-joint-letter-decrying-attack-on-public-health-1.5145835

Former health ministers urge Ford government to halt public health cuts

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/23/former-health-ministers-urge-ford-government-to-halt-public-health-cuts.html

Hamilton protesting public health merger, but the province doesn't have to listen

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/public-health-1.5146007

Doug Ford and Blaine Higgs meet in Toronto, discuss carbon tax and trade

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/22/doug-ford-and-blaine-higgs-meet-in-toronto-discuss-carbon-tax-and-trade.html

Ford government working with lobbyists to promote corner store beer and wine

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/22/ford-government-working-closely-with-lobbyists-and-industry-associations-to-promote-beer-and-wine-in-corner-stores.html

Ford’s Toronto riding among those facing deepest child care cuts, city says

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/05/22/fords-toronto-riding-among-those-facing-deepest-child-care-cuts-city-says.html

City of Toronto launches petition demanding Ford government reverse course on cuts

https://globalnews.ca/news/5301843/toronto-petition-ford-government-budget-cuts/

Councillor Stephen Holyday blasts Ford for ‘half-truths’ on city audit process

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/05/22/councillor-stephen-holyday-blasts-ford-for-half-truths-on-city-audit-process.html

Treasury board president says new fund will 'empower' cities to lower budgets

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/treasury-board-president-ontario-peter-bethlenfalvy-audit-accountability-fund-1.5144831

First Nations leaders upset new Indigenous high school curriculum not mandatory in Ontario

https://globalnews.ca/news/5303896/indigenous-curriculum-not-mandatory/

Toronto District School board asked to ‘take a stand’ against Ford government cuts

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/22/toronto-district-school-board-asked-to-take-a-stand-against-ford-government-cuts.html

Low-income students to be hit hardest as TDSB looks to trim outdoor education programs, some warn

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tdsb-outdoor-education-budget-1.5145523

Liberal leadership candidate would cut transit fares, take over Gardiner and DVP

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/05/22/liberal-leadership-candidate-would-cut-transit-fares-take-over-gardiner-and-dvp.html

Ontario human rights commissioner slams conditions at EMDC

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/ontario-human-rights-commissioner-slams-conditions-at-emdc

Sidewalk Labs’ CEO says final plan for smart city project will be released next month

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/05/22/sidewalk-labs-ceo-says-final-plan-for-smart-city-project-will-be-released-next-month.html

Toronto plastic surgeon told to remove security cameras from consult rooms

https://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/toronto-plastic-surgeon-marketplace-cameras-1.5137052

Toronto cop pleads guilty to police misconduct over assault on Black man a judge called ‘a shocking violation’

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/10/23/toronto-cop-pleads-guilty-to-police-misconduct-over-assault-on-black-man-a-judge-called-a-shocking-violation.html

‘A f-ing n-word’: York Region high school student says she was beaten, called racial slurs

https://globalnews.ca/news/5302433/york-region-high-school-student-assault-racism/

Brampton councillors vote in favour of keeping Peel Region government in place

https://globalnews.ca/news/5301293/brampton-councillors-vote-favour-keeping-peel-region/

Postpartum program cut in Sarnia-Lambton

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/postpartum-program-sarnia-lambton-1.5145083

Sudbury MPP tightens social media security after phishing scam on Facebook

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/phishing-sudbury-mpp-facebook-security-politician-1.5144301

Hamilton drops its NPCA fight to lower amount residents have to pay

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/npca-levy-1.5146108

Hamilton to look at ways to give menstrual products to needy residents

https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9366544-hamilton-to-look-at-ways-to-give-menstrual-products-to-needy-residents/

Kenney will campaign in Ontario during federal election as Tories look to win back immigrant voters

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-kenney-will-campaign-in-ontario-in-effort-to-defeat-trudeau/

Alberta to launch challenge of federal carbon tax as UCP table bill to scrap provincial levy

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-to-scrap-carbon-tax-next-week-kenneys-ucp-government-says-in/

Cutting research into artificial intelligence is a blow against the future

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/05/21/cutting-research-into-artificial-intelligence-is-a-blow-against-the-future.html

Tiny rays of hope for Ontario Liberals

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/05/22/tiny-rays-of-hope-for-ontario-liberals.html

Toronto’s new zoning power could boost affordable housing. Just one problem: the Ford government

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/05/22/torontos-new-zoning-power-could-boost-affordable-housing-just-one-problem-the-ford-government.html

In a world of artificial intelligence, Doug Ford goes with his gut

https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/05/22/in-a-world-of-artificial-intelligence-doug-ford-goes-with-his-gut.html

So many unanswered questions in wake of Niagara police shooting

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/05/22/so-many-unanswered-questions-in-wake-of-niagara-police-shooting.html

[careerxlsstudyabroad]

Ontario government moves to cap pay increases for public service workers

~CXL~

The Ontario government has tabled a bill at Queen’s Park that will see wage increases capped for a more than a million of the province’s public sector workers.

The legislation, if passed, will see a one-per-cent cap for three years. The bill passed first reading in a 64-40 vote Wednesday afternoon.

Union and non-union employees at school boards, universities and colleges, hospitals, long-term care homes, Ornge air ambulance service, children’s aid societies, broader public sector organizations, and boards and commissions that receive at least $1 million in provincial funding are affected by the legislation. It doesn’t apply to municipalities, including local fire and police services.

The announcement comes as the government continues to work toward eliminating an $11.7 billion deficit.

“Action must be taken and everyone must do their part,” Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Smokey Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, raised the possibility of a charter challenge, saying the legislation violated unions’ ability to bargain collectively.

He also said unions are already preparing to protest.

“I think they’re going to have a long hot summer,” he said. “My union and others, we’ll target all those Tory MPPs and their constituency offices, all their fundraisers, all their golf tournaments, all their barbecues – we’ll screw every one of them up.”

The government’s legislation comes after the province recently started the bargaining process with the largest teachers’ unions ahead of an Aug. 31 contract expiry.

Read More at  https://globalnews.ca/news/5356149/ontario-public-sector-wage-increases-cap/

[letsjanukhan]

Doug Ford Tories to propose tax cuts for workers

Doug Ford Tories to propose tax cuts for workers

In a pre-election budget, Premier Doug Ford will promise to cut income taxes for hundreds of thousands of Ontarians earning less than $50,000 a year, the Star has learned. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy is to unveil the spending plan at 4 p.m. Thursday, kicking off the Progressive Conservatives’ re-election bid for the June 2 vote. A cornerstone of the budget-cum-campaign platform will be an…