Latest news with #Ontarians'
Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Bonded by crisis: Inside the alliance between Mark Carney and Doug Ford
Forged by crisis, tempered by opportunity and steeled by circumstance, it is the most important political alliance in the country. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford, a federal Liberal and an Ontario Progressive Conservative, each recently tasked by voters with tackling the economic and existential threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Carney quietly underscored just how much he values Ford's counsel at the height of the closely fought April 28 election campaign. In an unusual move, the prime minister carved out precious hours in the days before the leaders' debates in Montreal for a private visit to the premier's home in Etobicoke. Federal and provincial sources, speaking confidentially in order to recount internal deliberations, confirmed to the Star that the two men huddled to discuss Trump's ongoing trade war against Canada — and to talk politics. Ford defied the odds Thursday becoming the first premier to win three consecutive majority Carney's advisers, mindful Ford's PCs had just been re-elected by focusing on Ontarians' unease over the American president, felt the visit was a judicious use of their candidate's time in an abbreviated five-week campaign. The federal Liberals, after all, were employing the same electoral strategy as the provincial Tories two months earlier. More importantly, the rookie prime minister appreciated the three-term premier's candour and political acumen . Ford's campaign manager warns that unless the Tories 'get on it quick, they are going to get Bracing for an onslaught of debate-stage attacks from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the Liberal chief shrewdly tapped into the experience of the most successful Tory politician in Canada. Ford, a seasoned veteran of such potentially fraught televised encounters in three bruising Ontario elections, urged Carney to play to his strengths. It was an argument the premier articulated in more public forums at the Calgary Stampede on Monday and again the following day in an interview with Newstalk 1010's Deb Hutton in Toronto. 'I truly believe that, having conversations with the prime minister, he's no Justin Trudeau, I'll tell you that,' Ford assured Hutton, echoing his comments at a joint news conference with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith the morning before. Their move comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Mark Carney promising to make Canada 'an 'He's a business-minded person. He's a Goldman Sachs guy, chair of Brookfield (Asset Management), chair of Bloomberg, governor of the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England,' he said. 'This guy's no shrinking violet. He's a smart, smart individual. He understands that we need to bring more revenues and be more self-reliant ... within Canada and diversify our trade across the world.' The personal warmth between the 60-year-olds — born within four months of one another, each into families with two brothers and one sister — began over breakfast at Wally's Grill in Rexdale on March 12. The Ontario premier and the incoming prime minister held their first in-person meeting at Carney, three days after succeeding Trudeau as Liberal leader but still two days from being sworn in as prime minister, travelled to Etobicoke for the morning confab. With no media cameras in tow at the restaurant, though an official photographer was there to document the meeting, there wasn't the commotion or the artifice of a staged political event. Over poached eggs and tea, the two men had time to chat while aides hovered nearby. Recognizing Ford, the local MPP for Etobicoke North, two diners approached their table. 'Doug, you should be the prime minister,' enthused one of the patrons, praising the premier's 'Canada Is Not For Sale' crusade during the Feb. 27 Ontario election. Not missing a beat, Ford laughed and motioned across the small table to an equally amused Carney. 'Well, this is the prime minister,' said the premier with a grin. Bonhomie aside, the two most powerful politicians in Canada are adherents to Nobel laureate economist Paul Romer's mantra that 'a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.' That's why they have both rammed through controversial legislation — Carney's Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, and Ford's Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act — designed to expedite major infrastructure projects like pipelines and rail corridors. It's why the prime minister has tried to turbocharge the premiers' push to remove interprovincial trade barriers they believe cost the Canadian economy $200 billion annually. 'Listen, there is a real strong relationship there,' a senior federal Liberal said. 'It's credit to Doug. Doug is, as you know, the outgoing chair of the Council of the Federation and he's done a fantastic job as the chair' said the Carney confidante, referring to the rotating role of chairing the premiers' organization. 'Doug has been a very strong ally. He's helped, in partnership with the prime minister, to keep the country united and strong as we navigate the tariffs and our relationship with the United States.' At last month's first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon, Carney and Ford were like impish schoolboys, smiling and sharing whispered asides during the interminable closing news conference whenever the cameras were focused on other premiers. 'The average person wants governments of all stripes to work together and that's exactly what Doug and the PM have been doing. They've set aside whatever partisanship ... that may exist as a trademark of politics,' said the federal Liberal. 'What Doug is doing ... is working shoulder-to-shoulder with the prime minister and other premiers so that we can stitch together the various regional economies under the banner of building these major projects that are in the national interest,' added the Grit. 'This is the way in which we're going to get the economy firing on all cylinders. We're going to get the economy more productive. We're going to get the economy to be more competitive.' Ford's advisers acknowledge the relationship between Queen's Park and Ottawa can never be all sunshine and roses, but say right now 'it feels very adult and practical and respectful.' 'I shouldn't interfere in the federal election,' Ford told reporters in Mississauga on Wednesday 'It's not without tension for sure — we bark at each other, but it's respectful,' said a senior provincial insider. Federal Liberals, meanwhile, remain baffled that Poilievre's Conservatives treated Ford with indifference bordering on contempt for most of the past two years. As reported by the Star earlier this year, the federal Tory leader made his first-ever call to the premier on March 17, days before Carney called the election. The premier told him he would be too busy governing Ontario, the Star has learned. Equally surprising, the Poilievre Tories underestimated the Liberal prime minister's bona fides among some loyalists to the late Jim Flaherty . The former federal and provincial finance minister, who died in 2014 , anointed Carney, a fellow diminutive Irish-Canadian Ivy League hockey player, as Bank of Canada governor 17 years ago. While former prime minister Stephen Harper endorsed Poilievre during the campaign , conveniently ignoring the fact he asked Carney to be his treasurer after Flaherty resigned due to illness, not all Tories followed his advice. A revered figure among many Conservatives — including, significantly, the Ford family — Flaherty thought very highly of Carney personally and professionally. So much so that a few of his former aides have privately confided they cast Liberal votes for the first time in their lives in part to honour the memory of their beloved boss. Such expressions of loyalty matter to Ford, whose first deputy premier and health minister was the well-respected Christine Elliott , Flaherty's widow. Similarly, Carney, who marvels at the premier's skills both as a retail politician and as a consensus-builder around the table at the Council of the Federation, was grateful when Ford publicly defended him in Calgary. 'He wants to get things going. He comes from Alberta,' the Ontarian reminded reporters there Monday. 'I have all the confidence that he's going to listen to the premiers and straighten out the federal government once and for all.'
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ontario's privacy commissioner issues guardrails for police using investigative genetic genealogy
TORONTO, June 24, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) released guardrails for police use of investigative genetic genealogy. This first-in-Canada public resource marks an important step towards proper governance of this new and emerging technology. Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) is a technique used by police to solve crimes. It involves using genetic data from crime scene samples and DNA databases to identify individuals through genetic matches, or partial matches to biological relatives. While IGG is a powerful tool for solving serious crimes, its use by police is currently not subject to any clear legislative framework. This raises real privacy and human rights concerns, especially for individuals who may become ensnared as part of a police investigation simply because they share DNA with someone else. "Investigative genetic genealogy has the power to crack cold cases, bring closure to victims' families, and even absolve the wrongfully convicted. But without clear legal rules, this new investigative tool can unduly broaden the scope of state surveillance and intrusion into the private lives of many innocent people." said Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. "Until there is a clear law governing the use of this technology, my office is proposing a policy framework to help ensure police in Ontario use this technology responsibly and in a way that maintains public trust." While the IPC does not necessarily endorse police use of IGG, these guardrails serve as a tool to help police comply with their legal obligations and mitigate risks to privacy and human rights. The twelve guardrails cover: lawful authority, necessity and proportionality, accountability, third party procurement, data minimization, retention, data security, controls for surreptitious DNA collection, transparency, access, public consultation, and ethical disclosure guidelines. In developing these guardrails, the IPC consulted with a broad range of interested parties to ensure a diversity of voices and expertise, including: police services, government ministries, civil society and human rights organizations, academic researchers and lawyers, experts in forensic science, pathology, genomics and bioethics, First Nations technology leaders, as well as privacy, human rights, and victims' rights regulators. Guardrails for Police Use of Investigative Genetic Genealogy in Ontario is the latest in a series of practical resources for police related to Next-Generation Law Enforcement. Others include guidance on automated licence plate recognition, facial recognition, and body-worn cameras. Through the development of these guidance documents, the IPC aims to contribute to building public trust in law enforcement by working with relevant partners to develop the necessary guardrails for the adoption of new technologies that protect both public safety and Ontarians' access and privacy rights. Learn more: Guardrails for Police Use of Investigative Genetic Genealogy in Ontario Family ties: Using investigative genetic genealogy to solve crimes (Info Matters podcast episode) Release of personal information to police: your privacy rights Disclosure of personal information to law enforcement Law enforcement and surveillance technologies (IPC webcast) SOURCE Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Information and Privacy Commissioner urges government to close regulatory gaps and secure public trust
TORONTO, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Patricia Kosseim, is urging the provincial government to address regulatory gaps to better protect Ontarians' personal information from cybersecurity attacks, commercialization of children's data, and the use of AI technologies without clear rules or oversight. The call to action is outlined in the 2024 annual report of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC), From Vision to Impact: Five Years of Privacy and Transparency in a Digital Ontario, released today. The report also includes an appendix containing the IPC's findings and recommendations emerging from a series of access-to-information appeals involving the Greenbelt land removals. "In a world where trust is increasingly hard to come by, Ontarians deserve clear rules, strong safeguards, and full transparency from their institutions," said Commissioner Kosseim. "Whether it's how decisions are made, how personal data is used, or how emerging technologies are governed, our office will continue pushing for real accountability, because public trust is the foundation of a healthy democracy." Make AI and privacy laws work for OntariansThe IPC is urging the government to develop meaningful, enforceable regulations to address key legislative gaps left behind by Bill 194 that enacted the Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act (EDSTA) and amended the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Specifically, the IPC is calling for: binding guardrails and independent oversight for public sector use of AI robust cybersecurity measures that protect Ontarians' sensitive information stronger and clearer protections for children's digital information amendments to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to match FIPPA changes. Failing to align the two laws risks creating confusion for institutions and frustration for Ontarians, who expect consistent privacy rights across all of Ontario's public sector Protect patient rights in a digital health systemEnsure that stronger accountability measures are embedded in the Personal Health Information Protection Act and that any future accompanying regulations strengthen meaningful access and protections for individuals' health information, rather than undermine them. Enabling greater access to the electronic health record system through digital health IDs may be a good thing, but not if the system lacks the necessary safeguards, clarity, and transparency. The IPC is calling on the government to retain individuals' full access rights to their health records, embed privacy-enhancing principles into the design of digital health IDs, and ensure strong governance and oversight, particularly when the provision of digital health services involves third-party vendors. Restore transparency and accountability in government decision-makingIn an appendix to its annual report, the IPC examines how the government handled a series of access to information requests related to the Greenbelt land removal decisions. The IPC identified several systemic issues, including: the use of personal devices and email accounts for government-related business, the use of code words that had the effect of frustrating FOI searches, the lack of proper documentation of key government decisions and poor information retention practices. These practices, if left unaddressed, risk undermining transparency and eroding public trust in government institutions. The IPC calls on the government to strengthen its record-keeping policies and practices, prohibit the use of personal accounts and devices for government-related business, regularly monitor for compliance, and codify a legal duty to document communications, decisions, and actions, as well as an explicit requirement for institutions to define and implement appropriate retention measures. The full 2024 annual report, including the Greenbelt appendix and key recommendations, is available on the IPC website. Additional resources: From Vision to Impact: Five Years of Privacy and Transparency in a Digital Ontario, 2024 Annual Report Statistical Report SOURCE Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario View original content to download multimedia: Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Cision Canada
12-06-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Information and Privacy Commissioner urges government to close regulatory gaps and secure public trust Français
TORONTO, June 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Patricia Kosseim, is urging the provincial government to address regulatory gaps to better protect Ontarians' personal information from cybersecurity attacks, commercialization of children's data, and the use of AI technologies without clear rules or oversight. The call to action is outlined in the 2024 annual report of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC), From Vision to Impact: Five Years of Privacy and Transparency in a Digital Ontario, released today. The report also includes an appendix containing the IPC's findings and recommendations emerging from a series of access-to-information appeals involving the Greenbelt land removals. "In a world where trust is increasingly hard to come by, Ontarians deserve clear rules, strong safeguards, and full transparency from their institutions," said Commissioner Kosseim. "Whether it's how decisions are made, how personal data is used, or how emerging technologies are governed, our office will continue pushing for real accountability, because public trust is the foundation of a healthy democracy." Make AI and privacy laws work for Ontarians The IPC is urging the government to develop meaningful, enforceable regulations to address key legislative gaps left behind by Bill 194 that enacted the Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act (EDSTA) and amended the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Specifically, the IPC is calling for: binding guardrails and independent oversight for public sector use of AI robust cybersecurity measures that protect Ontarians' sensitive information stronger and clearer protections for children's digital information amendments to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to match FIPPA changes. Failing to align the two laws risks creating confusion for institutions and frustration for Ontarians, who expect consistent privacy rights across all of Ontario's public sector Protect patient rights in a digital health system Ensure that stronger accountability measures are embedded in the Personal Health Information Protection Act and that any future accompanying regulations strengthen meaningful access and protections for individuals' health information, rather than undermine them. Enabling greater access to the electronic health record system through digital health IDs may be a good thing, but not if the system lacks the necessary safeguards, clarity, and transparency. The IPC is calling on the government to retain individuals' full access rights to their health records, embed privacy-enhancing principles into the design of digital health IDs, and ensure strong governance and oversight, particularly when the provision of digital health services involves third-party vendors. Restore transparency and accountability in government decision-making In an appendix to its annual report, the IPC examines how the government handled a series of access to information requests related to the Greenbelt land removal decisions. The IPC identified several systemic issues, including: the use of personal devices and email accounts for government-related business, the use of code words that had the effect of frustrating FOI searches, the lack of proper documentation of key government decisions and poor information retention practices. These practices, if left unaddressed, risk undermining transparency and eroding public trust in government institutions. The IPC calls on the government to strengthen its record-keeping policies and practices, prohibit the use of personal accounts and devices for government-related business, regularly monitor for compliance, and codify a legal duty to document communications, decisions, and actions, as well as an explicit requirement for institutions to define and implement appropriate retention measures. The full 2024 annual report, including the Greenbelt appendix and key recommendations, is available on the IPC website.
National Observer
16-05-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Ontario budget 2025: Experts and opposition say it falls short where it matters most
The Ford government's $230-billion budget, tabled Thursday with a record $14.6-billion deficit, is drawing sharp criticism from economists, environmental advocates and opposition leaders. They argue the plan fails to address Ontarians' most pressing concerns — affordability, climate inaction, economic resilience and growing economic uncertainty driven by US tariffs. Much of the budget is focused on responding to US President Donald Trump's tariffs, particularly in the manufacturing and auto sectors — a cornerstone of Ontario's economy that supports tens of thousands of jobs and accounts for $36 billion of the province's $220-billion export market. The budget paints a grim economic picture: job-growth projections for 2025 have been halved, from 130,000 to just 73,000. In 2026, Ontario expects to add only 33,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate is forecast to average 7.1 per cent over the next three years. Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, while delivering the budget at the Legislature, called it a 'foundation for Ontario's economic transformation' and warned that Canada is facing 'one of the single greatest economic challenges in modern history.' 'Tariffs threaten to slow down what we've achieved to date in our mission to build our economy,' Bethlenfalvy said. 'We must respond with strength, prudence and unity to protect our industries, our jobs — and even our national sovereignty.' Despite the challenges, Bethlenfalvy said he believes Ontario can become less reliant on the US and emerge as a global leader by leveraging its clean energy, natural resources and skilled workforce. Spending highlights and economic risks Among key items in the budget: $5 billion for a 'Protecting Ontario' account to help businesses impacted by tariffs, a $1.3-billion boost to the manufacturing investment tax credit, and a $500-million fund to grow capacity for critical minerals refining. Other investments include $750 million for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, a billion-dollar expansion of skilled trades training, and over $200 billion in infrastructure spending over 10 years. Critics say the Ford government 2025 budget fails to address Ontarians' most pressing concerns — affordability, climate inaction, economic resilience and growing economic uncertainty driven by US tariffs. While the budget is packed with stimulus measures and support for the industrial and resource sectors, Mahmood Nanji, a policy fellow at Western University's Ivey Business School, says it's unclear how much relief it will actually bring because it lacks details. On the $5-billion 'Protecting Ontario' fund, Nanji said the shortage of specifics is troubling and could lead to mismanagement if the province is forced to deploy it quickly during a crisis. 'This budget doesn't offer the kind of reassurance businesses and workers are looking for,' Nanji said. 'There's no strong message that the government truly has their backs.' The Ford government appears to be counting on the federal government to step in if the economy worsens — an assumption Nanji called risky, especially given ongoing trade tensions. The province's expectation of federal support was clear in the lead-up to the budget, when Ford sent Ottawa a wishlist of his 'nation-building' infrastructure projects. Bethlenfalvy also reinforced this in his budget speech, repeatedly calling on the federal government to backstop Ontario's economic plans. Several of the measures in the budget are intended to solve transportation problems, which the government identified as standing in the way of economic growth. While Nanji welcomed long-term infrastructure investments, he criticized the continued focus on the Highway 401 tunnel, calling it a political project rather than a strategic one. Nanji argued that the gas tax cut and Highway 407 toll removal are poorly targeted and largely benefit higher-income Ontarians, while doing little to help those most in need. Environmental advocates: budget ignores climate crisis and clean energy investment On the environment, Mike Marcolongo, associate director of Ontario programs at Environmental Defence was more blunt. 'It's been called a plan to protect Ontario, but it's not clear where the government's plan is when it comes to protecting clean water, healthy communities and natural ecosystems.' Marcolongo also took aim at the government's continued push to remove bike lanes in major Toronto corridors as part of its budget plans. While advocates are in court trying to stop the removal of bike lanes on University Avenue, Yonge Street, and Bloor, this budget adds Avenue Road and Queen's Park Crescent to the list of lanes slated for removal. 'For a government that claims to look after the 'little guy,' the continued attack on bicycles by budgeting more bike lane removals reveals a lack of interest in supporting the most affordable and environmental choice for short commutes,' Marcolongo said. 'Instead of attacking cyclists and the small businesses that rely on them in Toronto, the Ontario government should focus on real, province-wide congestion solutions.' When it comes to clean energy, Alienor Rougeot, senior program manager for climate and energy at Environmental Defence, said the government is sending mixed messages. While the budget claims to support affordable energy, she says it largely sidelines the most cost-effective solutions — like wind, solar and battery storage. Rougeot also pointed to Bill 17, which she said undermines local energy efficiency rules, leaving Ontarians with higher energy bills and no clear path to reducing carbon emissions. Opposition slams budget as out of touch Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called it 'a band-aid budget' that delivers 'less relief, and a missed opportunity to strengthen Ontario.' 'Instead of choosing a future where workers and their families can get ahead, the government missed the mark with a budget full of cuts and no new investments in the services that people rely on,' said Stiles in a statement. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the budget 'ignores the fact that people are going to be hurt by the trade war,' and accused the government of prioritizing sprawl-inducing highways over housing, health care and clean energy. Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said the Ford government 'chose to repaint the walls while the roof is caving in.' 'It's infuriating to watch taxpayer money funneled to insider friends, lobbyists and donors while Ontarians are told to settle for less,'Crombie said in a statement. 'This isn't fiscal responsibility. This is political favouritism.' But Bethlenfalvy, in delivering his budget, called for unity across partisan lines. 'We cannot do it alone,' he said. 'It's time to put aside our party stripes, set aside our differences, and work together — not just at the national level, but here at home in Ontario as well.'
