Latest news with #Stiles
Hamilton Spectator
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Can Marit Stiles save Ontario's sliding New Democrats?
On the worst of election nights for the federal New Democrats, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles sat at home with her husband, TV on blast, fluffy dogs underfoot, and watched her friends slide into historic defeat. At a certain point, a bottle of Chardonnay appeared. Glasses were filled and finished but wine did little to soften the real-time destruction of party that won a mere seven of its previous 24 seats. 'It was brutal,' Stiles recalls. She was just as forceful in dismissing the suggestion that the New Democrats' dramatic national loss is dragging down the Ontario NDP, five months after Premier Doug Ford called a snap election that he won as a tariff-slaying Captain Canada, fighting the menace of U.S. President Donald Trump. As Stiles sees it, the Ontario and federal elections of 2025 focused on the existential threat of economic warfare launched by Trump, not real-life concerns over hallway medicine or unaffordable housing. And after much of the summer spent touring the province, Stiles says she heard a 'very strong sense of remorse' among some who voted outside party lines. That sentiment will be heartening to diehard NDPers, particularly when delivered by a leader who, it appears, is very convincing. But it does not explain how the most recent Abacus Data tracking poll found Ford's Progressive Conservatives reached a record high 50 per cent approval rating and Bonnie Crombie's Liberals holding steady at 28 per cent. Whither the Ontario NDP? It was at 13 per cent — its lowest-ever standing in an Abacus poll. ****** It's a sweaty night in July. Thunderclouds hang low. At Gracedale Park, near Finch and Islington Aves., an ice cream truck hired by the local New Democrat MPP Tom Rakocevic serves three options: vanilla, chocolate or vanilla-chocolate swirl. Rakocevic, the incumbent, squeezed out a win here in Humber River—Black Creek, beating his Progressive Conservative challenger by just 193 votes. It is a diverse riding, with many languages spoken and a blue-collar hard-working demographic, where the 2021 census said the unemployment rate was more than double the national average. In 34C heat, an estimated 1,000 parents, children and locals stand in a long line winding through the trees deep inside the park, all waiting for one small free cone of soft ice cream. As politicians do, Rakocevic chats with constituents. He's got a nice-guy vibe and introduces locals to Stiles, who was acclaimed as Ontario's NDP leader in February 2023. She's smiling, laughing and shaking hands, as politicians do. Abdi Hassan stands alone at the park's edge, watching the scene. A few hours earlier, he picked up an award from Rakocevic and Stiles for his community work. Hassan has been fascinated with Canadian politics since Jean Chrétien was prime minister. Despite the popularity of tonight's ice cream giveaway, he says it's obvious that support for the New Democrats is down. 'Their message is not hitting the ground,' he says. 'A lot of people, especially the newcomers, they cannot identify the party line. What does this party stand for? I think if (the New Democrats) do a lot of grassroots education in this immigrant population, they could increase their numbers, because their ideas are connected to this community.' But that means changing, or intensifying, the way the party connects with voters and, he says, broadening the base to include some from the business community. If it holds tight to the status quo, Hassan believes the NDP risks being left behind as a 'relic, socialist kind of party. 'You have to grow,' he says. 'You have to change your attitude.' A veteran party insider has a similar perspective. The New Democrats' inability to pivot from their traditional social issues to salvation from the capricious Trump forced voters who fear America more than a hallway hospital gurney to pick the party that adapted and advanced with fraught times. Ontario's election came first, on Feb. 27, a night of precarious wins and losses. It didn't help that some union leaders, once a lock for the NDP, embraced Ford, bleeding votes to his conservative party. Guy Bourgouin, the NDP MPP for Mushkegowuk-James Bay, won his riding by nine votes. The NDP lost Sault Ste. Marie to the Progressive Conservatives by 114 votes, despite Ford's bungled response to the closure of a local medical clinic that left 10,000 residents without a doctor. Rakocevic's race was close, despite his incumbent status. And in Toronto—St. Paul's, a riding New Democrat incumbent Jill Andrew had held since 2018, Liberal Stephanie Smyth won by 3,988 votes. Now, as Ontario's party faithful prepare for their September convention in Niagara Falls, the insider says there is only one question that matters: Can the NDP rebuild? 'The game has changed because we have lost so much ground to the Liberals and the Conservatives, it seems unthinkable,' says the insider, who spoke confidentially in order to discuss internal party deliberations. 'Part of that is the party has an identity crisis. They don't know who they are or what they stand for anymore because a lot of the unions or other constituents are now looking at and voting for the other two parties — and that's a problem.' From the perspective of Mike Layton, the Ontario party should embrace the qualities that Stiles brings and not worry about the Ford bravado that gets attention. Stiles's power is found in the personal connections she makes with people, says Layton, a long-time Toronto city councillor who left politics for philanthropy at Second Harvest. (Layton's father, Jack, led the national NDP to a record 103 seats in the House of Commons.) 'It comes across in a more compassionate way,' he says. 'It doesn't make headlines, but I think it has a lasting impact on people's impressions.' It may be early days for Stiles but her warmth with potential voters didn't help in the Abacus summer poll, nor did it offset the steep decline in popular vote to 18.5 per cent during the winter election. But still, under Stiles, the party won 27 seats and kept its Official Opposition status which, theoretically, allows Ontarians to see a lot more of the new leader. And that, says the insider, is the best shot for a resurgent Ontario NDP. 'Marit is a smart, authentic and deeply rooted New Democrat.' ***** No worries here, Stiles says, in her Queen's Park office. ' I have learned over many years that polls are a snapshot in time,' she says, 'and I think we are in a very strange and unique time.' Justin Trudeau's Liberals were facing imminent defeat last year and look how that turned out, she notes. Still, Stiles knows that going into the 2025 election she was relatively unknown, having been unopposed when she ran for the NDP leadership two years earlier, and thus not benefiting from a race that might have raised her profile. Once the debrief on the winter election was done, Stiles says her informal summer campaign began. She has been travelling across the province meeting voters, grateful that the campaign flights through raging northern Ontario snowstorms are now a thing of the past, best left to party lore. While September's convention will include a mandatory vote on whether to have a leadership review, party members believe Stiles is safe. Still, Stiles needs to present the NDP faithful with a legitimate plan to compete against the vote-stealing Progressive Conservatives and Liberals who will be making promises on similar issues, especially if, by some miracle, the threat from Mar-a-Lago settles down. The party's blueprint for the future, Stiles says, starts with evidence and empathy. Health care with a focus on public health investment and prevention. The housing plan, Stiles says, calls for homes that are 'truly, deeply affordable.' Upload some transit costs from municipalities to the province. Offer wraparound services to older adults. And for the young, a new focus on education. Local riding associations, she says, need a commitment to support workers and create a presence in communities, the nurturing years. What about the views of boots-on-the-ground observers such as Hassan, the community advocate, at the ice cream party in Humber River—Black Creek? 'I hear the same sort of things from other people saying they think the NDP needs to focus less on the middle class and more on the working class,' Stiles says. But Hassan spoke about the need for all-encompassing plan to expand the appeal. 'I completely agree with him there,' she says. 'If we can tap into and get even a fraction of the people who have not voted in the last few elections to vote and, to vote for us, great! 'I want to give people a reason to vote. I want to give them a reason to hope again.'
Hamilton Spectator
24-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario NDP leader says Doug Ford must respect First Nations' right to refuse development
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles doesn't believe the province needs to scrap its regulatory regime to thrive through a trade war with the U.S. In an interview, she told Ricochet it needs to scrap its controversial Bill 5 legislation and 'boldly' reinvest in the social infrastructure a thriving economy needs. While Premier Doug Ford was meeting with his provincial counterparts in Muskoka this week, Stiles was on a tour through northern Ontario. 'I want to see some bold solutions. I want to see this as one of those post-world war moments where we invest, where we see the opportunity that's presented to us,' Stiles said, in an interview during her stop in Thunder Bay on Monday, part of her 'All In For Ontario' tour hitting a number of cities and towns across the province. 'When I talk to industry like forestry, mining – anybody – they will all tell you that they cannot attract people to come and work because there's not enough affordable housing. There aren't enough schools. They can't guarantee they're going to get the health care they need, there won't be a doctor. Those are the huge issues impacting our economy and it's time we stopped thinking of it like it's something we have to spend. This is an investment in our future.' The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario predicts a dip into recession this year, possibly into next year. Stiles is calling for Ontario to prioritize buying local lumber to build more homes, which would hold up an industry whose leaders estimate they stand to lose $2 billion from the loss of cross-border trade. She says the Ontario NDP is also keeping an eye on the upcoming New York City mayoral election, in which Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is promising bold populist ideas, such as free buses and public grocery stores. Although not quite the same, Styles points to the ONDP's promise of a grocery store rebate . Any social solutions, Stiles says, must rise from local ingenuity. For example, a non-profit personal support worker program on St. Joseph's Island near Sault Ste. Marie has served 170 people since it launched in 2020, revitalizing home care services that hadn't existed in the rural area for over a decade. However instead of building on social solutions, Ontario has passed what Stiles calls 'ridiculous power-grab legislation' in Bill 5 . The law allows the government to identify 'trusted proponents' and designate 'special economic zones' in which environmental, labour, and municipal bylaws don't apply. First Nations leaders have been at the front of critical demonstrations, arguing the law violates their right to consultation and early July, Stiles rallied with farmers and residents of Dresden, a small town where the province has used Bill 5 — what the government has called 'mining legislation' — to allow proponents of a proposed landfill to dodge an environmental assessment. 'What I said to those people is, 'you are the canary in the coal mine… if it can happen in Dresden – which is basically Conservative country – it can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.' And I fear that's the message we have to get out to people: it's your rights that are at risk,' she said. 'What's obviously getting a lot of attention right now is the steamrolling of treaty rights, which is terrible and is going to set us back generations, and is frankly going to hold up projects. It's going to hold up northern development. But I think we also have to recognize that it's everybody that can be impacted by this, because it does mean the suspension of any right, anywhere, anytime.' In her view, the legislation interferes with the ability for First Nations to independently strike their own partnerships with commercial and industrial proponents. While she expects resistance to Bill 5 'in the courts or on the land,' she says the setback to those relationships ultimately compromises Ontario's investment climate. She says First Nations have the right to walk away from the table and say no to development, and that an NDP government would lean into that right for stability.'I'm not going to impose anything on First Nations. I want First Nations' leadership to tell me, what's the best way you want to proceed with this?'In February, Ford was elected to his third consecutive majority government. Northern Ontario First Nation leaders have repeatedly asked to meet with him on infrastructure projects but he has refused, going back long before the introduction of Bill 5. Stiles says First Nation communities should have the right to refuse any development. 'They do currently and they should be able to [say no]. But I also think that for the most part, First Nations in Ontario want to be able to see good development happen, but they also don't want to have no say in what happens in their territories where they have treaties, and where they, frankly, know the land much better than anybody else.' Some northern communities, such as Neskantaga and Attiwapiskat First Nations, which have been waiting for years for clean drinking water and living under long-term boil-water advisories, are now being told that their territories are located in the so-called Ring of Fire region, a massive area north of Thunder Bar that contains mineral deposits suspected to hold more than $60-billion worth of critical minerals. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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Global News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Global News
NDP calls for RCMP to include ‘permanently deleted' emails in Greenbelt probe
The Ontario NDP is calling on the RCMP to widen the scope of its criminal investigation into the Ford government's Greenbelt dealings after a provincial watchdog determined that relevant documents were allegedly 'permanently deleted' contrary to provincial law. NDP Leader Marit Stiles is also acknowledging that the opposition parties at Queen's Park may have 'run out' of options to use official legislative channels to hold the government to account, even as more questions arise. After a months-long battle with the Ford government over Greenbelt-related records, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) determined the Progressive Conservative party violated 'legal record-keeping obligations' by using 'opaque codewords' to discuss the controversial policy. Patricia Kosseim also said her office was concerned enough about government documents that the IPC was forced to issue an order to retain them in full. Despite that, some records remain unaccounted for. Story continues below advertisement 'We were pre-emptorily ordering the government to preserve all records and to recover emails that had been deleted, which they were able to and did and have since preserved all the records, except — as I said — those that were permanently deleted,' Kosseim told Global News. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We have no way of knowing the circumstances around that.' It's unclear, however, what, if any, consequences could arise from the permanent deletion of records. While the RCMP has remained tight-lipped on its years-long investigation into the government's decision-making, there have been few public signs of progress. Meanwhile, the independent investigative bodies at Queens Park — the Integrity Commissioner, the Auditor General, and the Information and Privacy Commissioner — have all completed their Greenbelt investigations with varied impact. 'We've had a scathing report from the Auditor General. We've had a scathing report from the Integrity Commissioner. Now we have this report and these findings from the Information and Privacy Commissioner,' Stiles said. 'So to some extent, the tools here … we've run out.' Stiles said the opposition is now looking to the RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations unit — which typically investigates allegations of financial crimes like fraud, corruption and procurement as well as complaints related to illegal lobbying activities and elected officials — to look deeper into the IPC's findings. Story continues below advertisement 'The commissioner is very clear, laws were broken here,' Stiles said. 'The last time a government was found to be permanently deleting emails like this around an issue that is contentious … somebody went to jail.' In 2018, the former chief of staff to then-Premier Dalton McGuinty was sentenced to four months in jail after an Ontario judge found he directed the indiscriminate wiping of hard drives in the premier's office in a deliberate effort to protect the office after the Liberal government decided to scrap two gas plants ahead of the 2011 provincial election. Stiles is also calling for a public inquiry into the scandal. 'I certainly think that a matter like this, just like with the gas plant scandal, would merit a public inquiry,' Stiles said, but acknowledged that the chances of a majority government calling an inquiry into its own actions is unlikely.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Video: Mom Shows What Parenting Multiple Children Looks Like
A viral video on Instagram shows an example of the practical realities of parenting multiple children. The household's mom, Brynn Stahle, recorded the video, featuring her husband and two children. The younger sibling's face was painted by the elder brother. Their dad held the younger brother in his arms, asking the elder one not to paint the baby's face again. An Instagram video captured a chaotic parenting moment, presenting the lives of parents raising multiple children. The mom records the hilarious moment while the dad deals with the chaos. As such, the clip perfectly encapsulates the mayhem and uncertainty of raising more than one child at the same time. The video shows a classic parenting scene that resonates with many parents raising multiple kids. Like any other dad, the dad in the video holds his young one in his arms. However, what sets this ordinary moment apart is that the child's face is covered in purple paint. The elder sibling's artistic flair and enthusiasm are responsible for the artwork. As the mother records the moment, the clip captures the dad, in his calm yet firm voice, telling his elder son, Stiles: 'Don't paint the baby, okay?' Brimming with toddler energy, the elder sibling responds, 'Okay!' The dad continues, 'Say, 'Daddy, I won't paint the baby.'' Without missing a beat, Stiles repeats each word with intention. The video's on-screen caption clarifies the context: 'pov: you blink while parenting multiple children.' This point of view sheds light on the maddening and endearing effect of the overlay text. Moreover, the video's caption is capable of leaving parents with a wry smile: 'and this is how we're starting our morning.' It is not just the video's humor but its relatability that makes it a resonating piece of media. The video is messy, chaotic, and shows the reality of parenting multiple kids with a spouse. It also serves as a reminder to enjoy such little chaos every chance one gets. The post Video: Mom Shows What Parenting Multiple Children Looks Like appeared first on Momtastic.
Toronto Star
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Doug Ford won't be the only one feeling the heat this summer
Ontario's long, hot summer of 2025 just got hotter. And longer. Not just for Doug Ford. The premier's political rivals will also be facing the heat, each in their own way. MPPs headed home this week with a surprise: Ford's Tories told them to stay away until Oct. 20. That's a sweet summer break lasting nearly 20 weeks for provincial politicians who sat in their legislative seats for only six weeks this year. Another seven weeks of work awaits them upon their return, after which they're back home for the Christmas break. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Total time at work in the legislature: 13 weeks out of 52 for the whole year. The ready excuse? Ford's Tories argue they've produced so much 'ambitious' legislation to date that they need more time to recharge. The real explanation? The premier has provoked so much antagonism to his controversial plan for 'special economic zones' — a new law to dilute old laws — that he's better off lying low. Ford's mishandling of the issue sparked warnings from Indigenous leaders that protests will flare over the summer. Away from the daily question period in the legislature, Ford can talk about standing up to Donald Trump instead of taking questions about trampling on rights of First Nations. All that said, if tensions rise, it could complicate Ford's plans to host his fellow premiers in Muskoka at their annual summit meeting in mid-July. Instead of the usual banter, there could be blockades pitting protesters against politicians — and cottagers. Ford won't be the only one on the firing line. Any highway blockades would also put Ontario's opposition leaders on the spot, forcing them to pick a lane — or, more precisely, restate their stance when the stakes are high. New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, choosing their words carefully, have said they won't side with civil disobedience on the highways. Not when motorists are fuming under the baking sun. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW As Ontario's populist premier has noted, blockades rarely win public support. Either way, Ford will spend much of the summer watching his rivals face the heat while he cools off at his cottage. With or without the drumbeat of First Nations protests, both Stiles and Crombie will be facing the music in leadership reviews mandated by their parties after every election. New Democrats will meet on Sept. 20 in Niagara Falls — Canada's honeymoon capital — to vote on the post-honeymoon future of Stiles after the Feb. 27 loss to Ford. Despite losing seats and stature in the election — her party stumbled and tumbled in the popular vote — Stiles seems sure to prevail. Most activists understand their party was predestined to decline in an election called early by Ford to capitalize on anti-American animus. Provincially as federally, New Democrats suffered from a political squeeze play as polarized voters opted for a binary choice between Tories and Liberals to cope with economic uncertainty. In the aftermath, the NDP fell from a competitive 23.7 per cent of the popular vote in the 2022 election to a dismal 18.6 per cent this time. The only saving grace was the final seat count. While New Democrats dropped to 27 seats from 31, the Liberals came third with only 14 seats — despite winning a far higher 30 per cent of the popular vote (up from 23.9 per cent in 2022). For Crombie, the failure to win her own riding — or any seats — in her home base of Mississauga, where she once served as mayor, proved an embarrassment. In truth, Stiles was dragged down by the declining fortunes of the federal NDP under former leader Jagmeet Singh. So too, Crombie was lifted up by the remarkable popularity of Carney's federal Liberals. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW While federal-provincial crossover is a constant in Ontario politics, Crombie's Mississauga shutout leaves her with a lot of explaining to do. Now, she too faces a party leadership review in September — and a long, hot summer of reaching out to provincial Liberals who are wondering who does what next. Yet her future depends less on past performance than on future prospects. The problem for both Stiles and Crombie is that if another election were held now, Ford would do even better. A key difference is that Crombie's Liberals are positioned to fare better than the New Democrats under Stiles. The latest Leger poll shows Ford's Tories preferred by 45 per cent of respondents (up from 43 per cent in the February vote). That compares to 32 per cent for the Liberals (up from 30 per cent), versus 15 per cent for the NDP (down from 18.6 per cent in the election). You can do the math. Crombie's Liberals are more than twice as popular as the New Democrats, and Ford's Tories are precisely three times more popular. Which explains why Ford will be sitting pretty this summer while Stiles and Crombie will be stuck in their respective hot seats, looking over their shoulders. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? 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