Minister of Children and Youth Services Micheal Coteau has been a champion of human rights especially in the black community and around racism, but when it comes to autistic kids it may be a different story. Coteau made an announcement yesterday that was very short on detail regarding the
Continue readingTag: accountability
Mind Bending Politics: Epic Battle Ensued With YRDSB To Give Georgina Residents a Choice
One of the major issues facing school board accountability in Ontario is that when school boards appoint trustees, boards tend to favor appointees who are friendly with the board and tend to vote with the board. In politics it’s extremely hard to unseat an incumbent, so many board appointees
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Minister Coteau Finally Sighted By Parents On The Autism File
Micheal Coteau the Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services as been somewhat like a Sasquatch to many in the autism community. There have been reported sightings, but often those reports come with fuzzy details, and then he seems to vanish into the wilderness of Queen’s Park. Almost a year
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your long weekend reading. – Cole Stangler interviews Raquel Garrido about the political critique behind Jean-Luc Melenchon’s emerging presidential campaign – and it sounds equally applicable in Canada: One of the reasons why the current regime is lacking consent in French society is because the process for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Andrew Jackson writes about the opportunities missed when governments restrict their economic policy to propping up the corporate sector, rather than seeking to innovate directly in the public interest: The received wisdom among economists used to be that governments should just set
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: York Board Sets Georgina Community Consultation For March 23rd, 2017
The York Region District School Board [YRDSB] has set its “community consultation” on how to fill the vacant seat in Georgina for March 23rd, 2017. This is remarkably right after March break, when most parents are getting caught up on other things, and very little notification is being given
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: YRDSB Leadership Crisis Builds As True Cost of Trustee By-Election Not Known
YRDSB Chair Loralea Carruthers (right) Still Dealing with Massive Public Confidence Issues This past week there was much indecision at the York Region District School Board [YRDSB] on how to fill former Trustee Nancy Elgie’s seat, punting the ball in an unprecedented move to the people of Georgina. Trustee Elgie
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading: – Percy Downe notes that both the Harper Cons and Trudeau Libs have stood in the way of identifying and recouping tens of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes – leaving everybody else to pay the share of tax evaders. And Riley Sparks
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading: – Percy Downe notes that both the Harper Cons and Trudeau Libs have stood in the way of identifying and recouping tens of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes – leaving everybody else to pay the share of tax evaders. And Riley Sparks
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Serious Questions Remain as York School Board Trustee Steps Down
(York School Board Trustee Nancy Elgie Tenders Her Resignation via Youtube) Yesterday York Region District School Board [YRDSB] Trustee Nancy Elgie told her constituents via a Youtube video that she would be stepping down as a Trustee, months after uttering a racial slur by “mistake”. In the almost 10 minute
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: The Circus That Is Our Unaccountable Education System Coming to A School Board Near You
(Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Likely To Read From A Blank Book On School Board Accountability) Over the past few months, the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) in Ontario has been embroiled in controversy surrounding governance, accountability, and racial tensions. The governing Liberal Party of Ontario promised to get to
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Ministry’s Hands Are Tied On The Racial Slurs Of Trustee Elgie
(The York Region District School Board Acted To Protect Trustee Nancy Elgie From a Code of Conduct Review) This week has been a very tough week for the York Region District School Board (YRDSB). After Tuesday’s emotional meeting with parents, and bizarre apology for racial slurs by Trustee Nancy Elgie,
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Head Injury to Blame For Racial Behavior At York Region District School Board
(York Trustee Nancy Elgie Blames Racial Slurs on Head Injury as Public Calls for Her Resignation Grow Louder) The scandal ridden York Region District School Board met with emotional parents Tuesday night. Many parents in York Region are concerned about the level of accountability the York Region District School Board
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A carbon tax—an ethical imperative
The following article was published in the Calgary Herald on January 7th under my byline. You can read it here, along with comments, or below. A carbon tax allows us to clean up after ourselvesLike most people, one of the life lessons I learned at my mother’s knee was that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A carbon tax—an ethical imperative
The following article was published in the Calgary Herald on January 7th under my byline. You can read it here, along with comments, or below. A carbon tax allows us to clean up after ourselvesLike most people, one of the life lessons I learned at my mother’s knee was that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Lynn Parramore interviews Mariana Mazzucato about the options available to build a more fair and inclusive economy even in the face of corporatist leaders like Donald Trump: LP: In your earlier book, The Entrepreneurial State, you describe a model of capitalism that
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Ministry Responds To My Open Letter To Minister Coteau
As many of you may remember I wrote an open letter to the Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services Micheal Coteau regarding some concerns I had with the transition process, and with my son’s situation. I was hoping for a direct response from Minister Coteau instead I received
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Brace Yourselves, The New Ontario Autism Program is Coming
The Toronto Star recently sat down with the Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau to discuss changes being made to autism services in Ontario. A common theme is starting to emerge over the past few months since the announcement of the new Ontario Autism Program. The
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Open Letter to Minister Michael Coteau MYCS – Ontario
Minister Coteau, I received a letter from the central region of your ministry while I had expected an answer regarding my complaint against Kinark directly from your office. Part of this complaint was to raise policy concerns to your office directly regarding the lack accountability of AIPs while your office further and directly investigated my […]
Continue readingMind Bending Politics: Why Is Premier Kathleen Wynne Misinforming Parents on The New Autism Program?
This question was asked by Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown in question period twice today, only to be asked by the speaker of the legislature to withdrawal the questions. Question I would like to pose; why is the speaker of the Ontario legislature shutting down completely legitimate questions to the government? This latest bought […]
Continue reading