(Ontario’s Minister of Children and Youth Services Tracy MacCharles Feeling The Heat On New Autism Policy) The Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA) issued a scathing letter to Tracy MacCharles who is Ontario’s Minister of Children and Youth Services over the latest policy to strip intensive behavioural therapy from thousands of Ontario kids over 5. […]
Tag: Ontario politics
Mind Bending Politics: Kathleen Wynne’s All Out Assault on Autistic Kids Continues With New Developments
(Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Decisions on Autism Services Politics Not Evidence Based Experts Say) There has been very strong reaction to Kathleen Wynne’s decision to de-fund therapy for kids with Autism, from experts to advocates to politicians. Wynne looks to have picked a fight with the wrong crowd, and there are developments that the situation is getting […]
Mind Bending Politics: Ontario Set To Terminate Needed Therapy for a Vast Swath of Autistic Kids
(Parents Upset At Recent Changes To Autism Services In Ontario) The Ontario government recently announced changes it is going to make to the services autistic kids receive in the province. The Ontario government is looking at terminating intensive behavioral intervention therapy (IBI) for kids 5 and over, and pump more money into the controversial applied […]
Mind Bending Politics: Parent’s Plea To Stop The Bullying In Her Child’s School Goes Viral
(York Region District School Board Still Plagued With Accountability and Bullying Issues Seven Years After High Profile Rally) Back in 2009, over 400 students walked out of their classrooms denouncing staff at Keswick High School’s decision to wrongfully suspend an Asian student who was the subject of bullying. This incident in 2009 took the […]
Mind Bending Politics: Ontario Ombudsman: A Watch Dog That Isn’t Watching PT.1
(Ontario’s Watch Dog Caught Not Watching) The Ontario Ombudsman’s office recently got new powers to investigate school boards, municipalities and universities. The early months of these new expanded powers has seen this office more run like a customer service wing of government rather than one with investigative powers to resolve issues. In fact, the […]
Mind Bending Politics: No Accountability on Provincial Funds, As Ontario’s Finances Are in Major Trouble
The Liberal Party in Ontario has been in power for over a decade. Most governments regardless of party get a little bit too comfy in their positions to actually govern and show up for work when called upon. In the last election, the people of Ontario rejected the far right position of austerity (many still […]
BigCityLib Strikes Back: On PCPO Leader Patrick Brown: A Brief Note
If this whole “Premier of Ontario” gig fails to materialize he could do gay porn. Because he’s in bang-up shape, and this seems to matter far more in gay porn. Whereas a lot of guys on the straight side of the biz show cellulite.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Is it good news or bad news for the Conservatives if Stephen Harper trumps Trump tonight?
PHOTOS: Stephen Harper, as imagined during tonight’s TV debate. (Photo of Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore.) Below: The real Mr. Harper and another shot of the real Mr. Trump. Now, about that debate tonight, the big question has to be whether it will help the Conservatives or hurt them when
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Luddites of Education
Throughout my career as a high school teacher, I believed, as I still do, that education is one of the prime tools by which society can be bettered and critical thinking cultivated. And yet there are Luddites among us who would severely circumscribe the use of this all-important mechanism, preferring
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Connecting The Dots?
Here in Ontario, Premier Kathleen Wynne’s decision to sell off 60% of Hydro One, the very profitable public utility that generated a pre-tax income of $803 million in 2013, is causing quite a storm of outrage. Despite her promise to put all profits from the sale toward transportation structure, the
Continue readingreeves report: Unreleased government report shows no benefits to neonic use
A honey bee collecting pollin. Environmental group Friends of the Earth Canada are calling on the Ontario government to implement an outright ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides after a leaked government report shows no positive economic gains from the pesticide’s use. Draft findings from Canada’s Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency
Continue readingreeves report: Ontario Anti-Fracking Bill Passes Second Reading
NDP MPP Peter Tabuns speaking with reporters at Queen’s Park. (CBC News Image.) A PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL from Toronto-area NDP MPP Peter Tabuns to ban fracking in the province passed second reading Thursday by a 29-18 vote with support from the governing Liberals. “Water or gas — that’s our choice,” Tabuns explained
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: And Speaking Of Fanatics
While right-wing religious zealots like Pat Robertson and Gordon Klingenschmitt are the two crazed evangelicals I most frequently highlight in my blog, we would all be very naive to believe we lack home grown examples of the corrupting influence the bully pulpit can bestow. Here in Ontario, for example, the
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Ontario’s brave new cap and trade program
The Globe and Mail just broke the story on what will likely be the defining component of Kathleen Wynne’s legacy: The Ontario Liberals are introducing a big cap and trade plan. Details are sparse as yet, but it looks like they will be joining the …
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Ontario’s brave new cap and trade program
The Globe and Mail just broke the story on what will likely be the defining component of Kathleen Wynne’s legacy: The Ontario Liberals are introducing a big cap and trade plan. Details are sparse as yet, but it looks like they will be joining the Quebec/California regime. This is huge news,
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Ontario’s brave new cap and trade program
The Globe and Mail just broke the story on what will likely be the defining component of Kathleen Wynne’s legacy: The Ontario Liberals are introducing a big cap and trade plan. Details are sparse as yet, but it looks like they will be joining the Quebec/California regime. This is huge news,
Continue readingreeves report: Opposition Bill Wants Ontario to Ban Fracking
NDP MPP Peter Tabuns speaking with reporters at Queen’s Park. (CBC News Image.) New Democratic MPP Peter Tabuns introduced a private member’s bill Wednesday encouraging the Liberals to adopt a ban on hydraulic fracturing in the province. Tabuns, a former executive director of Greenpeace Canada and his party’s Environment and
Continue readingOn Last Night’s News: My thoughts on the TTC fare increase
I appeared on Global News Toronto last night on behalf of TTC Riders to offer a few comments on the TTC fare increase coming into effect this weekend. Even though they spelled my name wrong, I was happy to have some good quotes make it into the online and broadcast
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Why Has Accepting Scientific Fact Become A Matter Of Choice?
Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean. They speak different languages and use different powers of the brain. -Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership As the quotation above suggests, the schism between scientific fact and religious belief is, in
Continue reading350 or bust: Ontario Government Launches Climate Change Discussion Paper
* Citizen-based lobby group applauds Ontario Government’s public engagement on greening the economy Hundreds of citizen climate lobbyists to participate in new discussion paper to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (Sudbury, ON) – Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) applauds the government of Ontario for initiating public discussion on plans
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