Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.
Before we dig in, a quick word: This week, we’re celebrating our second birthday! Since that first send, we’ve churned out hundreds of issues, landed plenty of scoops and built a must-read at Queen’s Park every Monday morning. None of this work would be possible without you, dear readers, who rely on us each week to navigate the Pink Palace with clarity that doesn’t spare egos.
Whether you’re reading on the commute, forwarding it to your boss, or ringing me at 8 a.m. to set the record straight, your support has kept us independent, growing — and just annoying enough to the right people. I’m grateful you’re here.
Not subscribed? Use code “POLICORNER25” before Friday to save 25% on your first year.
SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
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SCOOP — Two candidates in the heated Liberal nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest are privately encouraging their supporters to rank the other as their number-two choice on the ballot, in a push to send Nate Erskine-Smith home empty-handed on Saturday.
The informal deal between Ahsanul Hafiz, vice-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario), and former candidate Qadira Jackson — hammered out through intermediaries over the last few weeks — was described by several sources in and around each campaign, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss strategy they weren’t authorized to discuss publicly. Neither candidate responded when reached for comment.
“We’re encouraging our people to rank Qadira second,” a source on Hafiz’s campaign said. “At the end of the day, either one will be happy with the other winning — so they’re choosing to support each other.”
The source said their candidate brought in around 1,600 members, and expects most of those supporters to rank Jackson second. “Many know her personally. Many have interacted with her, and it seems they like what she represents,” the source added. “We expect many will rank her second.”
Over on Jackson’s campaign, a second source, who says they’ve signed about 850 new members, described a similar approach. Neither candidate is expected to publicly acknowledge the alliance, but the source says coordination will pick up pace this week, with both campaigns expected to send out illustrative ballots on Saturday telling supporters exactly how to rank each candidate.
“It’s being called the ‘Scarborough First’ agreement,” the source added. “If there is any chance to beat Nate, they understand it would be a collective effort.”
The reaction: “He thought this would be a coronation. Instead, it’s a chance for members who oppose him to take him out before the leadership race even begins,” said one operative. Added a second: “It is only a natural consequence that others will work against him.”
The context: Whether the strategy holds — or Erskine-Smith wins anyway — will depend entirely on turnout. “It’s a question of who shows up,” the source on Hafiz’s campaign said. If Erskine-Smith’s ground game outpaces Hafiz and Jackson’s, the cross-ranking strategy may not be enough to close a gap — regardless of how many supporters follow through on their second-choice rankings.
Erskine-Smith isn’t biting. “Our focus is on the conversations we’re having with voters in Scarborough Southwest every single day,” the campaign said in a statement. “That’s how nominations are won, and that’s where our energy is.”
By the numbers: Some 3,528 card-carrying Liberals are expected to be eligible to vote on Saturday, according to a preliminary list shared with campaigns over the weekend, though the total is subject to change.
A message from Alto:
— The House is back. If you’re counting, T-4 weeks — a total of 16 days — to summer adjournment.
Coming up: The House will vote on second reading of Bill 105 and 99 this morning. Later, NDP MPP Catherine Fife will table “Lydia’s Law” (which the Tories yanked from debate last go-around) — and Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth’s motion, urging the Ford government to “preserve the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” will be debated.
Also expected: NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s bill to tighten whistleblower protections for corrections workers, require routine public reporting on overcrowding and give the Inspector General more authority to probe complaints. (The bill has support from the family of Soleiman Faqiri, who died in jail in 2016.)
No word yet on the rest of the week’s business.
Outside the precinct: This morning, Premier Doug Ford spoke t a sold-out Canadian Club breakfast. Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli will then sat down with Laryssa Waler to talk economic strategy.
— Fundraising watch: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the Tories are hosting a $1,000-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto. RSVP.
— Also happening:
— 🍴 On the lunch menu: Monday: Barbecued jerk chicken with rice and vegetables. Tuesday: Ginger beef with rice and stir-fry vegetables. Wednesday: Pork schnitzel with spaetzle and vegetable. Thursday: Fish and chips. Friday: Peri Peri chicken with potatoes and vegetables.
— Back in Scarborough: Fatima Shaban is in as the NDP’s standard-bearer, while Gary Crawford says he’s “had a few conversations” about carrying the Progressive Conservative banner.
Furey brings the heat: Former Toronto Sun columnist Anthony Furey took aim at Nate Erskine-Smith last week of a “very unethical use of taxpayer dollars” after placing an ad on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue — just metres from the east-side boundary of the riding he’s contesting.
(We checked in with Furey on whether he’d be interested in running for the Tories. No response, though one operative didn’t waste a second: “I’d cut him a cheque right now.”)
— Dr. Doug: Ford “received an honorary doctorate from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan on Saturday, where he delivered a commencement address to graduating students… Wearing a black cap and gown, Ford used the speech to reflect on his time living and working in the United States, telling graduates he spent nearly two decades building his family’s printing business south of the border.” More from Global.
The reaction: “Ford gets a free degree in the U.S. while taking OSAP away from Ontario students,” said NDP leader Marit Stiles.
Meanwhile: The Tories didn’t let the graduation go to waste. Here’s a Saturday email from Tony Miele, the party’s fundraising chair:
— Where’s the love: “Health Minister Sylvia Jones rebuked the Ontario Hospital Association for a lack of gratitude over an extra $1.1 billion in funding for the province’s 135 public hospitals.” The Star has more.
— Odd allies: “Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he is all for his provincial counterpart’s move because the expansion of the Billy Bishop Airport on the waterfront would be great for the economy and the environment.” He asked: “Why would we not want business travellers to arrive in our business district?” More here.
Enter Stiles: The NDP leader is urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to kill the Ford government’s “callous land grab.”
Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef writes: “While the Liberal government has a tripartite duty to speak up and defend Toronto’s legitimate stake in the future of Billy Bishop, they’re also directly connected to plans already being made.”
— Laying it at the boss’s feet: The jet move and access-to-information changes were “personally driven” by Ford, Rob Benzie writes — seeking easier travel and less scrutiny over his cellphone records.
The reaction: “To which our response was, well, yeah. We’d figured that out all by ourselves. But what struck us as interesting wasn’t the content of the leaks, but the existence of the leaks… These kinds of leaks aren’t unheard of, but they’re not common. And we’re starting to wonder if some of the people around Ford are starting to get a bit nervous about his remaining political longevity.”
— Sue the silence: “An advocacy group is planning to file a constitutional challenge to Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, arguing it breaches the right of voters to be informed for a meaningful debate about public issues.”
— Mega wall: “A huge ‘video wall’ on the side of the massive parking facility that the Ford government is working toward building on the Toronto waterfront could be used for any number of things, according to Ontario’s tourism minister.” Read on.
— Betsy Powell has more on how the death of a 12-year-old has revealed a “catastrophic” failure in children’s aid.
🎧 Missed this? On last week’s episode of The Insiders, Laryssa Waler, Erin Morrison, Sharan Kaur and I broke down the Premier’s decision to buy — and then sell back — a $28.9 million Bombardier Challenger 650. Plus: the latest in the Liberal leadership contest. Listen here.
We’re back Monday, May 11 on your favourite podcast app.
A message from Alto:
— A new poll by the Tories’ favourite polling shop has Doug Ford with a shrinking ten-point lead, at 39 per cent.
— Seen: Brad Bradford has registered to run for Toronto mayor. He was out and about over the weekend, meeting with Stephanie Smyth, Vince Gassparo, Brad Duguid and Case Ootes.
Noted: Laryssa Waler is in charge of communications for Bradford, with Isha Chaudhuri as press secretary.
The campaign is already calling out a Star story on Progress Toronto’s surprise integrity complaint against the candidate. Waler said: “The Toronto Star knows this complaint is garbage but they lead with the headline anyway. It was a deliberate choice.”
No word yet on when Olivia Chow will register.
Noted: Diana Chan McNally and Nadia Guerrera are running in Parkdale-High Park, the ward currently represented by Gord Perks; Gabe Blanc will challenge Dianne Saxe in University-Rosedale; and Chiara Padovani registered to run against Frances Nunziata in York South-Weston.
In Mississauga: Alvin Tedjo and Carolyn Parrish have registered to run. Bonnie Crombie, facing a promised “army” from the Premier, hasn’t said what she’ll do. (Tedjo told John Moore last week that the idea of Crombie running felt “like an ex-boyfriend trying to get back together.”)
Who’s who: Parrish has put George Carlson in charge of the campaign. Nick Kouvalis has also joined the campaign, where he’s handling her polling. Ryan Vopni is Tedjo’s campaign manager, with Kelly Singh as his deputy.
Noted: Natalie Hart is running in Ward 5, where she’ll face Aruna Anand, an insurance advisor (and wife of PC MPP Deepak Anand). In Ward 2, Peter McCallion hasn’t ruled out a run. Also rumoured: Elizabeth Mendes, the executive director of Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Over in Ward 7, no word from Dipika Damerla on whether she’ll run again.
In Brampton: Patrick Brown will seek a third term. “He is busy with his mayoral duties and campaigning for another term comes second to the work of the city,” a spokesperson said.
To put this one to bed: Jagmeet Singh won’t run against Brown.
In Hamilton: Andrea Horwath is up against Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction and the runner-up in the last race.
In Oakville: No decision yet from Rob Burton, while Sean O’Meara, Jeff Knoll and Julia Hanna have already registered.
In Burlington: Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns will challenge Marianne Meed Ward. Nisan says he wants “a more disciplined, practical approach to decision-making,” while Kearns says she’s “run out of confidence in the current state” of the city.
In Milton: Sameera Ali will challenge Gord Krantz.
In Ottawa: Alex Lawson, Jeff Leiper and Neil Saravanamuttoo have registered to run against Mark Sutcliffe.
— Noted: Bonnie Crombie and Patrick Brown will speak at the Municipal Masterclass conference on May 14.
Also speaking: Marianne Meed Ward, David West, Lily Cheng, Cam Guthrie, Josh Matlow, Dipika Damerla, David Valentin, Blue Knox, Tom Allison, Sameera Ali, Christine Simundson, Keanin Loomis, Aleem Kanji, Cristina Tenaglia, Ahmad Elbayoumi and more. Buy a ticket.
— The Trillium has made the cut for the Michener Award, Canada’s top journalism prize.
— Tina Yazdani is now with The Trillium. “I wanted to handle the matter privately with Rogers, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and I am now having to take formal steps to address the situation because I do feel strongly that the way my employment ended was unfair,” she said last week.
— Kathryn Marshall will act on behalf of Yazdani. (Marshall is also representing Travis Dhanraj in his front-page case against the public broadcaster.)
Recall: CityNews cut ties with Yazdani in April, and at least two of her stories about the Ford government quietly disappeared from their website without explanation. A spokesperson acknowledged her departure, but wouldn’t say why she was let go — or why the stories were taken down.
Thank you for reading POLICORNER. Who will take the Liberal nomination in Scarborough Southwest? I’ll be on the ground on Saturday. Think you’ve got our next scoop? Hit me up — anonymity guaranteed, just like the sources you’re wondering about. We’re back in your inbox on Monday.
Got 5+ on your team? Team subscriptions are available. Got a client with a message to reach the province’s most powerful players? Ask for our ad rates. Reach out.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now.