A Porter passenger plane takes off from Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto on March 23.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail
On May 4, Queen’s Park reporters Laura Stone and Jeff Gray answered reader questions about Ontario politics, including Doug Ford’s latest policy decisions and how the new bills could affect the province.
In just the past month, the provincial government introduced legislation to seize the City of Toronto’s stake in its Billy Bishop Airport, fast-tracked changes to its freedom-of-information laws that will shield Premier Doug Ford’s cellphone records from the public, and bought, then quickly sold, a $28.9-million private jet.
Readers asked about the government’s plans with Toronto’s airport, as well as the frontrunners for Liberal leadership. Here are some highlights from the Q&A.
Jets and airports
What happened with the private jet? How was Doug Ford allowed to buy it without consulting anyone in the first place?
Laura Stone: The private jet episode has dominated discussions at Queen’s Park ever since its purchase was first revealed on April 17. Only two days later, the Ford government announced it would be selling the plane – and in an interview onstage with me at The Globe’s Intersect conference on April 22, the Premier said he’d sold the plane back to Bombardier for the same price ($28.9-million). Mr. Ford has assured the press (as recently as last week) that we’ll receive documentation about the sale – but so far we haven’t received it.
Doug Ford says he reversed course on private jet purchase after hearing public’s concerns
Who was consulted? Well, we know that Mr. Ford’s cabinet approved the purchase. But it was not, at least explicitly, contained in the recent provincial budget. And the government didn’t come out and explain the purchase right away. Mr. Ford has said it was “bad communications” and that he heard loud and clear from the public that now is not the “right time” for a jet – but he also blamed the media for the backlash he received. The opposition parties continue to press the government for more details about the “gravy plane.”
Who does Premier Ford think will benefit from a bigger, noisier, more polluted and congested Billy Bishop airport, other than the airlines, and contractors who build and supply the airport?
Jeff Gray: We know very little about any planning or analysis that the government has done in advance of the Premier’s moves to take some extraordinary measures aimed at expanding Billy Bishop Airport and allowing jets.
When the province’s legislation to expropriate the city’s stake in the facility was introduced, Mr. Ford’s Transportation Minister could not answer simple questions about the plans, such as how long the expanded runway needs to be. (The Toronto Port Authority’s CEO subsequently told me it could require 900 metres in added landmass, most of it expected to jut into Lake Ontario to the west of the airport. He also said that draft plans would not be finalized for months.)
Mr. Ford has said he believes expanding Billy Bishop will create jobs and economic growth and that it will provide better competition for Pearson International Airport. He has also said that the island airport, closer to downtown, is more convenient. He calls it a “crown jewel” and says many cities have second airports.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at an event at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on March 23.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Should we be worried that the Ontario government is capable of expropriating the rest of the Toronto Islands through the airport expansion?
Gray: Here’s what we know: The government’s proposed legislation on Billy Bishop allows for the potential expropriation of swaths of land both across the Toronto Islands, and across from the airport on the mainland. Part of the reason for that is that the bill lists land by Property Identification Number (PIN), which is how land is catalogued. Most of the Toronto Islands beyond where the airport sits now – mostly parkland and beaches – are in fact covered by a single PIN, meaning the legislation as written technically would allow the Ford government to take over all of it, if it so chose.
Ontario could seize most of Toronto Islands under proposed legislation, but province says it won’t
However, a spokeswoman for Ontario’s Transportation Minister told me the government will work with the city to narrow the land that is required. And the president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, RJ Steenstra, said his plans do not require swaths of extra island land at all – just a chunk of Little Norway Park on the mainland that will be turned into an expanded mainland terminal, with other land handed to the city to make up the difference.
Changes to freedom-of-information laws
Why did the Ontario government change its freedom-of-information laws?
Stone: That depends on who you ask! The government says it’s to update 40-year-old legislation and to move Ontario in line with the federal government and other provinces. However, Ontario’s changes go even further – while the federal government does exclude the prime minister’s office and cabinet ministers from FOIs, it does require certain documents in those offices to be released.
Ontario’s changes are also retroactive. The changes also shield Doug Ford’s cellphone records from the public, which the government had been fighting in court. The Premier has been asked many times about this, and he says he doesn’t want personal details of his calls to be released. However, personal information was always to be protected. The opposition parties have tried to keep up the pressure on the government over this, with the Liberals introducing a motion to force a vote on the FOI changes.
Nate Erskine-Smith speaks to the media as he walks out of Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute after losing the Ontario Liberal Party nomination in the riding of Scarborough Southwest in Toronto on Saturday, May 9.Arlyn McAdorey/The Globe and Mail
Liberal leadership race
Who are the frontrunners for Liberal leadership? What state is the party in right now?
Stone: There’s a lot of interest in this leadership race at Queen’s Park. Right now, all eyes are on former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains, who is seriously considering a run. Mr. Bains recently left his high-profile job at Rogers Communications, further fuelling speculation that he will enter the race. He served in senior roles in former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government, including as minister of innovation, science and industry, as well as in key organizing roles for the federal Liberal party.
The other name considered a frontrunner is Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith – though losing his bid for the Ontario Liberal nomination in the east Toronto riding of Scarborough Southwest will certainly make it tougher for him.
The other contenders are housing advocate Eric Lombardi, and Liberal MPPs Lee Fairclough and Rob Cerjanec are also said to be considering a run. The new leader will be named on Nov. 21.
Looking towards the next election
Some of Doug Ford’s recent moves have caused his poll numbers to drop. Does popularity matter given that the next election is years away?
Stone: Yes, polling has come up quite a bit in recent days, with observers suggesting the changes to freedom-of-information laws and the scrapped plane purchase have been driving down Doug Ford’s popularity. Even today, Mr. Ford told reporters if an election were held, he would win another majority. The Premier does have time on his side – an election doesn’t need to happen until 2030 – and who knows what will happen by then. He has said publicly he wants to run for a fourth term, but that could a tricky feat, especially if there are others in the Progressive Conservative party with leadership aspirations. The Liberals also don’t have a leader right now, so the higher polling numbers could be the result of the federal party’s numbers pushing them up. We’ll see what happens when the Ontario Liberals choose their new leader on November 21.