Jessica Smith Cross

Clients of lobby firms connected to premier, his nephew given tens of millions in training funds Groups represented by a lobbying firm owned by the premier’s campaign manager got more than $100 million in grant money, a Trillium analysis has found

NEW: Clients of lobby firms connected to the premier and his nephew were given tens of millions from the Skills Development Fund.

Clients of Rubicon — a lobbying firm owned by the premier’s campaign manager — got more than $100M, records show.

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NEW: The feds are going to be in touch with the province on the AG's Skills Development Fund report, and they don't sound happy.

They want to ensure their funds were spent “effectively and transparently," and are seeking "due diligence" and "mitigation measures."🔒
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BREAKING: Ford government skills training funding ‘not fair, transparent or accountable’: auditor general Ford government labour ministers overruled civil servants to fund skills training by groups with lobbyists, according to a scathing new report

BREAKING: Ford government skills training funding ‘not fair, transparent or accountable’: auditor general

Ford government labour ministers overruled civil servants to fund skills training by groups with lobbyists, according to a scathing new report

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New Skills Development Fund story from @charliepinkerton.bsky.social

A company that specializes in helping dentists sell their practices was given $2 million to train workers when its CEO worked closely with the wife of the then-cabinet minister responsible for the funding program.

Update to this story on a group that trains people to work in clubs run by Zlatko Starkovski, a longtime Ford Nation figure: Ontario's public accounts show the group got an additional $3.3M in grants from the Skills Development Fund last year, for a total of more than $9.8M.

More on the Skills Development Fund from me.

Group training workers for ‘Rob Ford’s favourite nightclub owner’ got $6.5M in provincial skills development funding Training takes place at Zlatko Starkovski’s event venue at Exhibition Place

Group training workers for ‘Rob Ford’s favourite nightclub owner’ got $6.5M in provincial skills development funding

Main voting closed at Ontario Liberal convention, Bonnie Crombie awaits her fate Meanwhile, party members got pro-Bonnie robocalls and texts urging them to 'Please vote no to a leadership contest'

Main voting closed at Ontario Liberal convention, Bonnie Crombie awaits her fate

VIDEO: Bonnie voyage? Liberals decide this weekend if Crombie stays or goes Tonight on Village Media's new 'Closer Look' podcast: We preview a big weekend for the Ontario Liberals — and revisit our recent interview with the party leader who insists she's 'not going anywhere'

VIDEO: Bonnie voyage? Liberals decide this weekend if Crombie stays or goes

Father of boy with autism charged with threatening to kill Doug Ford ‘I just want our kids supported’: Ryan Nelson, charged earlier this year in connection with violent online content, spoke to The Trillium about his experience with autism services in Ontario

Father of boy with autism charged with threatening to kill Doug Ford

Minister’s office insisted restaurateurs be granted millions despite ‘late’ and ‘low’ scoring application: emails One of the company's owners had donated thousands to the PC party and was friendly with a key Ford aide, according to three well-placed sources

Minister’s office insisted restaurateurs be granted millions despite ‘late’ and ‘low’ scoring application: emails

Ontarians split on Liberal leadership race: poll A Pallas Data poll shows no clear consensus among Liberal supporters or Ontarians at large about whether to replace Bonnie Crombie, and no clear successor waiting in the wings

Ontarians split on Liberal leadership race: poll

Ford friend's company seeking $500M from Metrolinx in expropriation dispute A development group wants a tribunal to force the transit agency to compensate it for air rights in downtown Toronto that it agreed to buy, but hadn’t paid for

Ford friend's company seeking $500M from Metrolinx in expropriation dispute

Doug Ford's PCs spent six figures on 'Canada Is Not For Sale' hats in election campaign The hats were central to Ford's Conservatives' branding during their successful 2025 campaign

Doug Ford's PCs spent six figures on 'Canada Is Not For Sale' hats in election campaign

Meet the bagman: the Ontario PC fundraising chief and his developer ties The top fundraiser for Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives works for developers, while also raising money from them for the party

Meet the bagman: the Ontario PC fundraising chief and his developer ties

Meet the bagman: the Ontario PC fundraising chief and his developer ties The top fundraiser for Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives works for developers, while also raising money from them for the party

Meet the bagman.

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Ontario reveals five-storey Ontario Place parking garage; Science Centre still TBD 'You'll barely even see' the garage: Ford

Ontario reveals five-storey Ontario Place parking garage; Science Centre still TBD

Ford apologizes for ‘hat-in-hand’ comment about First Nations Anishinabek Nation chiefs accept his apology but Bill 5 issues remain, grand chief says

Ford apologizes for ‘hat-in-hand’ comment about First Nations

Leak allegation sparks row between 'Mr. X' and local mayor John Mutton, a former mayor of Clarington, is demanding an apology from the current mayor over a public allegation about a leaked document concerning a piece of land granted a provincial MZO for an affordable housing development

Leak allegation sparks row between 'Mr. X' and local mayor

How Metrolinx’s plan to deliver European-style train service went off the rails GO Expansion will still transform Greater Golden Horseshoe transit — but likely won’t be as ambitious as what was planned just three years ago

NEW: How Metrolinx’s plan to deliver European-style train service went off the rails

@jackhauen.bsky.social got excruciating detail on MX's split with Deutsche Bahn on the GO expansion, and the scope reduction for all-day, two-way GO

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Ford government announces plans for 'Indigenous-led economic zones' under Bill 5 Facing mounting opposition from First Nations, the premier's office announced a pivot

New: The Ford government has announced a plan to use its proposed "special economic zones" bill to create "Indigenous-led economic zones," after consulting with Indigenous partners over the summer.

It comes after increasing pressure from Indigenous communities.

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So,👆seems aimed at forcing the government members to swallow having to vote down preventing the powers from being used in those ways — a fear of labour groups — or amending the bill so they actually can’t be.

The NDP also got amendments in — they would prevent the special economic zone powers from being used to exempt any proponents or projects from the Labour Relations Act, Employment Standards Act, or Human Rights Code.

The NDP also recommend voting against that schedule altogether.

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The government has put forward some amendments to Bill 5 but I’m told there are more coming. These initial ones are mostly technical tweaks, plus the promised preamble change to reflect Indigenous rights.

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Toronto Zoo proposes biobank 'backup' for species at risk if Bill 5 passes But technology that can bring back woolly mammoths and dire wolves won't save species — safe habitats will: Zoo

"I think a lot of people have probably been caught up in the hype around woolly mammoths and dire wolves," he said.

"Technology isn't going to save these species," said zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. "Safe spaces will."

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YouTube video by TVO Today Ontario's 2025 trade war budget | #onpoli

Ontario has delivered its budget for 2025 during an uncertain time for the Canadian economy. On the #onpoli podcast @spaikin.bsky.social, @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social, and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social discuss the ins and outs of the budget.

This was a blast. The podcast on live TV format was somehow both causally relaxed and exciting. Which is how I love to discuss the budget.

It’s budget day in Ontario: Tonight we have Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, opposition critics @chandrapasma.bsky.social, @stephaniebowman.bsky.social, and @mikeschreiner.bsky.social, followed by #onpoli with @spaikin.bsky.social, @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social, and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social

YouTube video by TVO Today Has Donald Trump flipped the script on the Canadian election? | #onpoli

Has Donald Trump flipped the script on the Canadian election? @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social (The Trillium) discuss how the Liberal Party's fortunes have changed amidst Trump's trade threats, and how Canada's premiers are benefiting. #onpoli #cdnpoli

Doug Ford’s former assistant broke law lobbying for Greenbelt removals: integrity commissioner The commissioner found the lobbyist broke registration rules, offered officials Leafs tickets, and dinged him for other work lobbying an ‘office holder’ confirmed by The Trillium as Premier Ford

NEW from @charliepinkerton.bsky.social

Doug Ford’s former assistant broke the law lobbying for Greenbelt removals: integrity commissioner
The commissioner also dinged him for other work lobbying an ‘office holder’ — confirmed by The Trillium as Premier Ford

www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...