Details

Written by: Gordon Prentice

Published: 04 November 2024

Two long running appeals to Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) requesting Southlake Regional Health Centre disclose key records relating to their now abandoned plans for a new acute hospital at Bathurst in the Protected Greenbelt have ended their so-called “mediation” phase.  The appeals are to be transferred to an Adjudicator later this month who will decide whether to conduct an inquiry. 

In the mediation phase of an appeal the IPC tries to get all the parties to reach a settlement. But if that is not possible and the matter is not fully settled

“an Adjudicator may conduct an Inquiry to dispose of some or all of the issues in the Appeal.”

The Adjudicator has powers to order the release of records that have been withheld.

The IPC’s Code of Procedure which guides the process is here. 

Preliminary Concept Plan

Southlake has repeatedly refused to release its “Preliminary Concept Plan” and records showing the location of the proposed hospital and other buildings considered for construction on the Rice lands. Southlake is withholding records on the grounds that (a) information had been supplied by third parties which should not be made public, and (b) disclosure would adversely affect the economic and other interests of Ontario. (This catchall provision protects records where disclosure could allegedly damage an institution's economic or other interests.)

Southlake relies on sections 17 and 18 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The records at issue include those parts of the draft and final Southlake Land Solutions Report which was released in a heavily redacted form and Southlake’s own land solutions report, again heavily redacted, which was presented to the first meeting of the Board’s Land Acquisition Sub Committee. Also in play are various drawings.

Public Interest Override

A second appeal concerns records within the category of Southlake’s “Capital Projects” file. These records include site sketches and various email chains. Again, Southlake relies on the s17 and s18 provisions of the Act to withhold records relating to third party information and the “economic and other interests of Ontario”. 

The Adjudicator is also being asked to consider applying the “public interest override” (s23 of the Act) which would set aside the s17 and s18 exemptions.

The Act says exemption from disclosure of a record under sections 17 and 18 (and other specified sections) does not apply 

“where a compelling public interest in the disclosure of the record clearly outweighs the purpose of the exemption.” 

This is manifestly the case here. We need to know the truth of what happened.

Crisis of Conscience

Two years ago, on Tuesday 1 November 2022, the developer Michael Rice offered land for a new hospital to Southlake’s then Chief Executive, Arden Krystal. Rice bought the 2.7 sq km tract of Greenbelt land in the rural Municipality of King on 15 September 2022 for $80M.

At that meeting Rice’s presentation to Arden Krystal and Southlake’s Vice President of Capital Facilities and Business Development, John Marshman, showed a plan of the Bathurst lands with the Southlake logo straddling the Rice lands and those to the south owned by land agent and former Southlake Board member, John Dunlap. This has never been explained.

On 16 November 2022 Marshman met Rice at his Markham HQ. It is inconceivable there would have been no discussion about the hospital location.

Land Acquisition Sub Committee

On 5 December 2022 Marshman chaired the first meeting of Southlake Board’s Land Acquisition Sub Committee which again placed the proposed hospital on lands owned by Rice and Dunlap. The colour coding highlighting lands owned by Rice, prominent in the first presentation on 1 November 2022, had been removed for this meeting.

Earlier, on either 28 or 29 September 2022 at the Rice Group’s HQ, Michael Rice handed over documents, maps and plans to Ryan Amato, then Chief of Staff to Housing Minister, Steve Clark. There was no mention of a hospital on the Bathurst lands.

Rice apparently had a crisis of conscience and told the Integrity Commissioner, David Wake, that he had promised to make land available for a new hospital and he was going to stick with it. Rice did not say who was given this promise.

The RCMP's criminal investigation into “allegations associated to the decision from the Province of Ontario to open parts of the Greenbelt for development” was launched on 10 October 2023. It is ongoing.

Southlake launches new site selection process

Elsewhere...  Newmarket Today (Monday 4 November) reports that Southlake is launching a new site selection process for a new acute hospital - not on the Greenbelt or Oak Ridges Moraine. (Own 40 acres of developable land? Southlake wants to hear from you)

The hospital plans to announce the new location in Spring 2025.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

See also: Timeline

Details

Written by: Gordon Prentice

Published: 02 November 2024

What will Dawn Gallagher Murphy MPP do with the $200 “rebate” she will be getting early next year? 

She thinks the handout is a great idea.

But I am left wondering what our Progressive Conservative MPP is going to do with this unexpected windfall.

I think she should tell us. 

Everyone gets the money

The Gallagher Murphy household will be $600 better off with Ford’s “special rebate” which will go to 15M people in Ontario at a cost of $3 Billion.

I can see her celebrating with a couple of bottles of the LCBO’s Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne.

The $3 billion giveaway will go to everyone, from the worker on minimum wage (currently $17.20 per hour) to Ontario’s army of millionaires and billionaires.

It is a sobering thought that Toronto alone has roughly 106,000 individuals with liquid investable wealth of at least US$1 million last year, putting the city 13th in the global rich list.

Borrowing to pay for handout

The Ford Government is running a deficit which means borrowing money to pay for the “special rebate.”

Dawn Gallagher Murphy’s former boss, Christine Elliott, would not have been amused. 

In opposition at Queen’s Park, she spent years scolding the Liberals for spending money they didn’t have:

“Deficit financing is anathema to Conservatives” 

because that means

“we are paying more and more in interest payments” 

Last week’s Fall Economic Statement shows the projected interest payments in coming years. (See below)

It shows the Province shelling out more in debt interest payments than it spends on, say, post-secondary education.

Debt load highest

In April 2024 the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario reported that Ontario’s net debt per capita was $19,436 in 2022, the highest among the provinces and $9,997 above the rest of Canada average:

“Ontario’s higher relative net debt results from its frequent budget deficits, which have typically been larger than the average budget deficit in the rest of Canada.”

Buying Votes

The rebate is, of course, designed to buy votes in the forthcoming Provincial election, widely expected next year.

If Ford were serious about helping people on lower incomes he could change the tax code and Provincial tax rates. 

A News Release from the Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, tells us:

“Providing a $200 taxpayer rebate early next year, which would give immediate relief for Ontario families in the face of high interest rates and the federal carbon tax. This proposed $200 taxpayer rebate would be sent to all eligible adults in Ontario who have filed their 2023 Income Tax and Benefit Return by December 31, 2024. Eligible families would receive an additional $200 for each child under 18.”

So we are getting the money to offset, amongst other things, the federal carbon tax.

But, whoa!

The CBC reminds us: 

“The controversial federal carbon tax is a frequent target for Ford and his ministers, who have repeatedly called for Ottawa to get rid of the levy. A 2023 analysis found a clear majority of Canadian households receive associated rebates that are larger than the carbon taxes they pay, and that scrapping the rebates would have a disproportionate negative impact on lower-income families.”

This is an inconvenient truth for Gallagher Murphy who parrots Ford's attacks on the so-called Carbon Tax at every opportunity.

Worthy cause

I suppose Gallagher Murphy could donate her $200 rebate to Southlake or some other worthy cause. And knowing her, it would have to be done in a blaze of publicity.

$200 could buy eight hours help from a personal support worker whose average wage in Ontario is around $24 per hour.

Or two bottles of Bollinger.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.