2024 October Newsletter

Dear Etobicoke - Lakeshore NDP Community,

This month was eventful in politics and our community, one of the headlinegrabbing announcements was Ford’s attack on bike lanes. At the end of October, Queen's Park resumed after a five-month recess where Ford continued to attack cities for his failed provincial policies. Instead of completing overdue and over-budgeted transit projects that would move tens of thousands of people out of congestion, he attacks bike lanes that allow students to get to school safely and people who can’t afford or rely on transit to get them to work on time.

Many people have died in Etobicoke due to unsafe roads. This is wedge politics that will cost lives. Ford is ignoring experts, the families of people who have died, and common sense – he should respect cities and protect bike lanes.


Ford’s Ontario is a Have-Not Province


Doug Ford's government presented their Fall Economic Statement—a mini budget—and once again, you and our communities are not getting what we pay for from this government.

You deserve better.

Ford’s press releases are trying to deflect media attention from the $600+ million in public money he is giving to Therme. He doesn’t want Ontarians to know that he is forcing us to foot the bill for a massive parking garage that will serve an Ontario Place spa that nobody wants. He's doubling down on his impossible back-of-the-napkin scheme to build a tunnel under the 401.

Ford is giving millions of dollars to corporate landlords by allowing them to gouge tenants because Ontario doesn’t have real rent control. And he’s giving billions of dollars to private health care clinics as he quietly tries to bring about two-tier US-style health care.

What’s worse? Under Ford’s leadership, Ontario has become a “have-not” province. We don’t have enough homes. We don’t have enough transit. People cannot find a family doctor — And the federal government is sending Ontario — supposedly this country’s economic powerhouse — equalization payments to make up for shortfalls.



Ontario NDP Fights for Therme Review

We all know that Ford’s deal with the private Austrian company Therme to build a mega-spa at Ontario Place smells fishy. That is why this past month, Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP submitted a complaint to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner calling for an investigation into the Therme mega-spa deal at Ontario Place.

The Ontario NDP filed this complaint after learning of evidence suggesting that Therme received preferential treatment from the Ford government when they awarded Therme the 95-year-long lease to build a luxury spa at Ontario Place. The complaint also requests that the Office of the Integrity Commissioner launch an investigation into the Minister of Infrastructure’s involvement in the deal.

Was the procurement process fair? Why is the government using taxpayer money to build Therme a parking lot after telling other bidders it would not consider proposals with publicly funded facilities? These are all questions we hope this investigation will answer!. Billions of dollars, a cherished public asset, and public trust are at stake.



Ontario Failing Children and Youth in Care

We are following the reports about Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario housing children in incredibly inappropriate places, including hotels, AirBnBs, and the floors of offices.

In October, the government launched a review of Children's Aid Societies instead of stepping up funding for a sector that has been cut and underfunded for decades. It appears they are trying to distract from the mess they have created in Children’s Aid Societies across the province following reports of vulnerable children placed in unsafe situations.

We need investments, not distractions. Ford’s ‘review’ does nothing about decades of government underfunding, it does nothing about the crisis brewing in the system, it is simply an abdication of responsibility from a government that is choosing to look away from the crisis. They have been “reviewing” for five years, but what do they have to show for it? Is this the best we can do after having hundreds of children lose their lives in our broken system? What does this review do for children like Neveah and Katelynn who died in “care”?

We need sustainable solutions that meet the needs of vulnerable children and families across the province. Children’s Aid Societies need proactive front-loaded funding to continue to protect our most valuable investment – our children.

Children and youth in our care system cannot wait until a report comes out in 2025. They need help now, and they need the system to work for them now. We cannot keep failing these children. We cannot look away in Ontario another day.


NDP Fights to Expand Abortion Access

The NDP is stepping up to defend reproductive rights! On our next opposition day, we’re bringing a critical motion to the House of Commons to expand access to abortion services and stand firm against the growing wave of anti-choice actions across Canada. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and our dedicated Women and Gender Equality Critic Leah Gazan joined forces in Montreal to make this announcement, boldly affirming that “it’s your body, your life, and your choice.” As anti-choice voices gain momentum with Conservative support, Singh calls for Canadians to rally around our unwavering commitment to protect abortion as essential health care.

This motion isn’t just a statement—it’s a promise to fight for real, equal access to abortion care everywhere in Canada. Leah Gazan underscored the urgency: anti-choice movements have become louder, emboldened by the rollback of Roe v. Wade in the U.S., while the Liberals continue to let access be chipped away. With Canadians in some provinces still traveling hours for care or facing lengthy wait times, it’s time for action. Let’s make sure every Canadian knows where we stand: the NDP will never waver on the right to choose.

Stop illegal guns: NDP’s Singh commits to rehire 1,100-plus border officers

To tackle the river of illegal guns entering Canada, the NDP will rehire every border officer cut by the last Conservative government. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made that commitment in Toronto in October alongside members of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU).

Gun violence has been at a record high so far in 2024. In Toronto, there have been 338 shootings. Of the nearly 500 guns seized by police in Toronto this year, 85 per cent were illegal guns smuggled into Canada. CIU National President Mark Weber says that for years, the union has been calling on the federal government to hire more border officers to help stop the flow of illegal firearms into Canada—especially after the last Conservative government cut 1,100 of them in one day.

“The Canada I believe in is a place where people can enjoy their city—from crowded festivals to grassy parks—without worrying that anyone near them has an illegal handgun in their pocket or glove compartment,” said Singh. “Gun violence leaves a wake of people traumatized and forever changed, and every person who loses their life through gun violence is a person who had promise, dreams and goals.

“Since Harper’s cuts, ports of entry have remained chronically understaffed. The NDP will fight for 1,100 new border officers to be urgently hired and trained to replace the jobs Conservatives cut. If the Liberals continue to let people down, an NDP government will rehire those 1,100 border officers immediately and keep hiring and keep training—so we can catch more guns at the border and travelling by rail, rather than after they’ve been used in a crime.”

“I’ll be honest, the reality at CBSA is bleak: Staffing wise, past Conservative cuts have left ports of entry severely understaffed,” said Weber. “We would need almost 3000 additional officers from coast to coast to coast to meet operational requirements. Current training facilities can only train up to 600 officers a year, which does not even cover attrition.

“Many of our members face exhaustion due to sustained understaffing. Things desperately need to change at CBSA if we want to get serious about stopping illegal firearms: more frontline border personnel, expanded abilities for our border officers to patrol between ports of entry, improved training facilities, reliable tools that don’t break down, and even benefits in line with other law enforcement agencies to help with the workforce renewal.”

Singh said that stemming from gun violence will always have to include action to address the root causes of violence, which include poverty and lack of opportunity.


NDP statement on the anniversary of October 7th

Jagmeet Singh issued the following statement over the last month on the anniversary of Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel and the beginning war on Gazans by Israel’s occupying forces.

“October 7th marks one year since the horrific Hamas terror attacks in Israel in which 1200 people were killed, including eight Canadians. Over 250 people, Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, foreign nationals, and dual citizens were taken hostage by Hamas. This was the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust. One year later, over one hundred hostages remain in Hamas captivity. This anniversary is a painful reminder of the suffering endured by countless families who have experienced the devastating impact of those attacks. New Democrats and all Canadians mourn with Canada’s Jewish community and we reiterate our call for the return of all hostages.

Over the past year, Jewish Canadians have faced an alarming and unacceptable rise in antisemitism. The Jewish community is currently observing the High Holidays, and we know that synagogues and community centres have unfortunately required enhanced security measures given the rise in antisemitism. Jewish families live with worry for their safety here in Canada, and fear for family and loved ones living in Israel who are caught in the crossfire of violence they did not choose.

There is no justification or rationale for the horrific terror attacks of October 7th, and the significance of this day - not just for the Jewish community, but for all those who uphold the sanctity of international law - cannot and should not be minimized. This day stands on its own as a devastating blow for so many.

For many Canadians, the response to October 7th from Netanyahu’s extremist government, was the beginning of a brutal assault on the people of Gaza, who did not and do not deserve collective punishment. Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab communities in Canada are feeling the weight of immense suffering from the ongoing genocide by Netanyahu’s extremist government that has killed tens of thousands of innocent people, including children. Just as there is no justification for the brutal terror attacks on October 7, there is likewise no justification for the high number of civilian casualties and indiscriminate attacks on the people of Gaza.

New Democrats also mourn with these Canadians who have experienced an alarming rise of anti-Palestinian hate and Islamophobia over the past year. And as we witness another war in Lebanon, their pain – and indeed, the pain of so many Canadians - has only increased.

New Democrats stand in solidarity with all Canadians who yearn for peace and justice for all people. As we mark this terrible anniversary and grieve the losses that have come before us and the losses that continue to mount, we reiterate the need to hold space for each other, to privilege dialogue and compassion over hate and violence.

We also remember that war is political, genocide is preventable, and Canada and the international community have a responsibility to act to end this horror.

There is no possible military solution to this decades-long conflict. We reiterate the actions Canada must take now: Work for a hostage deal and immediate ceasefire; sanction all those who violate international law, whether Hamas or Netanyahu’s extremist government; impose an arms embargo while the atrocities continue; recognize the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel and work to end the decades-long illegal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem; and support international court efforts to bring all perpetrators to justice.

To the many Canadians feeling pain and trauma on this tragic anniversary: New Democrats stand with you. We will continue to work for our common humanity, for justice, and for peace.”



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