Ask Doug Ford

From CBC News Monday February 3, 2025:

PC Leader Doug Ford was captured on video after a news conference Monday saying he was happy that President Donald Trump had won the most recent U.S. election — that is until Trump responded with tariff threats that could cause massive harm to Ontario's economy.

"Election day, was I happy this guy won? One hundred per cent I was," Ford said. "But then the guy pulled out the knife and f--king yanked it into us."

"Was I happy this guy won? One hundred percent I was,"

What does this statement, by Doug Ford on February 3, 2025, tell us:

1. About Doug Ford's stated reason for calling an Ontario provincial election, when he already had a majority government in place until June 2026?

2. About an approach to governance where the policies you intend to implement one day, get reversed entirely the next day, depending on which way the wind blows?

3. About a leader only pays lip service to sound financial decisions?

4. About an approach to facts that will not withstand fact-checking?

4. About Doug Ford's sincerity on the big issues facing our community:

What would Trump/will Ford do about 4099 Erin Mills Parkway Re-development?

What would Trump/will Ford do about permitting the City of Mississauga to make an independent decision based on the needs of the whole community?

What would Trump/will Ford do about housing affordability?

What would Trump/will Ford do about protecting small businesses at 4099 Erin Mills parkway?

What would Trump/will Ford do about the environmental catastrophe facing Sawmill Creek and the green spaces adjacent to our homes?

What would Trump/will Ford do about privatization of Ontario Public Health Care?

What would Trump/will Ford do about fixing education system infrastructure in Ontario?

I recognize that the role of the EMSRA Directors is to be non-partisan in this election. EMSRA can advocate, be an advocate, on the 4099 issue, but it can't be partisan. EMSRA needs to abide by its Articles of Incorporation and the law. The 4099 Erin Mills Parkway Opposition Group isn't bound by the same rules as EMSRA is. Members of the 4099 Opposition Group are free to be as partisan as they wish. What's to stop us from launching an "Anyone But Sabawy" campaign? We need to become politically active NOW and volunteer for the candidate of our choice who opposes, or who best stands a chance of defeating, Sheref Sabawy. There are hundreds of reasons why the Trump/Ford/Sabawy approach to governance is totally unacceptable.

Put up a sign. Make your own sign. Hand out leaflets on any of the major issues faced by our families and local community.

Please support the candidate of your choice and VOTE.

Ask Doug Ford and Sheref Sabawy difficult questions.

There are hundreds of Important issues to ask Doug Ford and Sheref Sabawy about/fact-check/hand out leaflets. A good starting point is the Sabawy glossy flier we all received about January 21, 2025.

Health care:

On January 21 we all received a glossy flyer from S. Sabawy. At p. 14 he promotes Connected & Convenient Healthcare, $50 Billion for Health Infrastructure, Reducing Wait Times, Diagnostics Services in LTC, a new hospital, and Ontario Expands Training for Family Doctors. With respect, some serious fact-checking needs to be done with respect to these claims.

Every one of us knows someone having trouble finding a family doctor or waiting for a diagnostics test or surgery, or having to pay an extra fee for cataract surgery. There are a hundred important issues related to a provincial MPPs jurisdiction that need to be discussed in depth, election or no election. Trade tariffs are not provincial jurisdiction but health, education, Development without good planning, municipal infrastructure, and the Greenbely are provincial jurisdiction. Raising the issues that are important LOCALLY is how we build a positive community.

Quite apart from the health care needs of the public are the long term use of our tax dollars. What does health care cost and who profits? How long will we and our grandchildren be paying for the choices any party makes? We need civil positive discussion about the $ plans of all candidates. Is private health care cheaper or more expensive? Mr. Sabawy in his flyer talks about a "Mississauga Women's and Children's Hospital. For fact-checking purposes please see the article by Steve Cornwell, Mississauga News, December 27, 2024 "Auditor says new Mississauga hospital already $4 billion over budget. Here’s why Trillium Health Partner’s redevelopment may cost so much".

Mississauga Health Coalition is handing out the flyers below. Read them carefully to help fact-check the claims made by Mr. Sabawy.

OHC fact-checker

Climate, Greenbelt, and Sound Financial Decisions:

I received a glossy flyer from S. Sabawy on January 21, 2025. At p. 9 he promotes “Ontario’s Affordable Energy Future: The Pressing Case for More Power” “ Refurbishing Nuclear Generating Stations”. He says “Ontario’s demand for electricity is forecasted to increase by 75% by 2050. With respect, his facts need fact-checking.

Ontario’s electricity demand has been declining for more than 20 years. In 2005 Ontario’s electricity demand was more than 155 TWh. In 2021 Ontario’s electricity demand was less than 135 TWh. Since 2020, the demand for electricity has been increasing to more than 135 TWh in 2022 and 2023. However It is the ‘peak demand’ that sets the level of generating capacity required to meet the demand for electricity and Peak power demand has been relatively flat between 2012 and 2023.

If demand for electricity increases due to EVs, heat pumps, and new industry , more power will be needed, but what kind should it be? How expensive will it be for taxpayers and electricity consumers? If the Province is spending a great deal of our tax dollars are they making good investments? Please see the cost comparison provided by Ontario’s Clean Air Alliance https://www.cleanairalliance.org/.../options2024-march.pdf Their comparison shows new nuclear at 24.4 cents per kWh, new gas-fired at 22.7, on-shore wind at 10.5, off-shore wind at 14.3, and solar at 10 cents per kWh. Existing nuclear is 10.5 and 13.7.

Let’s assume the IESO https://ieso.ca/ is right and electricity demand will increase by 112 TWh from 2024 to 2050, given the continuing electrification of the economy, new industry, and the possibility of several data centres being built in the province. There is a fairly constant ratio between peak demand and annual consumption. It has never exceeded 1.62 for the last decade. It has ranged between 1.41 and 1.62. The average is about 1.50. We can calculate how much additional power Ontario will need. If we assume we need an additional 112 TWh of electricity between now and 2050, we can estimate how much additional generating capacity will need to be built over the next 25 years. We will use the maximum value of the peak power ratio = 1.62. This calculation gives a figure of about 20,700 MW of additional generating capacity.

The Ford government is proposing to build an additional 50,000 MW of power generation by 2050. Why? To export to the US? And at what long-term debt price to Ontario taxpayers and their grandchildren?

Ontario only needs about 20,000 MW to meet the increased demand . 50,000 MW is more than twice as much power than is needed to meet the forecast peak demand in Ontario.

Strangely, Mr. Sabawy wants to build more nuclear than we need. He is promoting the massive refurbishment of Pickering and Bruce. The Ford government, however, also plans:

The Ford government has announced plans for four Small Modular Reactors at Darlington

• The GE Hitachi BWRX 300 has never been built

• OPG is the first and only utility worldwide to bind itself to GE- Hitachi

and

• 4-5 new nuclear reactors on the site of Bruce Power on the shores of Lake Huron (4,800 MW)

• first large-scale reactors in over three decades

As ratepayers and taxpayers, we are still paying the huge debt from Ontario’s 1st generation CANDU nuclear program. Now, the Ford government will spend even more of our money to resurrect the nuclear industry and launch its bid to be an ‘Energy Superpower.’

Here’s what’s left of debt on the first generation of nuclear generating stations:

* From the late 60’s through the 80’s Ontario Hydro built a fleet of nuclear reactors and delivered massive subsidies to the nuclear industry.

* By the time the building spree was over Ontario had 20 nuclear reactors and a mountain of debt

According to the OEFC 2024 annual report see https://oefc.on.ca/pdf/oefc_ar_2024_e.pdf p. 6 of 38

"OEFC’s total debt and other liabilities are $12.1 billion, down from the $38.1 billion inherited by OEFC when it was established on April 1, 1999, from the restructuring of Ontario Hydro."

* The debt is still $12.1 Billion

* In the latest fiscal year:

* $626 million in interest payments on the debt

* OEFC received:

* $529 million from Hydro One

* $526 million from the province, OPG, and IESO

In 24 years only $8.8 Billion has been paid off

At this rate of debt retirement, until 2057 our children and our grandchildren will still be paying the debt from the nuclear program of the 1960’s through 1980’s.

Link to Leaflets at Seniors for Climate Action Now ! (SCAN!)

See also the following cost comparisons from Ontario Clean Air Alliance:

https://www.cleanairalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/options2024-march.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawH839tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHclV1FRdsh1umfVlbWCpMo3CXNCO5BlBjPYzgCo6ugTFoAEMl8JE7NqVRg_aem_97uL6nf_QcPfZe_u3hJ7kA