While the federal Conservatives are tabling a litany of “tough on crime” bills in order to make themselves look like they’re offering solutions to what they term the “warzone” on Canadian streets, Ontario premier Doug Ford decided that he didn’t want to be left out. Ford tasked his attorney general with sending an open letter to the federal government to call for a bunch of performative nonsense like mandatory minimum sentences or “three strikes” laws, most of which are unconstitutional, and is making all kinds of noises about the problems with the bail system and demanding that the federal government fix them. The problem? The biggest problems with bail are Ford’s fault.
The administration of justice is a provincial issue, and the biggest problem with bail by far is resourcing in the court system. There aren’t enough functional courthouses (especially in Peel Region), there aren’t enough clerks and other staff at these court houses to run trials, there are not enough provincially-appointed judges who handle the bulk of criminal cases, there are issues with the appointment and training of justices of the peace, who deal with nearly all bail hearings. The province isn’t hiring enough Crown attorneys to prosecute cases, and they are burnt out and nearly went on strike fairly recently because of being underpaid. Oh, and provincial remand facilities are overcrowded and they can’t keep people in custody there, and those who are will wind up getting sentencing discounts if they are convicted, because the conditions are so terrible. All of these things are on Ford. But he would rather blame the federal government. Oh, and during this all, Ford is also going to war against photo radar, because of course he is—apparently, it’s all well and good to break traffic laws (which are provincial jurisdiction), but he’s big mad about other laws being broken. Just incoherent.
This being said, I am once again absolutely livid that the media outlets who did report on this letter couldn’t be arsed to get the basics right, such as the provincial responsibilities. It was straight-up stenography from both The Canadian Press and CBC, both of whom should know better. (Neither the Star nor the National Post ran this story). So once again, Ford gets his bullshit repeated uncritically, the federal government again gets blamed, and the very real problems that are his responsibility will again go unchallenged. Utterly infuriating.
Ukraine Dispatch
Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia early Monday morning killed three and injured at least two others.
Good reads:
- Mark Carney told the Council of Foreign Relations that Canada is a reliable trading partner that “has what the world wants.” Here are five takeaways.
- Gary Anandasangaree was secretly recorded by one of his tenants, and said that they’re moving ahead with the gun buyback because of pressure from Quebec.
- Anandasangaree’s office has confirmed that Canada is collaborating with the Indian government about designating the Bishnoi gang a terrorist organisation.
- The federal government will challenge the Human Rights Tribunal order on child and family services reform at the Federal Court.
- A group of Republicans in the US are threatening “punitive measures” in response to Canada formally recognising a Palestinian state.
- Here is an explainer on what the recognition of a Palestinian state means, and what the next steps are likely to be.
- Civil liberties groups are concerned that the hate crimes bill is overbroad.
- Maclean’s has a longread about the “war on religion” in the province (minus the hypocrisy about Catholicism as “history and culture” and the ethnic nationalism).
- François-Philippe Champagne is being summoned to the Finance Committee to offer assurances that there will be a budget in the spring as is normal.
- Environment Canada officials were at committee, struggling to explain how Carney’s changes to environmental policies are affecting our ability to meet our targets.
- A number of international students at a private college in BC are saying they were forced to work on Conservative MP Tarmara Jensen’s byelection campaign last year.
- The NDP say that the government needs to do more to bring families of Palestinians living in Canada over as promised.
- Doug Ford turfed one of his backbenchers after an arrest over the weekend.
Odds and ends:
This is fucking insane and I am astonished at how irresponsible Global News upper management is being with this.They’re risking the credibility of all their journalists and for…what? Canada’s worst nepo baby?
— Rachel Gilmore (@rachelgilmore.bsky.social) 2025-09-23T00:24:44.672Z
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