John Bowker
@johnbowker.bsky.social
Policy researcher, retired record & book peddler. Transit, housing, land use, energy, infrastructure & misc #onpoli wonkery. #ONDP. Tweets my own (he/him)
“This is the people’s house, this is not your house. You shut down democracy, and you will see the consequences,” said @maritstilesndp.bsky.social as Doug Ford threatened critics globalnews.ca/news/1154280... #onpoli
Ford says he will audit ‘left-wing radical groups’ opposed to government legislation | Globalnews.ca
Ford's warning came after members of the tenant advocacy group ACORN interrupted the legislature to protest a controversial omnibus bill that shortens some eviction timelines.
globalnews.ca
November 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
“This is the people’s house, this is not your house. You shut down democracy, and you will see the consequences,” said @maritstilesndp.bsky.social as Doug Ford threatened critics globalnews.ca/news/1154280... #onpoli
“We believe there are credible allegations of preferential treatment regarding the approval, oversight, and distribution of SDF grants,” wrote @maritstilesndp.bsky.social in her complaint to Ontario's Integrity Commissioner www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic... #onpoli
NDP leader requests integrity commissioner investigation into labour minister over Skills Development Fund
Marit Stiles is asking the commissioner to investigate whether David Piccini broke the ethics law for MPPs
www.thetrillium.ca
November 25, 2025 at 2:47 PM
“We believe there are credible allegations of preferential treatment regarding the approval, oversight, and distribution of SDF grants,” wrote @maritstilesndp.bsky.social in her complaint to Ontario's Integrity Commissioner www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic... #onpoli
In a letter to Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell, NDP Leader Marit Stiles asked for a formal investigation into Piccini and whether his actions amounted to a conflict of interest and improper use of influence globalnews.ca/news/1154159... #onpoli
Opposition asks integrity commissioner to investigate Ford’s embattled labour minister | Globalnews.ca
The Ontario NDP is calling on the province's integrity commissioner to investigate the labour minister over a $2.5-billion skills program that favoured certain applicants.
globalnews.ca
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
In a letter to Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell, NDP Leader Marit Stiles asked for a formal investigation into Piccini and whether his actions amounted to a conflict of interest and improper use of influence globalnews.ca/news/1154159... #onpoli
Reposted by John Bowker
The Ford government owes us straight answers on Exhibition Place
#Opinion from @johnlorinc.bsky.social
#Opinion from @johnlorinc.bsky.social
John Lorinc: The Ford government owes us straight answers on Exhibition Place
It seems Doug Ford and the Ontario government is planning a reverse takeover of the CNE
www.thestar.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:47 PM
The Ford government owes us straight answers on Exhibition Place
#Opinion from @johnlorinc.bsky.social
#Opinion from @johnlorinc.bsky.social
Reposted by John Bowker
Doug Ford's government claims the province isn’t privatizing water.
Experts aren't convinced.
pressprogress.ca/ontario-clai...
Experts aren't convinced.
pressprogress.ca/ontario-clai...
Ontario’s Government Claims the Province Isn’t Privatizing Water. Experts Are Not Convinced.
“The way that this act is written creates this slippery slope towards privatization”
pressprogress.ca
November 24, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Doug Ford's government claims the province isn’t privatizing water.
Experts aren't convinced.
pressprogress.ca/ontario-clai...
Experts aren't convinced.
pressprogress.ca/ontario-clai...
Reposted by John Bowker
Today Doug Ford and his government passed Bill 60: a vindictive attack that puts renters at greater risk and deepens Ontario’s housing crisis.
They also voted against my motion to strengthen tenant protections and bring back real rent control.
They also voted against my motion to strengthen tenant protections and bring back real rent control.
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Today Doug Ford and his government passed Bill 60: a vindictive attack that puts renters at greater risk and deepens Ontario’s housing crisis.
They also voted against my motion to strengthen tenant protections and bring back real rent control.
They also voted against my motion to strengthen tenant protections and bring back real rent control.
Reposted by John Bowker
Passage of housing bill sparks protest, clearing of Queen’s Park public gallery
Passage of housing bill sparks protest, clearing of Queen’s Park public gallery
Premier Doug Ford told the yelling crowd at Queen's Park to "go find a job."
www.thestar.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Passage of housing bill sparks protest, clearing of Queen’s Park public gallery
Reposted by John Bowker
Bill 60 passed without providing an opportunity for public input or meaningful debate, removing essential renter protections and putting more people in Ontario at risk of losing their homes. We submitted our recommendations to government officials across Ontario. Read our submission: buff.ly/TCAjBZT
November 24, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Bill 60 passed without providing an opportunity for public input or meaningful debate, removing essential renter protections and putting more people in Ontario at risk of losing their homes. We submitted our recommendations to government officials across Ontario. Read our submission: buff.ly/TCAjBZT
‘We are angry, we are scared’: Tenants, housing advocates rally against Bill 60 toronto.citynews.ca/2025/11/22/t... #onpoli
'We are angry, we are scared': Tenants, housing advocates rally against Bill 60
Hundreds of tenants and housing advocates rallied at Queen’s Park on Saturday, calling on the Ford government to scrap Bill 60, arguing it will increase housing instability and exacerbate homelessness...
toronto.citynews.ca
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
‘We are angry, we are scared’: Tenants, housing advocates rally against Bill 60 toronto.citynews.ca/2025/11/22/t... #onpoli
“Intimate partner violence is an epidemic, the government knows perfectly well. And the reason they would not declare it that is because it would mean that they would have to assign more resources to it,” said @maritstilesndp.bsky.social globalnews.ca/news/1153791... #onpoli
Minister says declaring Ontario intimate partner violence epidemic would be ‘disingenuous’ | Globalnews.ca
Survivors and experts have called on the Ford government to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, arguing it would add urgency and emergency funding to the acute problem.
globalnews.ca
November 24, 2025 at 1:26 PM
“Intimate partner violence is an epidemic, the government knows perfectly well. And the reason they would not declare it that is because it would mean that they would have to assign more resources to it,” said @maritstilesndp.bsky.social globalnews.ca/news/1153791... #onpoli
Reposted by John Bowker
An end to performative progressivism, or an end to progressivism? www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
No more feminist foreign policy, Carney says
Prime Minister, who made the comments at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, has placed less emphasis on feminist policies than the Trudeau government
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM
An end to performative progressivism, or an end to progressivism? www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
“Provincial inspectors repeatedly ordered the company to fix its heat stress plan & slapped Magna with more than 125 orders to rectify health & safety violations in less than 8 years. But heat injuries — and injuries of all kinds — proliferated anyway” www.thestar.com/news/ontario... #onpoli #onlab
She shut a Magna-owned factory down over extreme temperatures — then was fired. What the story of Grenville Castings reveals about Ontario’s heat protections
The provincial government says its rules to protect workers from heat-related injuries is “robust,” but the tale of Grenville Castings casts doubt on that assertion.
www.thestar.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:55 AM
“Provincial inspectors repeatedly ordered the company to fix its heat stress plan & slapped Magna with more than 125 orders to rectify health & safety violations in less than 8 years. But heat injuries — and injuries of all kinds — proliferated anyway” www.thestar.com/news/ontario... #onpoli #onlab
Reposted by John Bowker
Thousands of tenants march to Queen’s Park to protest Bill 60 on National Housing Day
Tenants march on Queen’s Park to protest Bill 60
Thousands of tenants filled downtown streets Saturday, marching to Queen’s Park to demand the Ontario government withdraw Bill 60, a package of proposed housing changes they say will accelerate evictions across the province.
www.cp24.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Thousands of tenants march to Queen’s Park to protest Bill 60 on National Housing Day
Canadian construction company Aecon broke the law when it fired a worker who was trying to get others to join a new union, the Manitoba Labour Board found www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #canlab
Construction company broke law by firing employee who pushed for new union at Winnipeg site: labour board | CBC News
The Manitoba Labour Board says the construction company Aecon broke labour laws when it fired an employee who was trying to get workers to ditch their union for a new one.
www.cbc.ca
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Canadian construction company Aecon broke the law when it fired a worker who was trying to get others to join a new union, the Manitoba Labour Board found www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #canlab
Reposted by John Bowker
More and more people want encampments evicted. Neighbourhood groups are suing shelter providers. Now, they're attempting to stop supportive housing in Parkdale. You can't have all three!
Please sign and share in support of PARC and supportive housing! tinyurl.com/parcpetition
Please sign and share in support of PARC and supportive housing! tinyurl.com/parcpetition
Build Supportive Affordable Housing at 1499 and 1501 Queen West
The City of Toronto, and Canada as a whole, is in an unprecedented affordable housing crisis. Many struggle to find safe and stable housing in Toronto and Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre (PARC) wa...
tinyurl.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:15 PM
More and more people want encampments evicted. Neighbourhood groups are suing shelter providers. Now, they're attempting to stop supportive housing in Parkdale. You can't have all three!
Please sign and share in support of PARC and supportive housing! tinyurl.com/parcpetition
Please sign and share in support of PARC and supportive housing! tinyurl.com/parcpetition
“Goddamn right they’re corrupt”: Opposition Leader Marit Stiles is doubling down on her assertion that the Ford government is “corrupt” after her original comments got her ejected from the legislature at Queen’s Park Wednesday www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/poli... #onpoli
‘Fed up’: NDP Leader Marit Stiles doubles down, says Ford government ‘corrupt’ after getting ejected from Ontario legislature
Opposition Leader Marit Stiles was ejected from the legislature at Queen’s Park Wednesday after accusing the government of being “corrupt” in a heated exchange over the Skills Development Fund.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM
“Goddamn right they’re corrupt”: Opposition Leader Marit Stiles is doubling down on her assertion that the Ford government is “corrupt” after her original comments got her ejected from the legislature at Queen’s Park Wednesday www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/poli... #onpoli
A company embroiled in the Skills Development Fund scandal still got government funding last month, contradicting Doug Ford’s claim that all funding was frozen after a forensic audit flagged concerns that were referred to the OPP www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... #onpoli
Company embroiled in skills fund controversy received Ontario cash last month during audit
Keel Digital Solutions says it received $240,000 while under a probe the province has since referred to OPP
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:16 PM
A company embroiled in the Skills Development Fund scandal still got government funding last month, contradicting Doug Ford’s claim that all funding was frozen after a forensic audit flagged concerns that were referred to the OPP www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... #onpoli
Executive pay jumped for many recipients of Skills Development Fund, according to salary disclosure viewed by CTV News, including at one numbered company that partnered with an agency that later started an “adult entertainment club” www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/arti... #onpoli
Exec pay rises for Skills Development Fund recipients, including one tied to ‘adult entertainment club’
Executive pay jumped for many recipients of an Ontario job training grant, according to salary disclosure viewed by CTV News, including at one numbered company that partnered with an agency that later...
www.ctvnews.ca
November 20, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Executive pay jumped for many recipients of Skills Development Fund, according to salary disclosure viewed by CTV News, including at one numbered company that partnered with an agency that later started an “adult entertainment club” www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/arti... #onpoli
Reposted by John Bowker
The government has forced through #Bill33 without public consultation or meaningful debate. While Ford has tried to silence the public, educators are here at Queen's Park in large numbers to make sure that their voices are heard. #onpoli #DemocracyNow
November 19, 2025 at 7:34 PM
The government has forced through #Bill33 without public consultation or meaningful debate. While Ford has tried to silence the public, educators are here at Queen's Park in large numbers to make sure that their voices are heard. #onpoli #DemocracyNow
Reposted by John Bowker
NEW: Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles was kicked out of the chamber for calling the Ford government "corrupt" on Wednesday.
She repeated the claim outside the chamber and challenged the premier to sue her. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1153329...
She repeated the claim outside the chamber and challenged the premier to sue her. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1153329...
Marit Stiles kicked out of legislature for calling Ford government ‘corrupt’ | Globalnews.ca
'It is the endless grift of an anti-democratic, and yes, corrupt, government,' Stiles said, to shouts from the government benches and some cheers from her colleagues.
globalnews.ca
November 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
NEW: Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles was kicked out of the chamber for calling the Ford government "corrupt" on Wednesday.
She repeated the claim outside the chamber and challenged the premier to sue her. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1153329...
She repeated the claim outside the chamber and challenged the premier to sue her. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1153329...
Reposted by John Bowker
Some people are saying deep fry turkey gender reveal and why would you even put that out there.
November 19, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Some people are saying deep fry turkey gender reveal and why would you even put that out there.
Reposted by John Bowker
Ontario NDP leader kicked out of question period after calling Ford government ‘corrupt’
Ontario NDP leader kicked out of question period after calling Ford government ‘corrupt’
TORONTO - The leader of Ontario's official Opposition was kicked out of question period this morning after calling Premier Doug Ford’s government "corrupt."
www.thestar.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Ontario NDP leader kicked out of question period after calling Ford government ‘corrupt’
Reposted by John Bowker
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Low scores get more. Groups with the worst-ranked applications seeking money from Premier Doug Ford’s $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund got, on average, the biggest payouts, according to a Star analysis www.thestar.com/politics/pro... #onpoli
Low-scoring applicants averaged the highest payouts from Doug Ford’s Skills Development Fund
Groups with the worst-ranked applications seeking money from Premier Doug Ford's $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund got, on average, the biggest payouts, according to a Star analysis.
www.thestar.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Low scores get more. Groups with the worst-ranked applications seeking money from Premier Doug Ford’s $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund got, on average, the biggest payouts, according to a Star analysis www.thestar.com/politics/pro... #onpoli
Reposted by John Bowker
#Bill60 will likely be passed this week, and it will grow homelessness across Ontario — something our food banks, shelters, and municipalities do not have the resources to address.
When you wonder why encampments are growing in your community, remember Bill 60.
My remarks today at the OLA:
When you wonder why encampments are growing in your community, remember Bill 60.
My remarks today at the OLA:
November 17, 2025 at 6:07 PM
#Bill60 will likely be passed this week, and it will grow homelessness across Ontario — something our food banks, shelters, and municipalities do not have the resources to address.
When you wonder why encampments are growing in your community, remember Bill 60.
My remarks today at the OLA:
When you wonder why encampments are growing in your community, remember Bill 60.
My remarks today at the OLA: