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Newsstand: November 7, 2014
On this day in 1893, women in Colorado gained the right to vote. That's certainly something to remember as we wind down from election fever (which, for enthusiasts of U.S. politics, was still going strong until this past Tuesday). Some more current news for the rest of you: a protest outside a meat-packing plant led to nine arrests, a doctor who confessed to sexually abusing patients is working at a new clinic, Bill Blair recommends a frozen police budget, and conflict-of-interest law might finally get an update.
Nine protesters were arrested Thursday morning at a protest held near a meat-packing facility in the St. Clair and Weston area. Police say one female officer was punched in the head and kicked in the stomach at the protest, held outside St. Helen’s Meat Packing Ltd. The protest was not, according to police, lawful.
Sastri Maharajh, found guilty in 2013 of professional misconduct by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, has begun practicing medicine at a new clinic. After spending eight months with a suspended licence, restricted from treating female patients, Maharajh has moved from the MD Walk-in Clinic in Mississauga—where he was working in September—to the Mississauga Health Centre. There is signage at the clinic informing patients that Maharajh cannot treat female patients. Maharajh’s case led to a review of the legislation that allows regulatory bodies like the College of Physicians and Surgeons to exercise discretion in reporting its members to police. The College refrained from reporting both Maharajh and another doctor to the police; both had confessed to sexually abusing patients.
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair has broken with habit and is recommending the police service’s budget be frozen for 2015. On top of that, he is suggesting the number of uniform officers be cut by 43. This will likely mark a political victory for mayor-elect John Tory, as police budgets tend to increase each year and are often a source of contention: no one wants to be seen as soft on crime, but the service costs nearly $1 billion per year. Blair’s recommendations will be considered next week by the civilian board that oversees TPS.
Conflict-of-interest law in Ontario might be updated for the first time in nearly 40 years, thanks in no small part to scandals in Toronto, London, Brampton, and Mississauga. Mayor Rob Ford faced removal from office over a vote (in which he participated) on whether or not he should return $3,150 in improperly solicited donations to his football charity. In 2013, charges against Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion were dropped after she voted on a decision that could have resulted in her son’s development company saving more than $10 million in charges. The current Municipal Conflict of Interest Act is considered by many to be incomplete, with its loopholes and one-size-fits-all nature (the only punishment available under the Act being removal from office).