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Newsstand: December 8, 2014
On this day 34 years ago, John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman. Expect the Beatles fans in your life to be moodier than usual. Here are some more current events: Kathleen Wynne takes on the new prostitution bill, the King streetcar might be getting a commute-friendly change, and U of T's business school has a gender problem.
Premier Kathleen Wynne has issued a statement criticizing the new sex work law that came into effect on Saturday. While her statement didn’t go so far as to say the Ontario government will refuse to enforce the new law, it did question the law’s “constitutional validity,” writing that “we must enforce duly enacted legislation but I believe that we must also take steps to satisfy ourselves that, in doing so, we are upholding the constitution and the Charter.” Wynne has staked out a view on the law that opposes Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The city’s busiest above-ground transit route, the King streetcar, should soon feature all-door boarding in an effort to speed up travel times. TTC chair Josh Colle (Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence) and transit CEO Andy Byford, along with Mayor John Tory, will make an announcement about the King route (expected to include the move to all-door boarding) this morning. Both the Spadina and Queen streetcars already have all-door boarding, and are the second- and third-busiest surface transit routes, respectively. TTC spokespeople said the move won’t result in more fare-jumpers because there will also be an increase in fare inspectors, although it remains to be seen how they’ll manage to make their way through streetcars that are often suffocatingly full. The King streetcar carries more than 57,000 passengers each weekday.
A course offered through the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management has pulled an assignment from a first-year MBA class after it drew criticism for its portrayal of women. The assignment featured a woman named Elle Forest, who has been offered a job at the upscale jeweller Tiffany and Co., her “favourite company of all time.” Presented with more than one compensation package, she solicits the help of her fiancé Chip to decide which one would work best for her. The Toronto Star found out about the assignment when a student sent in a copy, which led to Professor Kent Womack admonishing his students to be careful about speaking to the media. One student told the Star‘s reporter that the school seemed more concerned with the Rotman brand than with righting any wrongs.