Kathleen Wynne Rejects Road Tolls for Toronto Highways: Here’s What We’re Reading

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Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. 905 leaders celebrate, while critics say Wynne lacks ‘political courage’

“While Wynne had publicly backed Tory’s plan, many Liberals were anxious about it with an election looming in 2018 and, sources say, had given the premier an earful.

“Tory did not attend Wynne’s Friday morning news conference in Richmond Hill, where she announced a doubling of the cities’ shares of the gas tax — what works out to about $170 million for Toronto once the plan is fully phased in by 2021.”

Toronto Star

2. Trudeau to end cash-for-access fundraising

“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will end the controversial practice of cash-for-access fundraising by passing legislation that lifts the veil of secrecy from these political events, requiring them to be transparent, open to public scrutiny and reported to Canadians, The Globe and Mail has learned.

“Mr. Trudeau will instruct Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould to work on legislation that would effectively ban elite fundraisers for cabinet ministers that are usually held in private homes, a senior government official said.”

Globe and Mail

+1: Trudeau’s move on cash-for-access could be trap for opposition parties – Ottawa Citizen

+1: Critics blast proposed changes to cash-for-access rules – CTV News

3. GM axing 625 jobs at Ontario plant, shifting some production to Mexico

“General Motors is cutting 625 jobs at its assembly plant near London, Ont., as it shifts some production to Mexico.Mike Van Boekel, spokesman for Unifor Local 88, says the layoffs will take effect in July at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ont.

“That plant was excluded from negotiations last fall between Unifor and the Big Three automakers, including GM. The CAMI plant is scheduled to have its own negotiations with its roughly 3,000 workers later this year.”

CBC News

4. Behind closed doors, Republican lawmakers fret about how to repeal Obamacare

“Republican lawmakers aired sharp concerns about their party’s quick push to repeal the Affordable Care Actinside a closed-door meeting Thursday, according to a recording of the session obtained by The Washington Post.

“The recording reveals a GOP that appears to be filled with doubts about how to make good on a long-standing promise to get rid of Obamacare without explicit guidance from President Trump or his administration.”

Washington Post

5. Will Trump’s troll army allow him to end the open internet?

“Even if you wouldn’t expect the Redditors and channers who make up the Trump Train to support net neutrality by virtue of their heavy internet use, Trump’s most vocal online supporters have a clear interest in maintaining net neutrality — it’s a policy that helps guarantee that sites like Reddit, 4chan, and their even seedier cousins can be accessed by anyone. But standing up for net neutrality would also require them to criticize the god-emperor. There is no evidence that Trump really understands the issue, save for an ill-informed 2014 tweet.”

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