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jackhauen.bsky.social
Jack Hauen
@jackhauen.bsky.social
4.9K followers 270 following 59 posts
Queen’s Park reporter for The Trillium.
Sleek, vigilant puma.
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jackhauen.bsky.social
A thread of recent @thetrillium.bsky.social reporting on the Skills Development Fund. #onpoli
October 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
ICYMI: Months before he was labour minister, David Piccini was in Leafs glass seats with a director of a company he later granted $7.5M to.

Piccini attended the Parisian wedding of the company’s lobbyist.

From me and @charliepinkerton.bsky.social.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...
Labour minister was in Leafs glass seats with director of company he granted funding to
The ‘lower-scoring’ company got $7.5M of tax dollars through David Piccini’s office and is a client of the lobbyist whose Parisian wedding the minister recently attended
www.thetrillium.ca
October 10, 2025 at 3:28 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
New: Ontario's labour minister said he was personally involved in picking “lower-scoring” Skills Development Fund recipients.

He held up one whose lobbyist's wedding he attended as an example of a lower-ranked applicant with sizeable impact.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...
Labour Minister David Piccini said he was personally involved in picking “lower-scoring” recipients of a $2.5-billion training fund that the province's auditor general recently labelled "not fair, transparent or accountable." The auditor general found that less than half of the recipients of the Ministry of Labour's Skills Development Fund (SDF) were given "high" scores on their proposals by non-partisan civil servants who evaluated them, while the majority — 54 per cent — were ranked as having “lower” quality proposals. Piccini defended the fund in a Newstalk 1010 radio interview on Wednesday. "I mean, there were projects that were lower-scoring that we did select — and that's a conversation I have with our officials here — that align with government priorities,” he said. “I mean, Peel Police — we supported (a) lower-scoring project. It supports mental health. Our first responders are more likely than the general population to commit suicide. That's a real reality,” Piccini added. The minister was referring to a project by Keel Digital Solutions — the company represented by the lobbyist whose Parisian wedding Piccini attended this past weekend.
October 9, 2025 at 12:43 AM
jackhauen.bsky.social
NEW: David Piccini, the minister whose office picks Skills Development Fund recipients, was in Paris this weekend at the wedding of a lobbyist whose clients received millions from that fund.

From me and @charliepinkerton.bsky.social.

www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...
Ontario labour minister attended lobbyist’s wedding after granting his clients millions in training funds
Two clients of lobbyist Michael Rudderham have received more than $8.5 million in Skills Development Fund grants, records show
www.thetrillium.ca
October 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM
jackhauen.bsky.social
New: Clients of lobbying firms with close connections to Premier Doug Ford and his nephew have been hugely successful in applying to the province’s Skills Development Fund.

Full analysis: www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

#onpoli
Clients of lobby firms connected to premier, his nephew given tens of millions in training funds
Groups represented by a lobbying firm owned by the premier’s campaign manager got more than $100 million in grant money, a Trillium analysis has found
www.thetrillium.ca
October 6, 2025 at 9:13 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
NEW: The organization that’s supposed to be making sure the people building your home aren’t cheats, liars or swindlers is asleep at the wheel, Ontario’s auditor general has found.

From me and Steve Cornwell.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...
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www.thetrillium.ca
October 1, 2025 at 3:09 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
BREAKING: The Ford govt has given groups hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars against the advice of civil servants who’d evaluated their applications, per Ontario’s auditor general.

@thetrillium.bsky.social has been covering this story in depth.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...
BREAKING: Ford government skills training funding ‘not fair, transparent or accountable’: auditor general
Ford government labour ministers overruled civil servants to fund skills training by groups with lobbyists, according to a scathing new report
www.thetrillium.ca
October 1, 2025 at 3:07 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
Facing pressure from above, Ontario's psychologist regulator has voted to cut training requirements and allow unlimited exam attempts.

It's a fascinating debate. What's more important: the highest bar for mental health docs — or more of them?

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/health/...
College looks to cut psychologist training requirements, citing Ford government changes
National association warns proposal a ‘serious threat to public safety’
www.thetrillium.ca
September 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
Premier Doug Ford says speed cameras don't slow people down.

They do.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Ontario to ban speed cameras, fund other road-calming measures instead
Ford makes series of false claims in announcement
www.thetrillium.ca
September 25, 2025 at 8:50 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
Ontario's highest court will now decide whether Doug Ford's government can have its way with three major Toronto bike lanes.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Ford government appeals decision blocking its bike lane removals
Lower court 'exceeded its jurisdiction' and 'made multiple errors of law', Ontario argues
www.thetrillium.ca
August 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
The premier thanked Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown for following his lead on RTO, and called on everyone else to follow suit.

Not all municipalities are into the idea.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...
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www.thetrillium.ca
August 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
New: Doug Ford is leaving open the possibility of invoking the notwithstanding clause to remove three Toronto bike lanes.

“Let's see what happens at the Court of Appeal, and then we'll go from there."

#onpoli #topoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Ford floats use of notwithstanding clause in Toronto bike lanes case
‘Let’s see what happens at the Court of Appeal,’ Premier Doug Ford told reporters
www.thetrillium.ca
August 6, 2025 at 6:07 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
Cycling advocates have won.

The Ford government's plan to remove three major bike lanes in Toronto violates the Charter, Ontario's Superior Court rules.

Story to come.

#onpoli #topoli
July 30, 2025 at 4:55 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
New: Ontario could make up to $800,000/day from a U.S. electricity surcharge, according to internal estimates.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...
July 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
Metrolinx facing $8.2 billion in legal claims

www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...
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www.thetrillium.ca
July 25, 2025 at 2:30 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
The Ontario NDP is calling for "urgent action" after an increase in overdoses after CTS site closures.

During the recent campaign, I repeatedly pressed Marit Stiles on whether she would reinstate CTS sites. She was noncommittal.

thetrillium.ca/insider-news/s…
July 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
In which a Toronto cop gives $325 tickets to cyclists who slow-roll a changing red light, but two videos beforehand, ignores a driver who slow-rolls a stop sign because he’s a “fair and reasonable person.”
July 17, 2025 at 1:42 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
62% of Torontonians say main streets should "offer a balance to all road users" including transit, pedestrians and cyclists — but not many PC voters agree.

Most Toronto Tories said main streets "should be prioritized for car traffic or parking."

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Most Torontonians for building protected bike lanes: poll
Faults emerge along partisan lines, though a majority of respondents support mixed-use roads and more space for bikes
www.thetrillium.ca
July 15, 2025 at 5:23 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
After responses about expanding GO train service to Vancouver and an electrification schedule 18,000 years into the future, Metrolinx says GO Transit will no longer respond using AI.

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
GO Transit X account will no longer respond to riders with AI: Metrolinx
'We recognize that we did not meet our customer support standards, and we have provided clear direction to our vendor that AI cannot be used under any circumstances,' the agency said
www.thetrillium.ca
July 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Jack Hauen
jm-mcgrath.bsky.social
Ancient Doug Ford lore requires me to remind people of the time Ford said changerooms and showers at City Hall would be overrun by public sex acts.
jackhauen.bsky.social Jack Hauen @jackhauen.bsky.social · Jul 8
New: Therme says the public park around its future spa will have multiple swimming points and free, year-round changing rooms with showers.

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Therme shows off design of Ontario Place water park
Its new design is half the size of the original 65,000 square metre proposal
www.thetrillium.ca
July 8, 2025 at 12:04 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
New: Therme says the public park around its future spa will have multiple swimming points and free, year-round changing rooms with showers.

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Therme shows off design of Ontario Place water park
Its new design is half the size of the original 65,000 square metre proposal
www.thetrillium.ca
July 8, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Jack Hauen
pressprogress.ca
Doug Ford has been busy!

In the past ~2 months, his government has proposed or passed a flurry of laws with the potential to reshape Ontario.

There's no way you've been able to keep up with it all. So we spoke to @jackhauen.bsky.social, who has.

pressprogress.ca/how-doug-for...
How Doug Ford Is Changing Ontario
In even more ways than you think
pressprogress.ca
June 28, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Jack Hauen
pressprogress.ca
When Metrolinx hooked up with European rail experts, the result was a "slow-motion train wreck."

The Trillium's @jackhauen.bsky.social breaks down why we (well, Ontario) can't have nice things.
When Metrolinx Hooked Up with European Rail Experts, the Result Was a “Slow-motion Train Wreck”
The Trillium's Jack Hauen explains how Metrolinx gave up its dream of a world-class rail network, opting instead to build the
pressprogress.ca
July 4, 2025 at 4:06 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
ICYMI: Ontario revealed plans for a five-storey, 3,500-space, $400 million parking garage at Ontario Place.

Premier Doug Ford said it "will be blended into the surrounding area."

"You'll barely even see a parking lot.”

#onpoli

www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
Ontario reveals five-storey Ontario Place parking garage; Science Centre still TBD
'You'll barely even see' the garage: Ford
www.thetrillium.ca
June 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
jackhauen.bsky.social
With Ontario still building far too few homes, I asked Premier Doug Ford if he had any regrets about how he’s handled the file over the past seven years.

He said he “wouldn’t do anything differently.”

#onpoli

thetrillium.ca/trillium-ins...
June 25, 2025 at 1:22 PM