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The Star‘s editorialiststhink “Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government will earn applause from voters for pushing ahead with this move, and deservedly so,” which is a bit odd considering how much further they’ve called on the government to go in the past, and indeed in this very editorial! In any event, they are far more concerned that it’s all a distraction for the Liberals’ plan to sell off 60% of Hydro One, which will supposedly raise megabucks without boosting Ontarians’ electricity bills. “The Liberals need to earn public trust on any such plan, given their past stumbles in this area,” they tactfully observe.

The Toronto Sun‘s editorialistsare profoundly unimpressed, noting a new beer tax to be implemented as part of the plan and suggesting beer in a few grocery stores is “an absurdly inconsequential benefit in return.” They’re also not too pleased with the Liberals’ plan to sell Hydro One, either. By law the proceeds should apparently go towards debt reduction, but it seems the Liberals are just going to go ahead and change the law.

Indeed, as the National Post‘s editorialistsobserve, it very much seems that all these new revenue streams will go directly toward new spending. “In effect, they observe, “the entire annual deficit now consists of new borrowings made to pay the interest on previous borrowings.” And that is not particularly encouraging.

World War Q

The Star‘s editorialists expected considerably more from CBC brass than the “understated” reaction to the findings of the report into the Jian Ghomeshi debacle — essentially that everyone knew he was a spectacular creep running a toxic workplace, and nobody saw fit to intervene. “Given the nasty secrets the report aired, [president Hubert] Lacroix should be more than ‘disappointed’ in his management team,” they say. “How about ashamed, and furious?”