Of mice and mach speed

Plus: Cherry blossom watch

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ON THE FAST TRACK

DOUG FORD held forth on a smorgasbord of topics, from surveillance pricing at grocery stores (“socialism does not work”) to NAVDEEP BAINS’s potential bid for Liberal leader (scooped here). But first — a slew of hot-potato bills are on the fast track, and critics aren’t happy about it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Government House Leader STEVE CLARK tabled a time-allocation motion to speed up due process for a trio of bills, including the controversial budget Bill 97 from Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY, which has the changes to FOI laws baked in.

The PCs have used such time-allocation motions prolifically, prompting critics and stakeholders to accuse them of skirting accountability.

The budget bill would skip committee altogether — when the public gets to have their say and Oppo MPPs can propose amendments — and go straight for third and final reading before becoming enshrined in law.

The latest motion would also see Bill 98 —…