Why dentists aren't signing on to Ottawa's dental plan

Plus, Doug Ford's Beer Store deal and family reunification woes [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on dentists skeptical of Canada’s national dental plan, potential flaws in Doug Ford’s Beer Store deal and Canada’s family reunification program. DON’T MISS Canadian Press File Photo health care [More Canadians will qualify for the federal dental care plan in June — but thousands of dentists haven’t signed on]( More than a million Canadians are set to gain access to the Liberal government’s dental care plan next month — but the leaders of all but one of Canada’s dental associations have yet to sign up. They join the roughly two-thirds of the nation’s oral health providers that haven’t signed on to the program, citing unanswered questions they say Ottawa must resolve as the plan continues to expand, Raisa Patel reports. Privacy issues are near the top of the list — wording in the current agreements means dental staff would have to release their patients’ personal information to the government, for example. [Take a closer look at their concerns](. - The details: While an exact date to apply for the program has not been set, those under 18 and people with disabilities will become eligible for dental coverage starting in June. - Word from the health minister: Mark Holland’s office said nearly 10,000 providers have signed up to offer the program, and that 120,000 people have received services. He was having “conversations” to ensure more providers would climb on board.  Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov provincial politics [Doug Ford claims his beer store deal will be a money-maker — here’s why critics say he’s wrong]( Depending on who you ask, Premier Doug Ford’s alcohol liberalization gambit is either a $225 million investment that will reap dividends for the treasury — or a “billion-dollar booze boondoggle,” Robert Benzie reports. Ford told his legislature that bringing alcohol to supermarkets and convenience stores will lead to “new revenues of $895 million to $1.16 billion.” But while liberalization in jurisdictions like Alberta made it more convenient for consumers, it didn’t necessarily net greater government revenues — partly because beer prices spiked so high, the province was forced to lower the tax it charged. [Here’s why Ford’s Beer Store deal has some critics concerned](. - Wait, what? Convenience stores across Ontario will be allowed to sell beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink cocktails starting Sept. 5 — [but prices could be up to 50 per cent higher than in the LCBO, industry insiders say](. - Context: By buying out the Beer Store’s control over certain alcohol sales, Ford can be seen as fulfilling one of his key campaign promises, giving him more flexibility to hold a snap election. [When asked whether one was coming, he said: “Stay tuned.”]( Steve Russell/The Star immigration [These immigrants can’t even get into the queue to sponsor parents and grandparents]( Ayon De chose to immigrate to Canada instead of the U.S. because he thought his parents could join him faster under Ottawa’s family reunification program. But after being here for almost six years, the India native hasn’t even been able to get into the queue to sponsor his parents to join him. It’s already too late for his father, who died of cancer in September, Nicholas Keung reports. Now, to the outrage of potential sponsors like De, Canada’s Immigration Department has closed the program to new candidates for the fourth year in a row, only drawing from the pool of applications submitted back in 2020. [What’s going on?]( - What we know: Canadian citizens and permanent residents who submitted an expression of interest to the program may be randomly chosen to apply for a limited number of sponsorship spots. Officials will then screen them for eligibility based on criteria like their income level. - More: Potential sponsors are upset by Ottawa’s goal to only accept up to 20,500 complete applications out of all the invitees. With another 1.3 million new permanent residents admitted in Canada over the last three years, they say demand for the program will only keep climbing. WHAT ELSE [Israel says it’s taken control of the demilitarized Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt]( blocking a route for humanitarian aid. U of T’s fight for a court injunction against pro-[Palestinian encampment protesters won’t finish before convocation starts](. Why furious Trudeau Liberals say the budget watchdog’s error [feeds “misinformation on carbon pricing.”]( Evolving police tech or “slippery slope”? [A facial recognition partnership in Peel and York has critics concerned](. Ontario’s NDP is calling for an amendment to [end “unconscionable” seniors’ homes evictions](. Over 1,000 Lyme disease-spreading ticks have been reported across Ontario [as tick-borne illnesses climb](. Ontario teachers will get a pay raise of [more than 11 per cent over four years](. Opioid deaths in Toronto have [risen sharply over pre-pandemic numbers](. How “Crypto King” Aiden Pleterski [faked an extravagant life using Scene points and virtual goods](. For the first time in Stratford Festival history, [all its Shakespeare productions are directed by women](. A panel chair should have [stepped down from Toronto lawyer Jeremy Diamond misconduct case](. What is Ozempic doing to people’s skin? [Here’s how the weight-loss drug could change your complexion](. POV Isabelle Brourman/New York Magazine [Donald Trump’s hush money case is now in the hands of the jury. Here’s why this artist felt painting the trial every day was “getting away with something.”]( CLOSE-UP Michele Spatari/AFP Photo SOUTH AFRICA: Voters wait in line at a polling station in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg on Wednesday. [South Africa’s general election yesterday may be its most consequential in decades]( as dissatisfaction with the ruling African National Congress party threatens to end its 30-year political dominance. Results are expected by Sunday. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_214345). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited digital and ePaper access On sale now: Only $39.99 for 1 year — save $85 [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](