Wait, can Alberta do that?

Plus, highlights from the AG report and Toronto's big budget shortfall [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. The Ford government is now insisting “no” insider information was shared with developers in the Greenbelt land swap. [Here’s what we know about the property deals](. Read on for the latest on Alberta’s new sovereignty bill, Ontario’s auditor general report and Toronto’s budget shortfall. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Jason Franson analysis [Is Alberta’s new Sovereignty Act even legal?]( Introduced Tuesday, Premier Danielle Smith’s “Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act” is already raising eyebrows. The bill, designed to push back against the federal government, is meant to give Alberta’s cabinet sweeping powers — including allowing legislature to pass motions declaring a federal law unconstitutional or harmful, and then giving cabinet the “extraordinary” power to change provincial legislation as needed. [Alex Boyd reports on the concerns, confusion and clarifications that are emerging](. - Wait, what? Critics say the new powers are concerning because they would essentially put the Alberta government in the position of deciding what is constitutional — a role usually reserved for the courts — and give major powers to a small group of politicians. - Word from Ottawa: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s “not going to take anything off the table” but he’s “also not looking for a fight.” [Here’s a closer look at the federal reaction to Smith’s bill](. - Meanwhile: As former rivals unite behind her, [this is how Smith’s government is trying to clarify the Sovereignty Act’s powers](. Steve Somerville/Metroland ontario politics [The auditor general’s report calls out pandemic mistakes, doctor-nurse pay gaps and Ford’s highway ambitions]( Doctors were paid five times more than nurses to administer COVID-19 vaccines, Ontario wasted 3.4 million booster shots, and vaccination efforts missed communities vulnerable to the pandemic, according to the auditor general’s annual report. Premier Doug Ford, meanwhile, was slammed for funnelling money into highway projects and “ignoring” his own experts who ranked them as lower priority. [Rob Ferguson and Kristin Rushowy break down the major takeaways from the AG’s 1,083-page report](. - More: [These are the highlights of the 2022 report]( including notes on the environment, education and casinos. - Wait, what? The AG’s notes on pay discrepancies — in which doctors earned $170 to $220 per hour for giving shots and nurses made $32 to $49 for the same job — comes one day after a court struck down Bill 124. [Here’s the latest on the now-void wage restraint legislation](. - Go deeper: Here’s why the AG said [Ontario casinos need to improve safeguards against money laundering](. - Martin Regg Cohn’s take: For all her overarching vision and values, [the auditor’s blind spots are bizarre](. Steve Russell/The Star municipal politics [The Ontario government will cover one-third of Toronto’s $700-million budget shortfall]( Although the province has now committed to covering one-third of Toronto’s 2022 budget shortfall, Mayor John Tory says the city’s long-term financial health is far from assured. With about $470 million left to account for this year, Tory is amplifying his call for the federal government to help fill the gap. Ottawa has thus far refrained from committing to any funding. Additionally, the mayor is seeking assistance in addressing the opening shortfall in the city’s 2023 financial plan, which city staff have estimated to be almost $1.5 billion. [Ben Spurr reports on the economic challenges facing Toronto and how the provincial and federal governments are responding](. - Context: Tory has cited damage from the pandemic and the unexpected fallout from the province’s new housing bill as financial obstacles to filling the deficit. [Here’s why municipalities are describing the potential fallout from Bill 23 as “unfathomable” and “devastating.”]( - Not so fast: In what could be a significant development, Ontario’s municipal affairs and housing minister opened the door to reimbursing the city for the financial impacts of Bill 23. WHAT ELSE Police have charged 107 people in an Ontario-wide child exploitation investigation. [Here’s what we know about the crimes and victims they found](. It might be too late to stop Ford’s Greenbelt plan, but there may still be time to stop developers and landowners from profiting. [Here’s how](. This gender-affirming clinic in Toronto [closes today as lower virtual-health fees set in](. The investigation into John Derringer is closed, Q107 says. [Here’s what you need to know](. A Toronto high school teacher has been [charged in a “historical” sexual assault investigation](. [An actors’ union says it will help recover missing wages]( for performers represented by one Toronto talent agency. [Toronto’s first 2SLGBTQ+ adult shelter will open this week]( — a win for advocates against systemic homophobia in the housing system. A “bio-energy therapist” has [denied knowing about the 68 guns, 15,000 rounds and $18 million in drugs seized from his Etobicoke apartment](. Neuralink, Elon Musk’s [secretive brain chip company, could begin human trials in six months](. [Here are the top holiday scams in Canada you should be on the lookout for this season](. ICYMI Toronto Star [Here’s why BMV may be the best store of its kind in Toronto.]( CLOSE-UP Gregory Bull/AP Photo HAWAII: A man looks on as lava erupts from the Mauna Loa volcano on Wednesday, near Hilo. 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_156622). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](