No contest. No opposition. Meet the new leader of the provincial NDP.

Plus, CERB forgiveness (or not), and plans for Toronto's unhoused population [Get access now!]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Doug Ford is defending his plan to shuffle the Greenbelt, saying the Liberals also made changes to the land. [Here’s what we know about the past changes — and what makes Ford’s plans different](. Here’s the latest on the provincial NDP’s leadership, CERB repayment and a lack of shelter space ahead of winter. DON’T MISS Toronto Star provincial politics [Marit Stiles has won an uncontested race to lead the Ontario New Democrats]( The long-time NDP activist and second term MPP is set to be the leader of the provincial NDP — without having gone through so much as a candidates debate, Kristin Rushowy, Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson report. The New Democrats had hoped there would be some competition in order to campaign and create buzz around the contest, but the entry deadline came and went with no other MPPs making their bid. Stiles succeeds Andrea Horwath, who led the party since 2009, resigned in June and is now mayor of Hamilton. [Here’s how political leaders are reacting to the win](. - More: “It shows that we are a united party; we’re not interested in being divided,” Stiles told reporters at Queen’s Park about the lack of competition. - Watch for: Party members were supposed to elect the new leader on March 4. It remains unclear how long interim NDP leader Peter Tabuns will stay on the job. Canadian Press File Photo federal politics [Ottawa should clarify whether it’s forgiving CERB overpayments or not, the AG says]( The federal government sent $4.6 billion in emergency COVID-19 relief funds to Canadians who didn’t qualify for CERB, Auditor General Karen Hogan said in a report Tuesday. An additional $27.4 billion send to individuals and employers should be investigated further, she said. While it would be reasonable for Ottawa to forgive the overpayment, Hogan said, it should now clarify its plans to Canadians and let them know whether or not they have to worry about giving the money back. Christine Dobby reports on [what Ottawa has done so far about repayment and how it plans to move forward](. - More: Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said the government has been reviewing every file and following up on each one. Despite some advocates and opposition MPs calling for forgiveness, Qualtrough said “Canadians are fair-minded,” and many people have already repaid the funds or negotiated repayment plans. - Meanwhile: The AG found Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine effort was “efficient,” but millions of doses were wasted. [Here’s how she said a functioning vaccine data system could have seen the doses sent to other countries, instead](. - Word from the Opposition: [Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives are defending the AG]( as a Liberal minister says the critical report was politically motivated. Steve Russell/The Star housing [Threats to clear an encampment and a shelter closing are raising concerns about Toronto’s plans this winter]( Alan Donaldson usually starts by calling shelter systems beyond the city. “Every area — York, Peel, Barrie, Toronto — all of them full,” he laments. In that case, he’ll head to a subway station or ride a streetcar back and forth — just to find a place to sleep for the night. As winter sets in, the search for a roof doesn’t get any easier. Approximately 180 callers were turned away from shelters each day throughout October, Victoria Gibson and Ben Mussett report. Now, an encampment site outside of a church is set to be cleared Thursday, just after a temporary shelter in an Esplanade hotel shut down this week. [What’s next for the city — and those who are unhoused?]( - By the numbers: There were 8,992 people considered actively homeless in October 2021. A year later, that number had risen to 9,622. Although more people are being housed now compared to last year, the rate isn’t enough to relieve the pressure, and more and more people are being turned away from shelters. - More: The encampment removal notice has led some to accuse the city of relocating people rather than fixing the underlying issue. The church’s priest worries that people will be disconnected from the supports and services in the area. WHAT ELSE A tweet prompted Canada to summon Russia’s ambassador — [for the fifth time since the invasion of Ukraine](. Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is [apologizing for the timing of his Instagram post criticizing gun control](. Pet problems? Odour issues? [Prepare to face the powerful tribunal that now rules over the smallest details of condo life](. Why a majority of Toronto councillors have [called on Ontario to withhold “strong mayor” powers for John Tory](. Audits derailed Doug Ford’s claims of a “gravy train” at city hall. [So why try to ride it again?]( Parents are making a plea to Toronto’s public school board to [stem the tide of violence with resources and support](. She waited 10 years after being sexually assaulted in university to seek trauma counselling. [Now she’s making the case for not delaying seeking help](. Donald Trump’s company has been convicted of tax fraud. [Here’s what we know about the case and what it means for Trump](. Morocco’s goalkeeper and World Cup star Yassine Bounou was [once asked to play for Canada](. Are Iran’s “morality police” being disbanded — [or is this just a revolutionary rebrand?]( ICYMI Toronto Star Photo Illustration [They were an iconic Toronto family who built an empire off furs, fashion and dry cleaning. As business after business failed, others paid the price.]( CLOSE-UP Canadian Press/Justin Tang PARLIAMENT HILL: Cambria Harris, daughter of Morgan Harris, calls on the federal government to take action to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people during a news conference in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Tuesday. Police identified Morgan Harris as one of four women killed by an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg, but her body has not yet been found.  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_157523). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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