Doug Ford will win the Ontario election, and he will be a breath of fresh air to all of Canada
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Ontario voters will elect Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford as their next premier on June 7.
The reason? It’s enough already.
Taxes are excessive, debt is too high and fees for everything have increased beyond inflation. For 15 years, Ontario has been run by tax-and-spend champions the Liberals and now it’s time for common sense, change and discipline once again.
Ford streaks ahead in polling despite dirty tricks that include descriptions of him as a Canadian version of Donald Trump. This is both insulting and false: Canadian conservatives like Ford are to the left of the Democrats south of the border.
“The Liberals have put us in terrible debt and hydro and taxes are through the roof,” he said in an interview. “This province cannot compete and we are going to make Ontario open to business.”
The 15 years has been disastrous because, in part, the Tories have not gotten their act together. But this time, Ford is likeable and credible and, even if he wasn’t, polls have shown for quite a while that the Liberals will lose.
Debts are up 300 per cent in 15 years, Ontario has the highest sub-national debt in the world, and credit ratings have tumbled as a result, most recently from “stable” to “negative.” Interest payments are $1 billion a month and on this trajectory the province is a Greece waiting to happen.
“We are going to audit everything,” said Ford. “We will bring in independent auditors to analyze the budget line by line. We are going to find four per cent and cut it. The Auditor General has highlighted the areas of concern.”
Ford promises tax cuts to low income individuals, relief for corporations and will roll back Bill 148, which gives Cadillac benefits to part-time workers that’s forced businesses to cut 90,000 jobs directly.
And scandals remain top of mind in Ontario, such as the payment of $1.3 billion to cancel two gas plants to win seats in a couple of ridings (that sent Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s top aide to jail recently); an $8-billion e-health fiasco; budget overruns of $8 billion squandered on a smart meter scheme and a Presto transit payment system; and another $1.1 billion spent beyond the budget allocation for the Pan Am Games.
“Fifteen years ago there were six Deputy Assistant Ministers of Health in Ontario and now there are 21,” he said. “Then there are well-paid consultants and the Green Energy Act, a scandal, that’s made us uncompetitive. Who’s getting rich? The Liberal insiders.”
Ford is an enthusiastic campaigner who presses the flesh constantly.
“I spoke with the largest greenhouse operator in Canada, exporting billions of vegetables to the U.S. every year, and plans his next expansion in Ohio for the first time due to lower energy and other costs and streamlined approvals,” he said.
Another example he cited was a businessman in London who spent $1 million and seven years to get permits to build a recycling plant and “cannot afford to build another one in Ontario.”
Asked about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ford said, “I’ll gladly work with him, of course, because I have to. We may disagree but that’s how it works.”
If he wins, Ontario will contest the carbon tax – along with Alberta and Saskatchewan – imposed by Ottawa.
“This is the worst tax a government could place on companies and people. Ontario businesses must pay $469 million to buy carbon credits that don’t even exist from California and Quebec. It makes no sense.”
Ford will be a breath of fresh air to Ontarians and Canadians — a no-nonsense and fiscally responsible leader who will dial the province back to centre.