Here come the promises



Doug Ford is set to give a throne speech Monday and with the Provincial election just down the road we can expect another round of "I'm gonna put ten bucks in everyone's pocket, buck a beer, I'll cut gas prices," etc. etc. "Look at me. I'm a good guy." rhetoric. Insiders say the speech will focus on Covid 19 recovery but all that means is he will continue with his agenda and claim it contributes to recovery. If we look at what he did in his first 100 days in office you have to wonder where’s the “progressive” in Progressive Conservative? Cutting Toronto City council, rolling back the sex ed curriculum, cancelling cap and trade, halting new safe injection sites. It all sounds very “regressive”. Recovery is a progressive thing. It’s hard to imagine this government even understands the word “recovery”.

If we examine what Ford did accomplish when he was first elected, they were back-page platform issues. So what about his big front page campaign promises?

Gas tax - same, no reduction

Hydro - same, no reduction

Buck a beer - flat!

Where’s the beer and wine in corner stores?

Whatever they come up with tomorrow, you can bet it will become campaign platform issues that will, once again, when elected will fail to materialize like last time.

We recently learned that when you give this government the money to do something, they can’t even handle that! Schools are just as crowded and poorly ventilated as always while school age children represent the largest share of Covid 19 cases. Hospital staff shortages grow while patients wait for beds on stretchers in the hallways. All while the government hangs onto $2.7 billion in cash this first quarter earmarked to address exactly these problems! That brings it to a total of $5.6 billion meant to fight Covid withheld this past year!

Ford’s current budget cuts $800 million from education, reduces the number of public health units and includes more funding cuts for Long Term care. 

Andrea Horwath and the official opposition NDP are looking for a plan to hire nurses and PSWs, a safe schools plan and grants to help local business get back on its feet. The Ontario NDP would invest in health care and our kids instead of cutting deeper. Andrea Horwath would stand up for local business - not big boxes.

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