As a potential early provincial election looms, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s latest wave of announcements present a classic populist appeal to garner more votes if an early trip to the polls is in the cards.
With rebate cheques, a hard stance on bike lanes, a tough-love approach on homelessness and a focus on local doctors, Ford has crafted a narrative focused on quick and easy voter-pleasing measures.
Take the rebate cheques, for example. Ford’s government has promised at least $200 to every Ontario taxpayer as part of the province’s fall economic statement. It will certainly be a relief when this money hits people’s bank accounts, as Canada’s economy has left a lot of families struggling to afford necessities.
However, a one-time cheque is hardly a strategy for real economic stability – it feels more like a bribe to secure votes. Additionally, a one-time $200 payment will likely be spent swiftly, leaving struggling recipients in a similar situation as before. If financial assistance is a platform goal, the Ford government needs to introduce a more sustainable plan of action.
It’s fair to question why his government isn’t using the absurd $3 billion it is spending on these rebates to address structural problems, such as the shortage of doctors (2.5 million Ontarians are without one) or funding affordable housing. These are a pair of investments that would support long-term prosperity for Ontarians, rather than providing fleeting, insignificant relief.
Ford’s war on bike lanes is another populist ploy. The premier’s narrative suggests that no one uses the bike lanes on major roads and that they’re a nuisance for drivers. But Toronto, like any big city, has a major congestion problem, and reducing car dependency by supporting bike infrastructure is an effective strategy that cities like Ottawa have embraced.
By planning to tear up existing lanes on busy roads including Bloor and Yonge Street, Ford is doubling down on a car-first mentality. This move is shortsighted and works against efforts to make Toronto more livable and accessible for those without a car.
Ford’s stance on homelessness and employment is also questionable. He has offered what he believes is a simple fix: if homeless people are healthy, they should “get off [their] A-S-S” and find a job.
This misguided perspective ignores the systemic issues fuelling Ontario’s homelessness crisis. Ontario is facing massive shortages in affordable housing, and mental health services are underfunded as well.
By framing homelessness as a personal failing rather than a systemic issue, Ford is not only showing a total lack of empathy, but also a deep misunderstanding of the challenges faced by citizens he should be supporting.
Does Ford know how challenging it would be to pick yourself back up and find a sustainable job when homeless? It’s such a rare feat that Columbia Pictures made a biopic starring Will Smith about a man who accomplished it.
Additionally, Ford’s proposal to reduce the number of international students in Ontario’s medical schools may appeal to a “local first” sentiment among voters, but it’s another shortsighted approach to tackling the province’s doctor shortage.
Why shut out highly qualified potential doctors when Ontario is in desperate need? Rather than limiting international student opportunities, Ontario should expand med school seats and streamline pathways for both local and international graduates to join the workforce. A reduction in international spots risks making the province’s maladies even worse.
Ford visited Carleton recently to “unveil” big news for the university — a new program: Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
What was not mentioned by Ford, however, was the fact this partnership between the university and Queensway Carleton Hospital was actually unveiled on Aug. 31, 2023. It’s as if he’s simply trying to look good — especially to young voters.
Ford knows these proposals and appearances will score votes, but Ontario deserves more than populist gestures and short-term policies. What’s needed are thoughtful, evidence-based solutions that can lead Ontario toward meaningful, lasting change.
Featured image provided by Bruce Reeve.
