The premier of Ontario is an excellent politician. But he’s a bad leader. And the proof for both contentions is the same thing.
The government has now confirmed what the Toronto Star had already reported: every eligible Ontarian, including children, is going to get a $200 cheque from the province early next year. The premier continues to insist that this is not a bribe to the voters before an early election call. That’s not a claim I feel any particular obligation to take seriously, so I’ll dismiss it. In any case, the cost of the cheques to the provincial treasury will be roughly $3 billion.
Giving people money is obviously good politics. I don’t think this is a claim that really needs to be backed up, but if you’re not sold on the notion: people like being given stuff. It makes them feel good and lets them do things that bring further joy. This isn’t complicated. It’s not even new for Doug Ford. When the Star first reported on the plan to hand out cheques, it tickled a memory that was almost totally buried in my brain. I had to use the Google machine to find it, but it wasn’t hard: 11 years ago, then-Toronto-city-councillor Doug Ford was caught on video handing out $20 bills to residents at a Toronto Community Housing Corporation building before Christmas. He defended it for a few hours before eventually, in true Doug Ford form, backing off and apologizing, saying he understood concerns about independently wealthy politicians handing out cash to voters. He pledged to stick to gift cards going forward.
I’m not sure a gift card in place of cash really sidesteps the issue, but, hey. In any case, what Ontarians are being promised is the same idea, but on a grander scale. Ford is no longer limited to what he has in his wallet. He’s got a whole provincial tax base to finance his gifts now.
I know the argument that’ll be offered in reply to this: it’s not his money — it’s our money, and he’s just giving it back. Okay! Great. Cut my taxes. If the province is so flush with cash that it has more than it needs to meet its commitments, that’s wonderful news, and I would like my taxes cut, then. If we pretend to take this argument seriously — I don’t, but if — then it is simply wrong for the premier to set tax levels beyond what is required to meet our obligations. Doing so makes it possible for some future, less purely altruistic leader than Ford to — gasp! — hold onto the cash instead of giving it back! Or it could incentivize some future leader (again, someone clearly less a rock-ribbed fiscal conservative than Ford, of course) to perhaps run up spending to some point higher than the current level, which, apparently, is sufficient to meet all of Ontario’s needs and obligations. How could that be wrong? It’s why he has the money to give back!
But give it back year after year! Giving it back once just means our money is being held hostage next year. If he doesn’t need it, cut taxes. Make it a gift that keeps on giving.
The problem, as my readers are more than clever enough to grasp, is that Ontario isn’t overflowing with cash. It is indeed behind on a great number of priorities. Health care is one. Fixing the courts to ease massive backlogs that are contributing to crime on the streets is another. So is homelessness. So is addiction. So is education. So is building new infrastructure. So is taking proper care of stuff we already have. So is public safety — are you going to tell me Ford wouldn’t love to spend a few billion bucks on policing?
Unless Ford is prepared to stare the voters in the eye and tell them he’s concluded that Ontario’s health care, courts system, education system, and infrastructure are all in good-enough shape and that crime is low enough and public safety high enough to suit his tastes, he by definition has things he ought to be spending the money on. That’s why he won’t cut taxes. He’s going to need that money again soon, and he knows it.
A leader would spend the money now. They’d identify a key priority — maybe a few key priorities — where targeted investments would improve Ontario’s economic position and the quality of life for its residents, and they’d spend the money on that. They’d spend it wisely and with proper oversight to get maximum value for every dollar. They would make the lives of Ontarians three-billion-dollars better. And some of those Ontarians could well be vulnerable Ontarians. The three billion bucks Ford spends on them could be the only chance they have to find a better life.
But, no. Instead, I’m getting $200 and so are you and so are all your neighbours. Ford is taking $3 billion and using it to make himself more popular instead of making the lives of vulnerable, needy people marginally better. Maybe even a lot better!
And, hey, it’s great politics. He’ll win another majority. He was almost certainly going to anyway, but this will undoubtedly help seal the deal. I’m sure the government, or maybe the PC party, will roll out a great ad campaign to make sure every Ontarian knows they’re getting the bucks. And who sent them the cheque.
I just hope someone takes the time to remind them that, while spending $3 billion you could put toward making life better for everyone on making yourself more popular may be what a politician does — it’s not what a leader would do. That checks out, though. Ford is, genuinely, a great politician. But he’s not a great leader. Never has been. And he doesn’t seem particularly interested in changing that.
Fair enough! Thanks for the $200. I think I’ll put mine toward another PS5.
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