Doug Ford’s government would like you to look the other way. As the Ontario legislature resumes its work on Tuesday after a long break, the Progressive Conservatives find themselves down in the polls with the Liberals creeping up on them. The Greenbelt scandal persists and continues to drag the Tories down. Meanwhile, a majority of the province’s residents are convinced that the blue side has not managed, despite its campaign slogan, to “Get It Done.”
A new Pallas pollprepared for The Trillium found that 67 per cent of respondents believe the premier’s side has not lived up to its sloganeering when it comes to building housing, while 73 per cent say the Tories haven’t done enough to support health care and 63 per cent say the same about public education. While Ford touts his economic bona fides, 52 per cent say the government isn’t getting it done on supporting a strong economy. The only measure on which the PCs managed majority support was liberalizing alcohol sales.
It must have been a tad awkward for Ford and his lot as they returned to Queen’s Park with their signature bill in the hopper. The Get It Done Act is an omnibus bill that the government no doubt hopes will get it back on track and sway public opinion in its favour. It’s a big swing and a mixed bag — if you’ll permit the mixed metaphors.
The bill proposes to trade rigorous environmental assessments for fast road building. It’s not a great swap. Also part of the legislation: a requirement that governments now and in the future get approval from the population by way of a referendum before introducing carbon pricing — another terrible idea. As if that weren’t enough, Ford is also proposing to ban new highway tolls, except, of course, for the one in place for the 407. Perhaps the only sensible bit of the bill is the provision to automatically renew licence plates.
It’s awfully bad news for Ford that Ontarians believe his government isn’t living up to its promises on housing, health care, education, or the economy. Ask anyone what their top issues are, and there’s a good chance — a very goodchance — that at least one of those concerns will come up. Probably a few of them. Ford promises better days are coming. While we continue to struggle through affordability and housing crises along with underfunded education and health-care systems, it’s hard to imagine anyone’s patience holding up. As a potential recession looms, the government is set to face even darker days. So are we.
As I’ve argued before, a handful of fctors have conspired to land Ford’s government in power and keep the man himself in the premier’s seat. The electoral system and a disorganized and inept opposition side have been godsends for the PCs. The premier and his cabinet haven’t been scandal-proof — far from it — but they’ve managed to weather every storm thus far. But when governments start to go proper bad, they turn rotten quite fast.
The Get It Done Act is an attempt to forestall, perhaps reverse, the government’s aging process. It may help in the short term, but not for long. Drivers aren’t renewing their plates now, so automatic renewal — while a fine decision — merely confirms for voters what they already expect to be the case. New roads will take years to build and do less to relieve congestion concerns than people think. Some will induce congestion. And those concerned about the environment will be working double-time to ensure everyone in the province knows the ecological cost of this regressive move
Forbidding tolls and making carbon pricing harder to adopt may resonate with Ford’s base but won’t inspire many beyond it. No party is championing a new carbon-pricing scheme, and no planned toll roads are in the works. These provisions are meant to deal with a non-problem, which is to say they’re performative measures that use taxpayer money and government time to highlight a non-factor wedge issue the Tories expect will be advantageous to them. It’s cynical stuff that takes voters for fools. Enough of us will see through it.
The government’s effort to change the channel won’t succeed. It will waste time and money that could be better spent on housing, health care, and education. Indeed, Ford’s desperate attempt to tap into populist sentiments may once again backfire, as the government will almost certainly fail to deliver on its promises. Moreover, the Greenbelt scandal isn’t over yet. With all this in mind, the PCs may wish to consider a new slogan — and a new approach to governing to go along with it.
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