Dear Editor:
It seems virtually every day we are witnessing the scrapping or the chopping of vital social programs or environmental protection plans by a group of individuals trying to pass itself off as a responsible provincial government.
Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative Party is not like a legitimate government. Yes, they won the election but they were victorious for no other reason than the fact that the electorate was sick of Kathleen Wynne and her Liberals.
Throughout the period leading up to the election Ford said nothing; he had no platform that he wished to divulge to the people of Ontario. Other than promising to bring us a beer for a buck and whining constantly about how the federal government was going to lay a new tax on us, he might as well have been mute.
What we have actually ended up with is a group of ultra-reactionary, undemocratic and, frankly, not too bright zealots who think government is strictly about balancing the budget. What this government doesn’t understand is that it has a responsibility to protect our more vulnerable citizens, maintain and grow our public services and set an example of protecting our environment.
Unfortunately, in becoming Premier of Ontario Doug Ford believes that he has inherited supreme power and can dictate how this province will evolve and prosper. But how is Ontario supposed to prosper when his ideas are influenced more and more by special interest groups that are driven simply by the almighty dollar?
Examine any of this government’s policies and you will find more flaws than value. Witness the constant protest from health care workers, teachers and people from all walks of life who worry about the deterioration in the quality of life in Ontario.
We live in a democracy and the residents of Ontario generally believe in the rule of law, but what do you do if a government that has been given a mandate to rule proves it is incapable and is ruling in a manner that is adverse to the well being of the majority of its citizens?
Maybe we have reached a point that a recall election be held to judge if the Conservatives should retain power in Ontario. Ford was both sly and underhanded in not providing a platform of his party’s policies prior to the election. All indications are that had he done so, there is a strong likelihood he would not have been elected.
One thing that can be learned from this sorry mess is that no one should vote for a political party that gives no idea to the electorate as to its policies and how it intends to govern. To do so leads to the situation now occurring in our province.
Mike Shackleford,
Belwood