Few would argue that we live in a time of political uncertainty. Often, those who lead us are cheered one year and jeered the next, and in many instances, holding on to support has become daunting. These days, we tend to demand results instantly, and the pressures of governing in a fragmented and skeptical society are relentless. Few leaders escape the erosion of trust that comes with power.
There is, in my opinion, an exception to that, however.
Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, after winning three back-to-back majority governments, remains not only more popular than ever, at 52% in his own province, but is also highly regarded across Canada.
He has, over the course of his tenure, certainly made his mistakes. There is the Greenbelt fiasco, which is still under investigation by the RCMP. Even though (and rarely reported) the government put as much land back into the Greenbelt as they originally took out, it was a huge environmental and politically stupid mistake. Yet he was re-elected with a strong majority.
There were other controversial issues as well, including closing the Science Centre in North Toronto and moving it to the waterfront to be part of a new and vastly improved Ontario Place, proposing a tunnel under Highway 401, building a new superhighway around Brampton, clamping down on bike lanes, and on and on.
There are those who also accuse Ford of catering to his friends, which is true. But before anyone gets their knickers in a knot over that one, please show me a political leader who has not. Who would put people who didn’t like or respect them in positions of influence?
Doug Ford is different than many political leaders. He is blunt and unpolished, and at times, his mouth gets ahead of his brain. Yet, he is often underestimated and still popular in a climate where voters seem eager to punish those in charge. Doug Ford has not only survived, but he has thrived.
Why is that?
In my view, it is because Doug Ford has shown himself as a man of the people, someone they can relate to, and that is somewhat unique in Canadian politics. There is little or no pomposity about him. He has found a way to relate to people who would not have traditionally voted conservative, progressive, or otherwise.
Ford actually answers his phone and returns phone calls from people who would not normally have a snowball’s chance in a hot place to get through to the premier. He would stop by the roadside (and he has) to help someone in distress. Most importantly, all of this is natural for him and not put on.
There is a bit of a pugilist in Doug Ford, and people seem to like that. When the Trump administration imposed and threatened tariffs that negatively affected Ontario, his fists came up. He left whatever diplomacy is required to the Prime Minister, who has talked about “elbows up” but has left much of that, perhaps out of necessity, to the Premier of Ontario.
When the distillers who have produced Crown Royal Whiskey in Canada for decades bowed to Donald Trump and announced that they were moving their bottling facility from Ontario to the United States, Doug Ford, in a scrum, disdainfully emptied a bottle of that golden liquid into the sand. Some saw that as grandstanding. But others saw it as Ford standing up for Ontario, and the next day, polling saw his popularity increase by 2 per cent.
It was also Doug Ford, whose personality, determination, and great love for Canada allowed him to play a pivotal role in uniting premiers across the country in a common cause to protect Canada’s interests in the current trade war and to break down many of the barriers between provinces that were inhibiting national economic growth. He has earned the moniker Captain Canada.
Doug Ford, as Premier of Ontario, is not afraid to speak out on controversial issues. He has criticized some provincial judges for being soft on crime and defended his right to appoint magistrates who share his government’s belief that people who break the law should be held fully accountable.
In Ontario at least, he has been almost a voice in the wilderness, calling for tougher federal parole legislation, decrying the fact that so many serious crimes are committed by felons out on parole who should be in jail. Many people agree with that.
Recently, too, Doug Ford did not back down from speaking out loudly about a Kawartha Lakes homeowner who has been charged with aggravated assault with a weapon when he defended himself from an intruder in his home. He had no way of knowing how dangerous the intruder was, and he had no way of knowing if his life was in danger. It turned out the intruder was a man police were looking for who had also been charged with possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes.
Referring to this, Premier Ford said, “Something is broken…….it’s expected you are going to fight for your life when faced with the threat of an intruder in your home……enough is enough,” he said.
I agree with that, and I am betting that many people in Ontario do as well. I know that if that happened to me, and I was able, I would take whatever action I felt was necessary to protect my home, myself, and my family. I would not sit down in a chair first to contemplate how much force was necessary.
Another tough issue the Ford government is dealing with is the governance model for education in Ontario. It badly needs reform and, in places, has clearly been abused. I agree with those who believe local school boards should be abolished. There is very little that local school boards can accomplish. Everything in education is directed by the province, including curriculum and teacher negotiations, and school boards have become an unnecessary level of governance.
My first foray into elected office was, at the age of 24, as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education. I was asked what I wanted to accomplish, and I replied that I wanted to establish merit pay for teachers who demonstrated excellence in their work. Fred Hammil, then the Director of Education, literally patted me on the head and said it would never happen. He was right. There was very little we could accomplish then, and, in my view, it is still the same today.
There is really nothing local about local school boards. In Muskoka, for instance, the school board is run out of Lindsay, a community with which Muskoka has no connection. It is that way in many parts of the province.
Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra has promised that the Ford government will overhaul how school boards are governed. I agree with that, and I also believe Premier Ford should take a hard look at whether local school boards are needed. The Ministry of Education already calls almost all of the shots.
There are many other issues facing Ontario that need attention including health care and care for the elderly. On balance, however, I believe Doug Ford, warts and all, is doing a good job.
I know I have opened a Pandora’s Box here, but overall, I believe that Doug Ford is in the right place at the right time, and that most Ontarians, and likely most Canadians, tend to agree.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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Thanks to Doug Ford trade talks are off and Canada is hit with another 10% tariff.
How many billions of dollars has Ford cost us this time?
“Carney says Canada, U.S. were close to a deal when Trump ended trade talks”
Ford needs to butt out with Trump.
Ford enraged Trump with increasing hydro costs going to the US and enraged him again with the Reagan ad. So now Trump wants to get back at “nasty” Canada.
Adults know you don’t enrage those you are trying to negotiate with.
Let the federal adult diplomats deal with Trump.
Not a childish hothead.
Doug Ford spews a lot of “alternative facts” like the orange clown down south.
Just not at the same high rate.
Everything he said about the Science Centre is not true according to architects and engineers.
Just like he claims speeding cameras don’t work and are a “cash grab.”
Is he going to cancel all speeding fines as “ineffective cash grabs” now?
He also claimed his new, unreadable licence plates were fine. Even though police said they were not.
Ford needs to butt out regarding Trump.
His retaliatory charge on hydro going to the US lasted only one day and enraged Trump. Who is now looking to get back at “nasty” Canada as a result.
Now Ford is risking all the other Diageo jobs by pouring out Crown Royal. “While Diageo says Crown Royal whisky destined for Canadian and non-U.S. markets will continue to be made in Canada at a Quebec facility, the company is shifting “some bottling volume” to be closer to its many U.S. consumers.The whisky will also continue to be mashed, distilled and aged in Canadian facilities in in Gimli, Man., and Valleyfield, Que. ”
Let the adult diplomats deal with Trump.
Not a childish hothead.
Regorm in education first allow those who are not using this system to spend the tax dollars spent refunded. Be accountable. Second breakaway from the idea teachers are the prime zource of all education. Let parents be parents and take on the responsibility of raising their children.