Doug Ford’s entire campaign was based on a promise he would save us from Trump.
Who will save us from Ford?
When US President Ronald Reagan and UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher brought in their policies of tax cuts, deregulation and privatization, they promised prosperity for all. The theory being that wealth would eventually trickle down to all. Completely discredited, trickle-down economics failed dismally and never delivered prosperity as promised.
Tax cuts, cutting red tape (deregulation) and privatization were repackaged as “The common-sense revolution” by former premier Mike Harris who promised “all boats will be lifted by the rising tide.” Again, promising prosperity for all. Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is not the first to undermine government saying “everything is broken.” Harris famously said “We are not the government; we are here to fix government” Conservatives are again presenting the common-sense policies of tax cuts, cutting red tape and privatization as an irrefutable, indisputable fact, that will bring back prosperity.
Trump is currently bragging about his “common sense revolution” and Poilievre’s campaign promise of “common sense” to “bring it home” is of great concern.
Harris’s common-sense cuts were the start of our collapsing healthcare and education systems. He started as well the $7 billion a year in hydro subsidies that Ford is using to hide and protect Harris’ failed hydro deregulation scheme.
The fact is, Ford is pursuing “common sense” policies and legislation more aggressively than Mike Harris did.
Ford’s record has clearly shown he is fundamentally opposed to properly funding publicly provided services. Ford has deliberately cut and underfunded public services to create a crisis, so he can present privatization as the solution.
It is no mystery, why Ford was 100 per cent happy Trump was elected. Authoritarian Ford has installed loyalists in every government tribunal and agency. Ninety-seven per cent of dispute decisions by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) have been decided in favor of developers.
It is now just about a virtual certainty the OLT will rule in favor of developers. The chair of the OLT is a Ford loyalist. Six of the nine senior chairs at Tribunals Ontario have either donated money to, served as a high-ranking staffer for or ran for political office as Conservatives. It is the same at tribunals like the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Landlord and Tenant Board. Both have reduced and restricted accessibility while huge backlogs grow and cases are dismissed by these loyalists without even notifying complainants. These loyalists are given the power to make final decisions affecting everyday people in Ontario. Do not expect a fair hearing, in Ford’s Ontario.
In addition to installing loyalists, like Trump, Ford is deliberately dismantling democracy in Ontario. Ford has continuously used his legislation to change laws and regulations to the benefit of corporate Ontario. Very disturbing is Ford’s elimination of environmental regulations.
Ford’s quest for authoritarian power is shown by his concentration of power in the Premier’s office, by severely reducing parliamentary scrutiny with omnibus legislation, reduced time allocation, invoking closure allowing the government to conclude debate and force a vote on any matter.
Tax cuts are the primary policy pillar of Conservatives everywhere. According to the latest figures, since 1980 the corporate tax rate has been cut by more than 50 per cent. This has caused the tax burden to be shifted directly on to the shoulders of working people. As corporate tax rates were cut, tax payers have had to make up the difference. In 2015-2016, for every dollar that corporations paid in tax, the Canadian public paid $3.50. Since then, the gap has steadily grown.
Practitioners of the big lie, the Conservative think tank The Fraser institute keeps telling the same tax cut lie over and over until it is accepted as the truth. Claims that tax cuts will lead to more growth, more investment, job creation and prosperity are patently false. Last year The Fraser Institute claimed that, Premier Mike Harris’s tax cuts brought in a period of prosperity is again false. In fact, Conservative “common sense’ policies have only ever ended up transferring public wealth to the wealthy.
As we have seen, only the luxury liners rise and we all sink in their wake.
What is the answer to our problems? (1) bring back a progressive tax system. It is long past Time to reverse tax cuts on the wealthy and their corporations, to pay their fair share. Forget the public private partnership P3 nonsense. That is just prettied up privatization.
(2) Public investment and Crown corporations is how we got out of the economic crisis of two world wars and the Great depression and that is the answer to what we need now.
Ford and now Poilievre have promised to save us from Trump. Poilievre in particular keeps on promising “common sense” will bring it home” and bring back prosperity.
Trump’s “common-sense revolution” should set off alarm bells for everyone.
There is a federal election soon. Hammer your local MP and MPP with the question. What are you doing to stop Conservative “common sense” policies and act in the public interest?
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Nick Seebruch, editor
