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.
Why has Doug Ford won three straight majorities and holds a popularity rating 40 points over what Kathleen Wynne could manage? Because he’s not an arrogant, holier than thou scold. Because unlike Trudeau he’s not also a hypocrite. Ontarians understand and accept that every politician is going to lie, grift and cheat, at least to some degree. Ford does this too, but he has the good sense to show humility and remorse when he’s caught. I challenge every Liberal supporter reading this, show me even one time where Trudeau took sole responsibility and apologized for his errors, without saying that “we all” need to learn and do better. It has never happened.
I predict that if the Liberals elect another arrogant elitist like a Nathan Erskine Smith, then Ford is well on his way to a fourth majority
Weird that many comments are not about Doug Ford but focussed on the current PM Mr Carney. Wondering what the link to Doug Ford’s Ontario may be. Their critical comments about boomers and people who may have voted for the Liberals federally, (in PSM we elected a Conservative MP again) seem unrelated to why Ontario loves Doug Ford. Maybe “haters gonna Hate.” Or is it because all these commenters think that Doug Ford should be PM – replacing Pierre Poilievre in federal Conservative leadership- like Mr Darke comments? So far Doug Ford is a fan of Mark Carney and willing to work with him for Ontario and Canada. –
Peter, you make a lot of valid points, and I completely agree that the evidence against Carney is growing harder to deny.
Carney’s failure to deliver in Washington proves that his so-called “master plan” is nothing more than empty talk. He promised to maintain counter tariffs, secure a deal by July, and use Canada’s influence to strengthen our position. He has failed on every front. That is not strategy, it is weakness.
You are also right that Canada, under Carney and his predecessor, has one of the weakest growth records in the G7. On a per-person basis, our long-term growth is among the worst in the developed world (https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/finance-minister-misleading-canadians-about-economic-growth?). Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer is now sounding the alarm, warning that Carney’s runaway spending is unsustainable and poses serious risks to our future.
And you are absolutely right about the boomers. Many of them are comfortable on paid-off homes and secure pensions, completely shielded from the economic pain younger generations are facing. They voted for “stability” and the status quo, ignoring how these policies have driven up housing costs, debt, and taxes for everyone else. For young Canadians trying to build a life (me being one of them), things are far worse now than they were in 2015.
Carney’s record so far is one of broken promises, growing debt, and an economy that continues to underperform. This is not leadership or progress. It is complacency dressed up as competence, and the next generation will be left to pay for it.
To Ms. Kear and Mr. Markle,
The Canadian Press is reporting (yet again) that Carney has failed to achieve any progress in Washington. This must be part of his brilliant, masterplan, I suppose.
He managed to make the election a referendum on dealing with Trump. He made specific promises…like keeping the counter-tariffs in place, getting a deal by July. He has failed. He has cut bait. He’s weak.
Moreover, Canada under his watch and his predecessor has the worst economic growth in the G7. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is sounding the alarm and appears to be genuinely terrified of the consequences of Mr. Carney’s spending.
The evidence is right before you, yet you refuse to acknowledge it for your partisanship and ungrounded fear of everything “conservative” prevents you from doing so.
The Boomers deliberately chose status quo and their home equity over everyone else. By virtually every measure, Canada is worse off than it was in 2015. A truly lost decade. The Liberals deliberately chose to pursue divisive policies for political gain; they’re fiscal and economic mismanagement is unforgiveable, in my opinion.
I realize that Boomers are cozy and content and completely isolated from many ills facing our nation that are directly the result of the Trudeau/Carney era and cannot fathom how anyone would be unhappy with soaring debt, a crumbling economy, soaring crime, out of control mass immigration, soaring housing costs, record youth unemployment, etc. etc.
Stay in your cocoon. The rest of us will clean up the Liberals’ mess.
Mr. Zychowski;
Have you heard of the phrase, “walk softly and carry a big stick”? (used by American President, Teddy Roosevelt). What do you think this might mean?
Because Carney does not display the bluster of Doug Ford, does not mean he is without brains. Equally, with the bluster of Doug Ford does not mean he is without understanding of how to deal with Trump as well. Both approaches of these two leaders are not counter-productive to Canadian interests. It isn’t one or the other. Both approaches have merit, in my view.
Dealing with an angry, child-like US president does not mean going cap in hand. But, it does mean appearances matter. Trump is into performance, TV performance.
I would be very interested in your opinion of how you think PP would deal with Trump. What do you think he would do, how he would handle American-Canadian relations?
Peter Zychowski: I have not seen the evidence that proves the ‘fact’ that Doug Ford is “the only politician……to stand up to Donald Trump”. When did this happen? Can you supply the evidence? Also, I have no real control over what Prime Minister Carney does with his hat or legs or tail, but I do believe I would rather him be doing it than you….. or I.
And do you really believe that psychologists will be bothered studying how people get duped? Of course not. I think you were just shuckin’ there.
‘Boomers” are known for their ambition and resourcefulness. Also for a strong work ethic. Are you sure it was just boomers who were duped as you say? Or can I apply Hitchins razor?
Think maybe I will.
Doug Ford is the only politician we have with the guts to stand up to Donald Trump. That’s now fact.
Mark “Elbows Down” Carney has put his tail between his legs and gone hat in hand to beg like some pauper for tariff relief.
The Boomer generation is and was completely deluded into believing Mark Carney is some strategic mastermind. He’s not. I’ve never seen a near-total generation of people get so thoroughly duped by electoral smoke and mirrors. It’ll be studied by psychologists in the near future.
Mr. Mackenzie; Well yes, pandora’s box. There is much from commenters Nadine Gingrich and even much of Allen Markle. Joanne Tanaka, love your comment as well!
The behaviour which I want to address is DF’s blurting out a comment before he even knew the facts concerning the Kawartha Lakes home invasion and owner’s response. I say, Ford blurted out his comments before knowing the facts, showing a lack of understanding about the law itself. Further, I suggest that good leaders know when to keep their mouths shut; in other words, when they have enough information about a situation to make a considered comment.
I have been told that Ford does not drink alcohol. If that is true, he seems to go overboard to accommodate access to alcohol for everyone else. Despite his experience with addiction in his family of origin, he has very set views on treatments for people with addiction. But then again, science has not been an area of expertise for him (biological, psychological, environmental).
Ford was late to understand the nature of Donald Trump’s temperament and antics. Ford was surprised at the ‘gut-punch’ from DT. Anyone aware of what was happening under Trump in the US would not have been surprised; indeed, may have anticipated Trump’s penchant for chaos, lawlessness, and ignorance of economics.
Ford’s folksy-ness does not impress me much, given his government’s policies, and I suggest, avoidable mis-steps/mistakes.
I guess people in Ontario are very forgiving, so Premier Ford’s lapses are disregarded by most. He reminds me of our former now late, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, who also was prone to bloopers, but continued to be loved. Maybe everyone loves a “cowboy” even though “protecting Ontario” is a cynical joke as far as Bill 5 goes to squash natural assets, the environment, and particularly scrapping the Endangered Species Act. Fire up that barbecue and lets have a big dance around the “Ring of Fire.” Yippee!
The only reason Doug Ford got in was because we thought he was a concervative. Turns out he is all liberal.
Doug Ford for Prime Minister, bring it.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH HUGH MACKENZIE ON DOUG FORD!
GOOD PREMIER DOING GOOD AND ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING TANGIBLE RESULTS FOR ONTARIO…REAL INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ROADS, SEWERS, RAIL IS GETTING BUILT EVERYWHERE!!!
I find little to like about Doug Ford. Far from being “a man of the people” he comes from a wealthy family with little understanding of what most people grapple with daily. He answers his phone: that is not much of a commendation. He tries to sound empathetic–remember his ludicrous plan to provide paper bags at the LCBO to save buyers the cost of a reusable bag. He relies on clichés and tired old phrases to try to sound like “a man of the people,” which in itself an empty phrase. He is steadfastly eroding the judicial system by vowing to appoint more judges with “conservative values.” He publicly sounds off on legal matters he knows little about. The strong mayors’ policy was put in place to further his government’s agenda, ostensibly about housing starts; that was just a smokescreen. He thinks building “houses” in as yet undeveloped areas will solve the “housing” crisis. All it will do is create an after-the-fact excuse to build more highways and million dollar houses that few can afford. Highways are his obsession, highways that will perhaps save a few minutes of commute time for a small part of Ontario’s population. Not everyone needs highways but every Ontarian needs healthcare. And Doug Ford just can’t stay out of Toronto politics and issues. I haven’t even mentioned his characterization of environmentalists as radicals who would stop the building of a highway to save one grasshopper. You don’t need to know the name of that type of argumentation to know that it is flawed.
If the election of Doug Ford was a reaction against years of Liberal governments that grew rotten with success and power, I suggest that Doug Ford’s PCs are now repeating the Liberal downward spiral. Unfortunately we have two more years of Doug Ford and his government. Let’s hope in those two years he doesn’t wrest control from more areas in which citizens still have a voice such as elected school boards and municipal politics. There may be a need for improvements in these areas but improvement does not mean take-over and micro-management by Doug Ford.
Hugh Mackenzie: I think what we have in Premier Ford is a man who gets by in a province that looks askance at Liberals these days. In my book there is nothing special. Lauding his election prowess is alright, but remember he was following Daulton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne. Both had majorities and both ran like gazelles when the environment got hot. I won’t miss those two Liberals, but it just shows how fickle the Ontario voter can be.
The bit about catering to friends and “show me a political leader who has not.” I suppose we all have to be somewhat regretful about that statement. Politicians just can’t treat the people fairly? That’s sad. And as for the “Who would put people who didn’t like or respect them……..” That’s a trump truism!
There was much ado about about little premixed drinks and getting booze in corner stores. The only thing this has accomplished, at least for me, is little poorly tended cubicles that sell beer and wine and some liquor. And the distinct lack of choice in those places. And though the man says he has the back of the working people, I guess the people who worked in the (now closed) beer stores weren’t that high up in his ‘back covering’ program.
Staying with his infatuation with booze, he has taken a run at Diageo. Pouring out Crown Royal must have reduced some voters to tears. I have a bottle of ‘Crown Royal Rye’ in my cupboard that he won’t be getting even if he shows up in his truck with a smile on his face. ‘Nor will I be pouring it unless it’s in a glass with a little bit of water. But what a photo op that was!
I think your commentary covers some of the dumb stuff, almost apologizing for it. Like the proposed tunnel/ mushroom farm/ bomb shelter. But it is just dumb stuff and not worth re[eating. Picking on Ford would be somewhat akin to kicking a kid. I don’t find him offensive, just unimpressive.
The workover proposed for the school boards will be interesting. It has been needed for some time now. And while he’s at it, maybe something could be done to put an end to this regional government we are lumbered with; that is draining the trough and giving us little in return.
And the one thing that got left in Pandora’s box(?) was Hope. So we can have optimism for the future. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.