On 2 June, 2022 Ontarians voted in a provincial election to appoint the leader of our province for the next four years. This is a province that has the largest population in Canada, is the economic and financial engine of the country, whose output of goods and services exceeds many countries.
The incumbent premier, Doug Ford (I shudder to even mention his name) is a crude boor, a man who dropped out of a two-year course at a community college, and has no qualifications of any kind to run this province.
Yet we re-elected him.
He managed COVID in an abysmal fashion, even by his own low standards, and was forced to admit it publicly.
Yet we re-elected him.
Dearest to my heart are the interlinked issues of the environment and climate change.
Let me review - briefly - his dismal record, which has moved back the province's approach to climate change by a half century or more.
1. Dismantled the previous government's comprehensive climate change strategy.
2. Lost a battle on carbon pricing with the federal government before the Supreme Court of Canada.
3. Cancelled more than 700 renewable energy projects.
4. Rewrote planning rules to favour developers.
5. Pushed for new highways, further contributing to urban sprawl.
6. Tried to open parts of the Greenbelt to developers.
7. Knee-capped conservation authorities, inhibiting their ability to tackle flood plain issues.
8. Weakened protection for endangered species.
9. Repealed the province's toxic use reduction legislation
10. Dismantled the environmental assessment process.
In the process the Ford government has become increasingly authoritarian.
Yet we re-elected it. We will barely recognize our province after four more years of irresponsibility.
Over and over again, on every continent we select people who are antithetical to the stewardship of the planet.
No wonder the world is in such a mess.
Oh dear! Sounds like he went to school with Donald Trump. I never understand how such people manage to get themselves elected time and time again! BIG hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to you. For a change we recently rejected the incumbent, and I now have some faint hopes of improvement. I wish the same were true for you.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and sister-in-law, living in Ontario, feel exactly like you. However, if you caste your eye around the world today, similiar situations appear to be prevelant in many
ReplyDeletecountries today, including here.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteHear! Hear! The political picture in the world is beyond dismal... YAM xx
He is a repugnant human being. His single term as a Toronto city councillor should have been proof of his unfitness to ever hold any office again, but the provincial Tories decided to sell out.
ReplyDeleteI agree William. But our fellow citizens voted him back into office, didn't they?
DeleteThe question is why. There are a lot of people who don't care about the environment.
DeleteI agree with all you have said. I am so angry.
The other question, Jenn, is why only 43% of the voters even bothered to vote. Democracy is in a perilous state when this happens.
DeleteI am amazed to see politician here get re-elected time after time. They do a horrible job, I do not understand the people who vote for them. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDelete...they say that voters get the leaders that they deserve. I hope in this case that it isn't true. There sure are a lot of dingbats running around.
ReplyDeleteMany times elections are strange !!! Perhaps not the right terminology!!!
ReplyDeleteI will just wish you a happy weekend, get out and enjoy nature , as I know you do :)
All the best Jan
I feel desperately sorry for you and the people of Ontario, David, but it is a relection of the direction that most of the power centres in this planet are moving in. We've got to the point where the majority of people are totally selfish - the " because I'm worth it" and "I deserve it" brigades (phrases one constantly sees used in advertising) are now in control. Too many people who don't give a sh1t about anything other than their own wants. There is a groundswell from enlightened people however, and I hope that it prevails before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteHave not been following Canadian politics - enough bile to swallow here in the States. We may be facing the same type of boor here again in 2024. An uneducated population swayed by slanted news leads to poor leadership. You see it the world over.
ReplyDeleteDown here in Michigan (well, OK, we are north of Windsor) we have a combination of demographics and skewed districting that means our legislature never represents the will of the. people, who vote for Democrats. I suspect that we have politicians that are even less educated than your cited leader’s slight brush with higher ed. I know of one disgusting person in the US congress who didn’t even go to high school. We outdo you in creating a destructive boobocracy every time ! I say with shame.
ReplyDeletemy sympathy… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Sad to hear about your election, and I believe I heard the liberals were split into two groups, thus neither one was big enough to be an adequate foil to this (whatever adjective you choose.)
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. The progressive parties, the NDP and the Liberals, split the vote and handed the conservatives their win. The leaders of their parties were not especially inspirational either, especially the Liberals, where for the second election in a row he was unable to win the seat in his own riding.
DeleteThis is as scary as reading about Trump running again for president. Leaders should be well informed and knowledgeable about many things. Our state congress right now is leaning towards too many uninformed people, and although I'm not a big fan of the governor, at least he is intelligent and speaks his mind. And he's not under Trump's influence either, which does give him points in my mind. But he does have Washington dreams, so how long he'll last in office is questionable. Sorry to hear you have 4 more years of ignorance leading your province. What is it about government right now? It goes to show what a mess the world is in. Saying all that, I hope you have a nice weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a Norwegian election, David. I guess this is a kind of a worldwide illness. There are always better people to elect, but they do not get enough wotes. I'm not sure if I will wote next time.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the Canadian people.
Hugs and kisses, Marit
I hear you. The low voter turn out speaks volumes!
ReplyDeleteAS a Torontonian I am so disgusted that he was voted in. But the turnout was abysmal. Who are these people who voted for him? I am so worried about our future health care and education. Just looking at his ugly face makes me want to vomit. He is so smarmy.
ReplyDeleteHe won't be able to blame the previous government for all his issues now.
Australia has compulsory voting. I think we need that here.
DeleteI agree!
DeleteOh I'm so sad to hear that. Why does this happen all over in rich and well educated countries with democracy???? I know it too well in Denmark too. I think our (Western) civilization has peaked on all counts. Don't know why.
ReplyDeleteAll the best. Lisbeth
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ReplyDeleteDavid, my comment was wrong. Google translated your text incorrectly and I decided that you chose a different person. In fact, I'm sorry that the changes you're hoping for won't happen. Unfortunately, this is not only happening in Canada.
DeleteI was shocked at the result of the election, thinking that surely people would vote him out. The turnout was DISMAL! Don't people care enough to even get out and vote?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most disappointing thing of all is the poor voter turnout. It bothers me that people living in a democracy are unwilling to do the bare minimum to safeguard it.
DeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a loser but was elected again, it's odd how some people think and voted for that man. Is it compulsory to vote in your country of for that election?
ReplyDeleteIt's not, Margaret, but I wish that it were.
DeleteI can only offer sympathy. Why incumbency works in favour of the incumbent when everyone has been able to see whether or not they've been effective I've never been able to understand. There is some hope though, with incumbents already being voted out in some constituencies - Donald Trump springs to mind for one. I hope things are not as dire as you anticipate.
ReplyDeleteHello David, indeed the same attitude of our leaders is to be seen here. It is frightning.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Roos
Hi David - I hardly dare comment - ours is not much better over here ... I think I'll stop there. I feel for you - all the best - Hilary
ReplyDeleteDear Dawid, I agree with you, but you did not surprise me.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same in my country. A certain group of people (35%) also choose losers who break the constitution, destroy the judiciary, and regularly cut down forests. For those who want ecology and nature, it is a stupid idea because the planet will defend itself.
After tree felling, the spruce bark beetle is spreading, so the forests should be cleaned. Now the government has given Poles, for a fee, permission to collect brushwood and branches in the forest. They are generous, because Poles will have fuel for the winter.
Have a nice, relaxing Sunday :)
Incompetent people are elected by incompetent people...by they vote and sadly some people doesn't care...
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week !
Anna
How can one choose something negative for civilization?
ReplyDeleteThe voting problem is as follows:
1. It should be mandatory for everyone and a non-voting justification should be fined at least $ 1,000.
2. It is necessary for those who want to be elected to have a project in several points on each level of life: sports, green energy, traffic, healthy environment, etc., and if they do not implement it in the mandate they will not be able to run. Otherwise he promises himself immensely (he lies beautifully), and after the election most of the promises are forgotten.
Surprised he did so well. This could be wrong but I thought I heard somewhere that only 44 percent of the province voted. At this point, it is all on the voters and non-voters. It is hard to comprehend … are people awake, are they seeing, are they listening?
ReplyDeleteHe'd be a republican in the US. My condolences.
ReplyDeleteAs you might expect, I live in great concern that the same thing will happen here in a couple of years. I keep wondering who is voting for him, because every blogger I visit is upset!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that 57% of eligible voters didn't do so, despite all the advance polls, mail in votes, etc really concerns me. This is how democracies are lost.
DeleteWhat is wrong with this world? My first thought was, if the guy is such a buffoon, who is funding him to fulfill their anti- environment agenda? And why aren't people turning out in droves to stop them? I am so worried about our elections here in the US - we are so close to losing our democracy and people don't get it! I hate to say it, but the hearings the Jan. 6 committee is planning to air on TV this week probably won't matter to those who are so entrenched in the lies. Scary times, indeed.
ReplyDeleteParece que está pasando lo mismo en todo el mundo, por aquí en algunas comunidades también pasa lo mismo, pronto serán las elecciones de Andalucía y veremos como quedan. Abrazos querido amigo David.
ReplyDelete