Author: Mark Winfield, Professor, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has justified his early election call on the need to respond to United States President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.
While the threat of tariffs on all Canadian imports has been paused — although Trump has since slapped levies on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. — Ontario voters need to reflect more than ever on the province’s circumstances and the performance of its government as they prepare to head to the polls next week.
The Ford government’s approach to the environment and climate change, as well as its policies on a range of other issues like housing, health care and education, is best understood in the context of its overall “market populist” approach to governance.
Several defining features of this model have emerged over the past six and a half years under Ford’s rule.
The one thing I do is vote. Even if I don’t like the candidates, which this go around, I really don’t, it’s a right that many people fought and died for and billions of people don’t have the right to.
Is it ideal? No. Not when politicians are just trust fund babies or career politicians.
However, I do feel that voting and as of late strategic voting is important.
Wynne sucked so we voted in Ford. Well, he’s even worse. The premier of the province who secretly just wants to be mayor of Toronto.
I’d like to see ford gone. It’s not going to happen, so the best we can hope for is a government more represented with less power.
Fords running on a zero sum platform except for Trump bad. The other platforms aren’t much better.
The other issue is snap elections don’t allow for any party to actually get their facts out. They shouldn’t be allowed as they’re just power grabs similar to the last provincial and federal elections. It shouldn’t be allowed.
I’d also really love a politician to have the bls to change the voting system. First past the post is a sham.