Stop Selling Out Ontario: Ford’s Fumbles


What is Government Accountability?

Accountability is a priority in maintaining public trust, and is at the heart of a healthy democracy. Accountability means that the powers granted to elected officials, including the management of public money, are used solely for the benefit of the people. Our current government has weaknesses, but we can address them.

Strong accountability includes:

  • Sanctions for bad behaviour
  • Proactive, instead of reactive, planning and decision making
  • Performance-based rewards and incentives

Stronger accountability improves:

  • Transparency and oversight
  • Citizen understanding of what we’re getting for our money
  • Investigations of possible failures
  • Cohesion and collaboration between major stakeholders

Accountability benefits everyone when it works.

 

Ford’s Fumbles

  • COVID-19 Relief Funds
    • During the height of the pandemic, the Ontario government elected to balance the budget with over $6.4 billion in federal relief funds intended for healthcare, education, and economic support
    • These funds were NOT allocated to those sectors who desperately needed the support
  • Long Term Care during COVID
    • Allowed over 3,800 residents in for-profit long-term care to die due to severe neglect, inadequate conditions, and immense suffering
  • Use of Notwithstanding Clause
  • Shady Backroom Deals
  • Greenbelt Scandal
    • This is a full-blown corruption investigation
    • Ford promised he wouldn’t touch the Greenbelt, then turned around and allowed pieces to be sold off pieces to developers (a.k.a. His personal friends and donors)
  • Science Centre Scandal
  • Ontario Place Scandal
    • $650 million taxpayer dollars to build an underground parking lot for the Therme mega-spa
    • Every household in Ontario is paying $400 to this project
  • $100 million Starlink deal with Elon Musk
  • Alcohol sales early expansion
    • Cost to taxpayers: $612M
  • Snap election
  • Healthcare in Crisis
    • Pushed for privatization by refusing to properly fund public healthcare 
    • Passed Bill 124, which capped wages for nurses and healthcare workers – which was later defeated in court
    • ERs are shutting down and wait times are getting longer
    • As of July 11, 2024, 2.5 million Ontarians are without a family doctor. This is an increase from 1.8 million in 2020
  • Highway 413
    • Will destroy farmland and protected lands while benefiting his developer buddies
    • Instead of investing in real public transit solutions, he’s focused on building highways that do nothing to solve Ontario’s long-term transit needs
    • Ontario accounts for 22% of Canada’s emissions. The largest source of emissions in Ontario is transportation (36%). We do not need more highways or more cars on the road
  • Dismantled cap-and-trade program
  • Bill 23
  • Wasteful spending in downtown Toronto and meddling in municipal affairs
  • Cancelling contracts and abruptly ending programs
  • Personal phone use for government business

***in progress***