That's the question facing Ontarians. With Doug Ford in office, Martin Regg Cohn writes, why bother with democracy?
Why bother going through the motions of filing legal motions in court, notably his government’s appeal of the ruling that his plan was unlawful? While there is every possibility the government will win a stay of the verdict after Tuesday’s hearing before the Court of Appeal, why seek to overturn a decision if you can routinely override it by invoking the Charter of Rights’ “notwithstanding” clause?
Why bother with debates in the legislature if you can always outvote the other side? While it’s true that the opposition parties collectively won more votes than the 2.3 million Ford keeps boasting of, he won more seats — fair and square — and it’s the seat tally that counts. Why not settle another score by reducing the legislature to a human scorecard, where MPPs’ votes are tallied up but their voices tuned out?
Why bother with our parliamentary system of cabinet government in an era where the premier wields virtually total control over his obedient, obsequious ministers? Why bother with free votes if Ford makes a mockery of them — publicly daring his MPPs to vote their conscience, knowing full well they will fall into line behind him, with nary a single dissenter? Not even ex-PM Stephen Harper, a ferocious disciplinarian, cowed his Conservative caucus with such efficacy on Parliament Hill.
Why bother with the unelected media? What right have they to question the premier (notwithstanding protections in the Charter of Rights on “freedom of the press and other media of communication”)? Ford displayed his attitude by deploying paid government staffers to news conferences where, until recently, they cheered and clapped wildly to drown out annoying followup questions from reporters who dared to ask more than the maximum of five questions dictated by his handlers.
When Ford ran for office, Ontarians heard nothing about reducing the size of Toronto's city council. Ford has created chaos in Toronto. But Todd Smith -- the Government House Leader, and my local MPP -- says the bill the government is pushing through the legislature is all about restoring certainty to North America's fourth largest city.
Why bother with truth, when lies can get the job done?
Image: The Toronto Star
4 comments:
Why bother with truth, when lies can get the job done? Why bother indeed. I hope I am not changing the subject too much but I do see the comparisons in our votes cast for the Feds on promises and in view of the latest crossing of the floor by my MP in Aurora/oak ridges I am thoroughly turned off now. Remember Belinda from the same riding? Do any of them have any shame or respect for the voters. Why bother with any of them? Can they all be liars? Doug Ford is merely following a pattern that has been well established. Brazen lack of respect for the democratic rights of all Ontarians not just the 2m minority.MJW
And yet they continue to claim, zoombats, that they are "for the people." Hot air is everywhere these days.
Now I get it. Certainty has been restored. Confusing debates inevitably lead to even more uncertainty than you started with. Why bother when someone like Doug already knows the answers. He's doing it for the people. That's all anybody needs to know. They won't have to think about it anymore. Be certain that few of them will, unless and until its one of their heads that gets in the way of the two-by-four on one of its future flailing deployments. And even then most of them won't notice that their foreheads have gotten even flatter.
There are all kinds of folks who would prefer that someone else do their thinking for them, John. And Doug is happily volunteering to do that job.
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