The Ford government has introduced new legislation which -- supposedly -- will protect Ontario's elections. The bill's real purpose is to protect Mr. Ford. Marcel Wieder writes:
The proposed bill will now limit how important conversations take place about the current and future direction of the province. Under the bill, groups that either support or oppose government legislation must register a full year before an election and are limited to how much they can spend; how they interact with other like-minded groups; and what suppliers they can use. This has the chilling effect of restricting free speech and the right to association.
The amount that third parties can spend have been cut in half under the proposed bill. The current limits, which are currently the subject of a Charter challenge, do not come anywhere close to what the political parties can spend; are not tax deductible and do not reflect the cost of a sustained communications campaign.
Under the proposed legislation, individuals or organizations that wish to comment on a government bill that could be considered an election issue will need to register if they spend more than $500 conveying their opinion. The chief electoral officer is given the responsibility of determining whether it falls into the category of political advertising.
Even more outrageous is that this bill limits individuals or organizations from sharing information, appealing to donors who share a similar point of view and using a common vendor.
Ford is trying to shut down his opposition before the election. And the number of Ontarians opposed to Ford is growing:
The Doug Ford government is taking this draconian effort prior to the next election to block critics who oppose this government’s handling on a number of issues.
Health-care workers are critical of the government’s handling during the COVID-19 crisis, especially among the personal support workers.
Family members are mad at Ford over the disastrous response to long-term care residents.
Parents and education workers are upset over mixed messages, lack of planning and overall handling of the response to the education system during the pandemic.
Small business owners, restaurant owners and others who have been affected by closures, lockdowns and restrictions that have forced them out of business or to take on massive debt.
Ford wants to have all the cards in his hand. And he's stacking the deck.
Image: instructables
