Desperate Doug: Adding Fuel to the Fire
Hmmm, is there a more embarrassingpublic spectacle than the crash and burn of Doug Ford?
Contrary to what you might think, I amreluctant to post about Doug Ford and in any way contribute to his Hey, lookat me, I’m the best thing that ever happened to Ontario nursery rhymes. Buthe keeps getting under my skin and forcing me to vent.
Ford’s public communications in the lastyear have been mostly about damage control and are desperate attempts toreverse the downward spiral of his ill-fated government. He loves being infront of the camera but digs himself into a deeper hole every time he opens hismouth.
His latest political defeat is beingforced to repeal Bill 124 that capped salary increases to one per centper year for broader public sector workers including teachers and nurses. The Courtof Appeal ruled it unconstitutional as we all expected. This embarrassmentpiles on top of his other fiascos and political reversals:
The Greenbelt Scandal, the stench ofwhich is still clinging to him, and the reversed course on changes to municipalofficial plans and regional boundary expansions.
Backing away from the proposedDissolution of Peel Region which would have left Mississauga, Brampton andCaledon as independent cities.
Throwing in the towel on the law thatimposed a contract on education workers and banned them from striking using thenotwithstanding clause to guard against constitutional challenges.
Ford’s latest attempt to garner public favour is this week’s announcement of legislation that would in theory require any future Ontario government to hold a referendum before introducing a provincial carbon tax. This misguided political volley is so transparent it is laughable.
What is abundantly clear is that DougFord is desperately worried about new Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie who ischampioning the revival of the provincial Liberal party. He has dubbed her thequeen of the carbon tax – a juvenile attempt at a slight that Crombie islaughing off.
Fully two years in advance of the nextOntario election, the Ford government is running attack ads aimed at Crombie.Crombie is laughing in his face as she appropriately dubs him Desperate Doug.The Ford Government is also spending our money on a Look what a good jobwe are doing on the Ontario economy advertising campaign.
Doug: None of us our buying into your rhetoric any longer. Manyof us never did. Stop spending our money to try and put a positive spin on yourfall from grace.
Where Doug Ford is concerned, we arewitnessing the spectacular implosion of a political career. Every move he makesto try and salvage some respect falls flatter than the one before. Severalmembers of his government jumped ship in the Greenbelt Scandal. I expect thatothers are plotting their escape as we speak.
Adding fuel to the fire is usedto describe those who make a bad situation worse. It fits Doug Ford like aglove as he stumbles and fumbles his way through the demise of his politicalcareer.
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