There was Doug Ford last night at the Progressive Conservative Convention, addressing his adoring Ford Nation.
No doubt getting one standing ovation after the other.
Because he likes them a lot.
And even though his government is already struggling to recover from one ugly scandal after the other, and is already running Ontario into the ground.
There he was going after Justin Trudeau.
We've taken Kathleen Wynne's hands out of your pocket. Justin Trudeau – you're next! pic.twitter.com/6heMR0KdST— Doug Ford (@fordnation) November 17, 2018
Because Ford may only be a premier, and a really bad one. But for him and his Harperite handlers, Trudeau is enemy number one.
Doug Ford is again putting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his crosshairs as the Ontario premier rallies Progressive Conservatives in Etobicoke this weekend.
“I’m putting the prime minister on notice,” he said. “We’ve already taken Kathleen Wynne’s hands out of your pockets. And Justin Trudeau, you’re next.”
That line prompted a standing ovation from the crowd and chants of “Doug, Doug, Doug.”
For the simple reason that the brutish Ford can't wait to be prime minister.
Of course, he can't admit that, so he claims he is just helping Andrew Scheer win the next election...
But sadly for Scheer, with friends like that who needs enemies?
For the Ford regime's recent decision to deep six plans for a francophone university in the province, as well as abolish the post of French-language services commissioner, will come back to haunt Scheer.
And as Chantal Hébert writes, it could do him great damage.
Make no mistake. By putting Ontario’s francophone minority on his fiscal hit list this week, Premier Doug Ford has placed his federal ally Andrew Scheer in harm’s way.
To save what amounts to a small drop in Ontario’s fiscal bucket, the Ford government has managed to trigger waves of indignation within every minority-language community in the country — including Anglo-Quebecers.
Not just in Ontario and Quebec...
But as Éric Grenier points out, also in other ridings.
Outside of Quebec, there are four ridings with majority francophone populations — three in New Brunswick and one in Ontario. There are another 14 ridings — in New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba — where francophones make up at least 10 per cent of the population. Half of those ridings voted Conservative the last time the party won a majority government in 2011; they would be key to any Conservative victory in 2019.
It's not likely that being seen as close to the Ford government will do Scheer many favours in the 96 ridings across the country with significant francophone populations.
So Ford's rotten regime could end up hurting Scheer's Cons, while giving Justin Trudeau and his Liberals a big boost.
Just like latest Abacus poll suggests that although Ford has only been premier for four months, he has already boosted Trudeau's numbers in Ontario...
After only four months of Dougie, it seems a lot of Ontarians have suddenly realized you can't trust Ford and his friend Andy.
And in Quebec of course, Scheer's unholy alliance with Ford's crude anti-carbon tax crusade, will only make matters worse for him and his Cons.
Voters in Quebec are worried about climate change. Polls show that it rates as an issue most highly in Quebec, putting the environment and climate change among the top issues for voters in the province.
That puts Scheer at risk of being out of step with Quebecers in the next federal election on one major issue — a risk that could be amplified if francophones also sense the Conservative leader is unwilling to distance himself from Ford's approach to funding services for Franco-Ontarians.
And yes, it's not a pretty picture...
And it's not going to have a happy ending.
They didn't know what they were doing.
They didn't realize that the times were 'a' changing.
So they both went down together...
Yes, this is a huge issue here (in Québec). People here have followed closely the con alliance with the francophobe party in New Brunswick and many, whether sovereigntists or federalists, are seething about this denial of Franco-Ontarians right to equity and higher education in their own language.
ReplyDeleteI'm also mightily pissed off at Caroline Mulroney, who is bilingual and heretofore had always supported Francophone institutions in Ontario. People who know better have to shoulder quite a bit of blame.
As if that wasn't disgusting enough, I read last night that the Christian Crustacean contingent has adopted Jordan Peterson's pronoun paranoia policy to semantically un-person transgender people. Tanya Allen strikes me as Canada's version of Michele Bachmann, another unhinged, bigoted theocratic shrew with a crazy-eyes glare like a moose caught in the headlights. But Doug's only agenda is Doug, just like his clone to the south, so I imagine that whatever actions he takes are borne of insecurity and self-enrichment rather than sincere commitment to "free speech" or "religious devotion" or "academic ideology" or whatever. In other words, he's discriminating against French-speaking people because he's barely even monolingual, and now he's taken to discriminating against gender non-binary people because he can't count higher than two. Governance by quantum computing? Too fancy, some kinda Star Trek stuff what Justin and da eggheads do at da liberries. Much easier to just put people into neat and rigid categories, maybe even slap a pink triangle patch on schoolkids' uniforms -- sponsored, of course, by Deco Labels...
DeleteHi lagatta...as you know Quebecers have tended not to care enough about francophones in the rest of Canada. But when they are threatened they suddenly care a lot. And that's what is happening now. The Ford regime is acting in an incredibly callous manner, and for sucking up to Ford in a most disgusting manner, Andrew Scheer is going to have to pay the piper. As for Caroline Mulroney, with every day that passes she looks more pathetic. As minister of justice in a Ford government there won't be much left of her by the time Ford is finished...
DeleteHi Jackie... Yes I saw that anti-trans move, and it disgusted me. Ape Ford really is a miserable coward, and although he isn't the slightest bit religious, he will do anything to pleasure his rabid religious base. Those who attack minorities think they are picking on easy targets, but they don't realize that their actions will come back to haunt them, and the backlash to evil will incinerate them. I swore long ago to fight bullies of all stripes, and I look forward to the day when the Cons are just smouldering ruins, and we are all pissing on their graves...
DeleteDefunding universities doesn't make much sense but logic is a scarce commodity in Dougies world. Besides the is no need for universities as all that is required is a few history books or fading memory to recreate the glorious 1950's where white christian men ruled the land. Wonder if his handlers are setting the stage to abolish funding of schools along religious lines and save billions as per the following study from the Frazer Institute. Suspect his backers would not shed many tears over defunding the Catholic school system. https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/financial-savings-restructuring-education-in-ontario-using-the-british-columbia-model.pdf
ReplyDeleteRT
the catholic system should never have been started and should be shut down Sunday.
DeleteI heartily agree. There should not ever have been Catholic and Protestant boards - remember, we abolished them here in Québec, replacing them with language-based boards. As did Newfoundland, despite both having once powerful Catholic churches that continued to exert an influence. It is true that there are still some old-school Orangeists who would like to abolish Catholic schools out of sectarian bigotry, but they are a dying breed - even in Ulster!
DeleteI campaigned for MEMO, the party that was out to eliminate faith-based schools. Our candidate was a secular Muslim Moroccan woman (who is now in Québec solidaire). She not only won the election, but managed to secure funding for a new elementary school in a very multicultural and generally low-income district.
Francophone schools in Ontario cities have a far more diverse pool of students than decades ago.
Hi RT...Ape Ford is attacking the Franco-Ontarian community because he is too ignorant to understand the history of this country and the brilliant compromises that were made to keep it together. I feel doubly afflicted by his bestial behaviour. I live with a francophone, and I'm a member of the Anglo minority in Quebec. And I swear I will work harder than ever to defeat that bestial Con , before he helps tear our country apart...
DeleteDougie Dougie Dougie, in the middle of the worst housing crisis in Canadian history he takes away rent controls? He axes 3 University campus, he eliminates the wealth surcharge tax, he cuts the minimum wage by a dollar, he has a single person fired which will cost taxpayers a half a million in severance. And we will get a ferris wheel and casino at the iconic Ontario place location. He has also promised to fix the TTC. Subways Subways Subways, but we cant afford them so drive your car.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the casino and the extended LCBO hours will pay for this, in Druggie's mind?
DeleteHi Steve...it's hard to believe that Ford has only been in office for four months, when you look at the damage he has already done. I truly believe he will in time become the worst premier of the worst government in Canadian history. And those who voted for him must never be forgiven...
Deletehi lagatta...yes it's tragic. After years of neglect Ontario Place was about to be turned into a lovely place for families, walkers, and cyclists. Now it will be a casino just as Dougie and his corrupt friends always wanted. I hope one of the first actions of the government that overthrows Ford will be to demolish the casino, and return Ontario Place to the people...
DeleteHere in Montréal housing groups managed to block a plan to move the casino to Point-St-Charles, an old working-class district in the southwest, obviously gentrifying to some extent now but where there are still many low-income residents due to the presence of a great deal of social housing.
DeleteCasinos in urban areas cause a great deal of social problems; they purport to attract "sophisticated" high rollers but a lot of the gamblers are ordinary workers and low-income seniors.
On the financial side his reckless tax cuts will balloon the deficit.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve...of course they will, it is the way those Cons always act. First they use tax cuts to balloon the deficit. Then they use that as an excuse to make savage cuts to government. The dumb and the greedy members of Ford Nation better celebrate now, Because when they find themselves paying for their health care, they'll be weeping like babies...
Deleteabolishing the French Lang. Commissioner won't do the Cons any good in B.C. either. It isn't that we have such a large Francophone population but we do have a huge number of people who have their children educated in French language schools. There are lineups at these schools every year. It will be something the Liberals and other parties can use against the Cons in election campaign advertising. However, in my opinion abolishing the French language Com. position is appealing to those who still resent the Bi lingual status in our country. Attacking the French speakers is step one. then it is on to other groups........These racists always have to start somewhere.
ReplyDeletemost of the problems with Russia stem from the fact that in the Baltic's and Ukranine with a nuge nuge wink wink from the west, Russian speakers are being discriminated against. Now thats not to say language problems have easy solutions, ask Belgium.
DeleteHi e.a.f...That's a good point, there are a lot of English-speaking Canadians who send their kids to French schools, and who will also be affected by Ford's brutish move. My Canada is better than that, and people like Ford don't deserve to be part of it...
DeleteHere's a more appropriate tweet for Premier Fjord(deep in the middle, shallow at the head), "Because the truth came out, we've taken Jim Wilson's hands out of taxpayers pants".
ReplyDeleteJD
Hi JD...Good one. I suspect that before Ford and his gangsters are done the people will have to keep both hands on their wallets. There are already so many scandals it's hard to keep up, and I'm pretty sure that sooner or later one humongous scandal will bring them all down...
DeleteHe needs to stop the aggressive language before some Rebel scum stormtrooper takes out his "frustrations" against Justin Trudeau or someone in his family, his cabinet, his party. The unholy Fnord can deflect all he wants by saying he's only joking, he meant ballots not bullets, etc., but wink-nudge phraseology like "get rid of" Trudeau, "Justin, you're next" and "Trudeau in the crosshairs" is the classic script for stochastic terrorism. 'Course we know whose playbook and whose screenplay he's copying from, so if Dougald Trump gets up to the podium and declares that he could shoot Trudeau on Sussex Drive and not lose any votes, the RCMP better be embedded at that event to cut his mic and show him who's boss. Not necessarily Trudeau but the rule of law and the right of public safety. Shut the fuck up Dougie, you're out of your element!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine the howls of protest from the right if we referred to defeating Duh...g with phrases such as, harpooning a whale, bagging a moose or downing a wildebeest? Moby Dickhead needs to tone down the rhetoric immediately to keep the most debased of his base from harming the one sure thing that's keeping us from a Trumpian nightmare.
DeleteJD
Hi Jackie...as I've said before, the Cons are playing with fire. They are poisoning this country with their violent ugly rhetoric. We need to strengthen our hate laws, and lock some of them up as an example to others. We've seen what has happened in your country, and it must not be allowed to happen here...
DeleteHi JD...As you know I find the Con's ugly rhetoric not just disgusting but very un Canadian. However, the idea of bagging a Con wildebeest, not violently of course, strikes me as very attractive...😉
DeleteDoug Fords a train wreck. Between Doug and Bernier and Jagmeet Singh (seriously I don't remember seeing a less popular federal NDP leader in my life), this is going to be the easiest election a liberal leader has faced since Jean Chretien's time.
ReplyDeleteHi Gyor...Ford is indeed a train wreck, and that's only after four months, so imagine what four years is going to be like. But at least him and Bernier should stop Andrew Scheer from doing the same thing on a Canada-wide level. As for Jagmeet Singh, as you know I feel sorry for him, but if the NDP numbers do stay that low they will help Justin Trudeau. However, there is still almost a year to go, and in these dangerous times anything can happen...
DeleteI am still really disappointed by the Jagmeet Singh election (and no, it has nothing to do with his ethnocultural origins).
ReplyDeleteI supported Nikki Ashton - not perfect, but in my view the most progressive of the bunch. Not that Charlie Angus was bad, but his French is inadequate, and there is no excuse for that in a riding where there are many francophones. Lots of Indigenous people as well.
I'll still work on Alexandre Boulerice's election campaign, more to ensure his election than any illusions about the current state of the NDP. At least Québec solidaire has made important gains, and we have a far more progressive and environmentalist mayor and council in Montréal than before.
Hi lagatta ...as I told Gyor I like Jagmeet Singh, I find him cool, and someone who like Justin Trudeau represents a new generation and a new approach to politics. And although his inexperience has hampered him, the real problem is the NDP itself, which as you know I have almost always voted for. The problem began with Tom Mulcair, who although he had many admirable qualities, and did grill Harper like a pork chop, was very traditional, and too conservative. As a result, Trudeau was able to attract a lot of young NDP members, leaving the NDP a much diminished, mostly old and bitter party, that never wanted a person like Jagmeet, never gave him enough support. And are now blaming him for their pathetic performance, and hanging him out to dry. En cachette as we say in Quebec.Sad...
ReplyDeleteI don't dislike Jagmeet, but find him too slick and "mainstream" aka bourgeois politics.
ReplyDeleteWhile Tom was a great parliamentarian, he was at best a Blairist. And my MP will never be considered for the leadership, although he is at least as good as an attack dog as Mulcair because he is a) considered far too close to left-independentist parties and organisations, including the most progressive parts of the labour movement and b) a strong supporter of the Palestinian people's struggle.
As you know I simply don't vote for capitalist parties, and it is not because I think the Liberals are as horrible as the Cons. I don't know a single young person who has left the NDP for the Liberals, but I suppose that might be due to the specific cluster of ridings I live in, that votes Québec Solidaire, NDP and Projet Montréal. If they are turned off, they simply won't vote - they all have anarchist friends - or will vote for a protest party. Not Mad Max!