EDITORIAL:
Let the games begin
by Brandon Mayer
It’s not often you’ll see a photo appended to an editorial, but this week, I’ll make an exception. It was some time last week that I checked my mail to find the two pictured items side by side. One let me know that a provincial election was coming up, and the other was a cheque from Doug Ford. Oh, how subtle. Let the games begin. Given that I don’t live under a rock and also happen to be a news editor, I of course already knew of the sudden provincial election – an election called on extremely short notice by a sitting majority government with 15 months
It’s not often you’ll see a photo appended to an editorial, but this week, I’ll make an exception. It was some time last week that I checked my mail to find the two pictured items side by side. One let me know that a provincial election was coming up, and the other was a cheque from Doug Ford. Oh, how subtle. Let the games begin. Given that I don’t live under a rock and also happen to be a news editor, I of course already knew of the sudden provincial election – an election called on extremely short notice by a sitting majority government with 15 months
left in its current term. Why? Seriously, someone please tell me why. The prevailing explanation seems to be “Trump”. Doug Ford is standing up against the now-paused Trump tariffs, and wants to be re-elected now so that he will be around to fight throughout the entirety of Trump’s second reign of terror. At least that’s the word on the street.
Looking back on the Doug Ford record, it hasn’t been terrible, as far as politicians go. He’s probably the only politician we’ve ever seen take accountability for his mistakes, although a lack of mistakes in the first place would be better. I haven’t been as impressed with our own progressive-conservative MPP though. Throughout the last 2.5 years, the only impression I got from MPP Nolan Quinn, besides when I interviewed him in advance of the 2022 election, was when he went into something of a “hiding” to avoid taking feedback or questions while the province’s lowest paid education workers were bargaining for a more sustainable employment future. A representative should be making himself most available during times of debate and public outcry. Hiding from the public is the exact opposite of what we need from a representative.
That said, liberal mismanagement of money is not what our economy needs right now, and I doubt we can afford the countless nanny-state social programs that an NDP government would want to put in place. There are never any good choices, are there? I don’t know if Doug Ford’s progressive-conservatives are better at managing public money than the McGuinty-Wynne fiasco, but I draw the line at bribing me with my own money. Governments are, of course, free to come up with reasons to distribute support dollars to the masses, but there ought to be some law against doing so right before an election. This is a move we would expect from a liberal government, and Doug Ford should make it more clear what side of the political spectrum he is on.
One of the Doug Ford government’s greatest failings is the way it prioritizes money. Did I cash my cheque? In this economy, you bet your sweet behind I did. But I struggle to think of where the province finds enough spare money to give $200 to every man, woman, and child while our healthcare system is in absolute shambles. Don’t get me wrong: I love our local hospital here in Winchester. It’s quite literally a proud symbol of North Dundas in the sense that people from all across SD&G and beyond often choose it for its quality of service and compassionate care, even when there is another hospital closer. But the healthcare system in general in this province is crumbling day-by-day.
There are days when I feel like we’re living in a third world country, struggling to get by without access to adequate medical care. And yet it’s there… and it’s free… but unfathomable wait times and emergency room closures and rescheduled procedures and a lack of family doctors make it feel like it’s not really there. It’s almost like we’re getting a taste of what uninsured Americans go through – when we are in obvious need of medical care for ourselves or our kids or our aging parents, we enter a mental struggle and often conclude “it’s okay, rest at home should suffice”. Unlike Americans, it’s not money that leads us to this decision here in Ontario… it’s a lack of having 14 hours to spare just to get stitches for a cut on our leg. Did I cash my $200 cheque? Yes, I did, but I would have rathered a better health care system, or an investment in education, or some money put toward repairing provincial highways or funding programs for small businesses.
I’m aware that my present musings uniquely qualify me as a person who complains about everything. But I’m not complaining about receiving $200, I’m complaining about a lack of priorities, and a lack of subtlety when it comes to buying votes. The cheque stub even refers to “the cost of the federal carbon tax and interest rates” as the reason for the payment, as if any of us needed more of a reason to absolutely despise Justin Trudeau.
You’ll find some advance election coverage in this issue of the Times. Our next issue will come out on election day, and the candidates list was only set to be finalized on the date of the current issue. That’s right – the election is on such short notice that it’s impossible for the Times to interview candidates as we normally would! You’ll find information on the two registered local candidates and their public platform within this issue, along with instructions on how to find more information once the candidates list is complete. No matter which candidate you like, it’s important to get out and vote. Democracy depends on the will of the majority. Remember the rule: if you don’t vote, then don’t complain.