Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday June 8, 2024
*Animated version of this cartoon is here!
A Symphony of Hypocrisy, Cronyism, and Nepotism
January 17, 2019
In the grand opera of Ontario politics, Premier Doug Ford has orchestrated a performance that could rival even the most absurd of comedies. With 36 cabinet ministers, his government now boasts the largest ensemble in Ontario’s history, leaving little room for doubt: welcome aboard the gravy train, folks.
But amidst the standing room only spectacle, one appointment stands out as the crescendo of tone-deafness, cronyism, and nepotism: the anointment of Mike Harris’ son as Minister to Reduce Red Tape. It’s a move that not only ignores the lessons of the Walkerton tragedy but mocks them with a smirk.
News: Ontario Premier Doug Ford shuffles cabinet
July 4, 2001
Let’s pause for a moment of reflection. Remember Walkerton? The catastrophic consequences of diminished government oversight? Well, now we have Harris Jr. tasked with the oxymoronic mission of Red Tape Reduction. One can’t help but wonder if he’ll follow in his father’s footsteps and stop water inspections altogether. After all, that worked out so well, didn’t it?
And if that weren’t enough, we have Doug’s own nephew, Michael Ford, joining the Cabinet, proving that nepotism knows no bounds in the Ford dynasty. But fear not, for he shall oversee Citizenship and Multiculturalism, a portfolio ripe for business meetings reminiscent of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s escapades in Grade 9.
June 27, 2019
But wait, there’s more! Doug’s solution to the overcrowded stage? Creating a slew of associate minister positions, ensuring that more of his MPPs can bask in the glory of inflated titles and padded paycheques. Because who needs efficiency when you can have bureaucracy masquerading as progress?
And what about that promise of small government? The rallying cry of conservatives everywhere? Well, Doug’s administration seems to have missed the memo, as they gleefully expand their executive council while crying foul at the mere mention of big government.
March 22, 2019
But fret not, dear Ontarians, for Doug Ford is here to navigate the ship of state. Or rather, rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. As the legislature takes an extended summer break, one can’t help but wonder: when will the real work begin? Or is cottage season simply too sacred to interrupt?
In the end, Doug Ford’s cabinet shuffle reads like a tragicomedy of errors, with hypocrisy, cronyism, and nepotism taking centre stage. But worry not, for the show must go on. And who knows? Perhaps one day we’ll look back on this spectacle with fondness, as the day the circus came to town. (AI)