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Friday October 18, 2024

October 18, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Doug Ford’s $200 rebate cheques for every Ontarian are a classic pre-election gimmick—offering short-term gain while ignoring the province’s deeper crises in healthcare, housing, and education.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 18, 2024

Doug Ford’s Vote-Buying Cheques: More Teflon Politics from the Master of Populism

November 1, 2019

It’s no surprise that Doug Ford, Ontario’s most Teflon-coated politician, is back with another crowd-pleasing move—rebate cheques for everyone! This latest gambit promises at least $200 for each Ontarian, totalling a whopping $3.2 billion. And what’s the timing? Just when rumours of an early election are swirling, giving Ford the perfect opportunity to play Santa Claus in January or February.

Ford’s strategy is simple but brilliant: send cash to voters, bask in their gratitude, and hope they forget all about the lingering scandals, underfunded hospitals, and crumbling schools. It’s textbook Doug—stay loved, stay ahead. And honestly, you’ve got to admire the man’s ability to wriggle out of controversy like a politician coated in non-stick spray. Scandal after scandal? No problem. Approval still high? Absolutely.

News: Doug Ford poised to send out pre-election cheques to 16 million Ontarians

February 19, 2020

This isn’t Ford’s first time at the “gimmick” rodeo. Before the 2022 election, he scrapped license plate renewal fees, burning through over a billion dollars annually just to keep drivers happy. Now, he’s doubling down on this strategy with rebate cheques, drawing comparisons to Mike Harris’s infamous $200 “dividends” back in 2000. It worked for Harris, and Ford knows it will work for him—because, let’s face it, people love free money.

But behind the generosity lies a political calculation. Ford knows these cheques won’t solve Ontario’s big problems—healthcare, housing, and education. Yet, he’s banking on the fact that voters will focus on the short-term relief and forget the bigger picture. His opponents call it out for what it is: a blatant attempt to buy votes with taxpayers’ money. Even Green Party leader Mike Schreiner quipped about wealthy elites like Galen Weston receiving cheques, reinforcing the absurdity of the plan.

May 21, 2022

Ford isn’t just a politician; he’s a populist performer. His persona—part “man of the people,” part “never raise a tax” crusader—makes him hard to pin down. No matter how much opposition parties or pundits criticize him, he somehow escapes unscathed. In fact, recent Abacus polling shows his Progressive Conservative Party enjoying a 44% approval rating, a comfortable lead over the Liberals and NDP. Ontarians may shake their heads at Ford’s antics, but many still trust him to keep their wallets full and taxes low.

It’s not that people don’t see through his tactics—many do. Reader comments across platforms are filled with frustrations: “Put the money into healthcare!” and “This is reckless!” Yet, Ford knows exactly what he’s doing. For every person angry at this move, there are many more quietly pleased that they’ll have some extra cash to cover holiday bills in January.

April 1, 2021

The real issue is that $200 rebates don’t build hospitals, reduce class sizes, or fix the housing crisis. Ontario’s healthcare system remains overburdened, with emergency departments closing and healthcare workers struggling to keep up. Yet instead of directing funds where they are needed, Ford is throwing money at the masses, knowing full well it will temporarily boost his popularity.

Still, you can’t help but chuckle at the sheer audacity. Ford operates with the confidence of a politician who knows he can get away with it—and, so far, he has. Whether it’s pushing controversial policies or rolling back unpopular taxes, he emerges unscathed, Teflon intact. If there were a political equivalent of Canada’s Wonderland, Ford would be the roller coaster: wild, unpredictable, but somehow still standing at the end of every ride.

At the end of the day, Ford’s rebate scheme may be nothing more than a temporary distraction—a sugar high that fades fast. But for a politician who thrives on short-term gains and public adoration, it’s a winning formula. Love him or hate him, Doug Ford knows how to play the game better than most. And if this plan helps him sail through another election? Well, that’s just classic Doug.

So, Ontarians, enjoy your $200 rebate—and remember, no matter how slippery the political landscape gets, Doug Ford will always be one step ahead, smiling, waving, and handing out cheques like candy on Halloween. (AI)

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: 2024-18, Doug Ford, election, Halloween, haunted house, health care, homelessness, housing, infrastructure, Ontario, rebate

Friday October 28, 2021

October 29, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 28, 2021

Premier Ford says he understands why some parents won’t want young children vaccinated

July 21, 2021

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he understands parents who are reluctant to have young children vaccinated against COVID-19, as his government reviews plans to immunize kids aged 5 to 11 ahead of Health Canada’s expected approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for this group.

Speaking to reporters at an Ottawa technology-business hub on Tuesday, Mr. Ford said he would leave the decision up to parents. Opposition leaders and health experts have called on the province to add COVID-19 to the existing list of mandatory school vaccinations in Ontario, which includes measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox.

May 27, 2021

“I am going to leave that up to the parents, when it comes to the five- to 11-year-olds. Do we want to get them vaccinated? Yes. But there are some parents that are vaccinated, they’re a little hesitant at the age of five or six. I get it,” Mr. Ford said. “So let’s do our best. … I also understand if they don’t want to get their five-year-old or six-year-old vaccinated. Do I want everyone to? One hundred per cent.”

Mr. Ford’s government has faced criticism for failing to release a plan for the vaccination of the province’s children in advance of Health Canada’s approval, with the Opposition NDP warning of a repeat of the scramble that marred the province’s rollout of shots for adults.

April 1, 2021

Health Minister Christine Elliott told the Legislature on Tuesday that the government is reviewing plans for child vaccinations drawn up by the province’s 34 local public health units.

Vaccine hesitancy around children is expected to be a challenge for public health officials. One recent poll from Angus Reid suggested that only around half of Canadian parents with elementary-school-aged kids would have their children vaccinated immediately. Nearly one in five said they would vaccinate their kids eventually, but not right away.

Mr. Ford also said Tuesday that once Ontario hits a 90-per-cent vaccination rate, it needs to move forward and reopen, but cautiously. (In Ontario, 87.9 per cent of eligible residents older than 12 have at least a first dose, with 83.9 per cent fully vaccinated.) He released a timeline last week that could see rules loosened for nightclubs and other higher-risk businesses in November, with the province’s just-implemented vaccine-certificate requirements phasing out for restaurants as early as mid-January. (The Globe & Mail)

 

Posted in: Ontario Tagged: 2021-36, antivaxx, children, covid-19, Dracula, fear, Halloween, haunted house, Ontario, pandemic, school, vaccination

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This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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