Doug Ford’s government stays on brand with throne speech

Therecord.com
Aug. 12, 2022

A speech from the throne is a government’s vision for governing. Such statements, delivered with some pomp and ceremony, often lean more to rhetoric than practical expressions of policy. Still, they provide a useful guide for the mandate ahead, notable for what gets mentioned and what gets left out.

There were few surprises then in the vision laid out by Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government Tuesday at Queen’s Park. We can expect a second term heavily focused on the economy, jobs and growth with the health care crisis downplayed and scant concern given to environmental issues.
In that sense, Ford’s government stayed on brand.

The economic picture is decidedly mixed and deserving of attention. Inflation is high, boosting the cost of living for business and individuals. Unemployment is low, making it tough for businesses to find workers. The pandemic and strained supply chains add further uncertainty to the picture. The provincial government is warning that a slowdown may be on the horizon.

“There are no easy solutions,” the government said of the economic outlook.

The same could be said for two issues that deserved more attention in its second term blueprint.

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s return of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly, hospital emergency rooms across the province have been under severe strain with some closed entirely at times because of staffing shortages. There is an acute need for nurses.

Yet the throne speech was more like a walk down memory lane, touting investments in health care made in the first term, like the addition of hospital beds, expanding medical school enrolment and longer term reforms, such as the expansion of Ontario Health Teams.

As for the current crisis, it acknowledged the health care system is dealing with “an exhausted workforce and increasingly stressed emergency departments.” However, beyond the promise that the government was working with those in the health care field on unspecified solutions, it was short on details on how exactly the so--called “short--term stressors” would be resolved.

The Ford government needs to be infused with urgency to address this situation before autumn, when the resumption of classes and for many, a return to offices, raises the risk of another pandemic wave.

On that note, it was worrisome to see the government dismiss lockdowns to deal with future outbreaks of COVID--19. Rather, it declared that the province has the “tools to manage and live with current variants for the long term.” No one wants to see a return to lockdowns but it seems short--sighted to take that option off the table completely.

The speech was virtually silent on the climate crisis. Yes, it highlighted the strategy to transform the province’s auto industry to be at the forefront of electric vehicle innovation, an effort we cheer. But those were framed as economic initiatives.

The only environment mentioned Tuesday was “business environment.”

There was no mention of the imperative to curb greenhouse gas emissions or the provincial role in helping make that happen. Nothing on initiatives to protect green spaces. Quite the contrary. The speech touted plans to expand highways around the province, like the ill--considered proposal to build Highway 413 from Vaughan to Milton, which puts green space at risk.

The climate crisis is among our most urgent challenges, putting at risk our economy, our day--to--day living. That the government could not even deign to give even passing mention to the climate crisis speaks volumes about the lack of regard to the issue. This at a time when summer heat waves are giving ample warning of changing weather patterns that experts have tied to climate change.

The Ford government signalled its priorities in the throne speech. With the return of the legislature, it will be up to the opposition parties to hold the government accountable on the important issues that didn’t get priority. Much as the government might like us to believe its new term is business as usual, the reality is much different, especially on health care and the environment.