The Ford roadshow
Premier Doug Ford is taking his show on the road.
While the premier has mostly done his daily coronavirus press conference from the comforts of Queen's Park, on Tuesday he went to Cambridge. Typically a tightly-contested riding — it went for Tory MPP Belinda Karahalios by four percentage points in 2018 — the premier was there with Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli, Karahalios, and area Progressive Conservative MPPs Amy Fee and Mike Harris Jr. on Tuesday.
"They're absolutely incredible, they're all standing around here, you guys are absolute champions and I thank you," said the premier, giving his typically enthusiastic props to the PC caucus.
He also praised Cambridge company Eclipse Innovations, where the announcement took place, for its work on manufacturing personal protective equipment during the pandemic to meet the needs of Ontarians. "The work they're doing here is truly impressive, my friends, I just love getting out to visit amazing facilities like this one. And I love hearing from the real people on the ground," said the premier, promising that he would do more of that throughout the summer, and would criss-cross the province.
He explained the purpose of his summer road trip. "I want to hear directly from the people of Ontario, I want to see firsthand the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our local communities and our local businesses, because we can't stop, and we won't stop, until every community, every worker, is back on their feet."
The opposition did not see the effort the same way.
Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath called out the premier for what she said was an effort to campaign although important issues like long-term care and a viable plan for schools should be the priority. "Shame on him for worrying about his election chances as opposed to worrying about the things that everybody else are still worrying about," she said. "It's extremely disappointing that that's what Mr. Ford thinks his job is, is to seal his next election as opposed to, to continue to be here to deal with the crisis that's unfolding still with COVID-19."
Liberal leader Steven Del Duca saw it the same way. "Parents working from home are struggling with child care and Doug Ford is nowhere to be found. His priorities are way out of order — he has a detailed plan to reopen pubs and movie theatres, but none to get our kids back in school this fall. Doug Ford should spend his summer figuring out the crisis in our schools, not campaigning for re-election," he stated.
Political fundraising
Speaking of politics, most of Ontario political parties haven't been keeping up their usual fundraising during the pandemic. Information from Elections Ontario shows the PCs raised about $519,000 from March to June of this year, less than half of their $1,123,000 haul for that time period in 2019. Liberal and NDP fundraising numbers have dipped as well with the Grits falling from about $449,000 to about $251,000 and the NDP from about $643,000 to $371,000. The Greens stayed nearly constant at $147,000.
The chart below reflects the last 18 months of fundraising. It excludes funds donated as part of the Liberals' leadership election, but you'll note the general donations to the party peaked at that time.
Mixed messages on schools
The premier was against asked about the viability of the government's default option for school in the fall that would see children going to class in-person two days one week and three days the next, and how parents might struggle to balance this with work.
Despite the government's plan, the premier said he agrees with the widespread criticism of the approach.
"I've talked to so many parents, talked to school trustees, and 90 per cent of them have the same idea that I have. I want kids in school five days a week. We don't need to shut the school down on a Wednesday to clean, what they should be doing is cleaning at nighttime, and having the kids in class five days a week. So that's what I'm really advocating for, and I'll be sitting down talking to the minister of education. He has a good plan, because we have to plan for everything," he said.
Asked for clarification, he said that seeing students in class five days a week is the approach he'd like to see. "That’s correct, with heightened protocol and procedures and guidelines, which we're going to have to make sure we protect the kids."
The ministry of education is planning for three different scenarios, and its preferred one is conventional day-to-day classroom delivery, although the default remains a cohorted model.
The premier was also asked whether the government is prioritizing bars and restaurants over a safe plan for opening schools, but he bristled at the suggestion. "It's funny, you're talking to a guy that doesn't even drink," Ford, a teetotaller like the previous two PC leaders, said in response. "I can assure you, the last thing I'm worried about is, you know, worried about the bars. I'm worried about the businesses that own the bars, that's what I'm worried about," said the premier, explaining his thinking.
A new deal for cities
The premier was again asked about the case that municipalities have made for a coronavirus bailout, with the latest warning from the City of Toronto saying that there will be a $1.35 billion shortfall if the provincial and federal government don't come through.
As he has on this issue, the premier passed on the pressure to the federal government, while balancing that with some praise for how they've handled things so far. "We need a federal strategy right across the country. We're working very well with the federal government, I'm talking to the deputy prime minister every day almost and she's a wonderful person, Chrystia Freeland. But as I tell her, you know, I'd rather make no deal than a bad deal," he said, reiterating the government's line on the issue.
But he also hinted that a deal could be in the offing and come soon. "Now we’re a lot closer, and hopefully by the end of this week, myself and all the other premiers will agree with a deal."
-with files from Jessica Smith Cross
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