On The Ledge

By most accounts, the Ontario government's three phased plan to re-open the economy over the summer months of 2021 is welcomed relief and a glimmer of hope. But will it be enough to reverse Premier Ford's slide in the polls a year out from the next election? We're joined this week by CTV's Queen's Park Bureau Chief Colin D'Mello to talk about the prospects for the Tories, the NDP and the Liberals and the idiotic call to change the name of this Victoria Day Weekend!

The Greater Toronto Area has been under a quasi-lockdown/stay-at-home order for nearly six months and Ontario Premier Doug Ford still finds it necessary to extend the order until June 2nd. It was a week of more flailing by the Ford government, engaging in a political slappy fight with the feds over who should shoulder the blame for their failures to manage the pandemic response. And so much for consulting the "Science Table". The premier cited "buddies" who like to carpool to the golf course and share a few pops after the match as the reason he refuses to open outdoor recreation facilities. (Psst. Public health docs completely disagree!)

Ontario Premier Doug Ford publicly supports his Minister of Long Term Care, despite Dr. Merrilee Fullerton's dumpster fire reaction to the Long Term Care Commission Report on the government's response to the COVID outbreaks that have killed thousands residents and staff at LTC facilities across the province. But that didn't quell calls for her to be fired. Minister Fullerton may be correct when she claims no one saw the pandemic coming but she should have seen this scathing report coming. Yet, she was reactive as opposed to responsive when asked about details and accusations in the report. She even implied that she was being victimized by the Official Opposition as she skated around questions and obfuscated on accountability and responsibility.

As we recorded this session, it was the first time in months that we could say, "Premier Ford didn't meet the media this week." (NOTE: He did so a few hours after we wrapped our recording). All in all, it marked a relatively better week for the Ontario government. There are still plenty of critical voices, pointing to the Auditor General's report on LTC during the pandemic, too few "paid sick days", and the Opposition managed to resurrect the Rod Phillips scandal. But the vitriol and steam have come out of the discourse, so that qualifies as a "relatively" good week for Ford Nation.

Bad days have quickly turned into bad weeks for Premier Doug Ford and his Ontario government. Now, it's clear that the province's handling of the growing COVID crisis has shaken public confidence in Ford Nation.  Polling by Maru Opinion indicates 8 in 10 Ontarians believe the Ford government is "flying by the seat of its pants" and only 1 in 5 would commit to voting for the Progressive Conservatives. An emotional news conference by Ford capped off what is becoming a disastrous month for him and his cabinet.

This edition of On The Ledge was recorded before Premier Doug Ford was scheduled to make his latest pronouncement on the province's strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19. We know it will be based on a series of layered closed door meetings with no indication of how the premier arrived at his decision. Politics has trumped public health so far. And it's becoming increasingly clear the Ford government is suffering on both fronts. We're joined in this episode by CTV's Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Colin D'Mello.

Barely three days into a province-wide "lockdown", Ontario Premier Doug Ford decides it's time to issue a province-wide Stay At Home order. It's another sign suggesting the provincial plan to control the pandemic is being driven by guesses. It's a sign that we continue to chase the virus rather than getting out in front of it. Brampton Mayor, Patrick Brown joins us on this edition of On The Ledge. In many ways, his city has been ground zero for the pandemic. He's happy the province has finally shifted it's vaccine rollout to focus on hotspot areas. Every postal code in Brampton is now considered a priority for people 18 years of age and older.

Five months ago, the On The Ledge crew asked the question: "Who's in control of an out of control pandemic?" That was the thrust of our discussion on November 12, 2020. We knew then we were facing the Second Wave. We knew then we faced out of control case numbers. We knew then that urgent measures were required. We knew then vaccines were on the way. We knew then we needed a comprehensive rollout and distribution plan for those vaccines. We know now the Ford government learned little from that experience. Today, case numbers are out of control driven by the exponential spike in variants of concern. ICU resources are almost completely exhausted.  Premier Ford's answer is to order a province-wide "lockdown", which isn't anything close to a "lockdown". The Ford government's strategy lacks clarity. It lacks courage.

Why is it that an octogenarian who doesn't have a cell phone or a computer can't get a vaccine when he shows up at a clinic without making an appointment?  We are overthinking the vaccine rollout. Now that the LTC residents and front line staffers have been taken care why are we so preoccupied by focussing on age cohorts and limiting access? The vaccine rollout continues to stumble along. The Ford government tables a "what else could we do budget". The Supreme Court of Canada rules in favour of Ottawa's carbon pricing. And John Wright says the majority of Canadians feel "politically homeless."  Lots to talk about in this episode of On The Ledge!

Doug Ford's approval ratings are dipping according to the latest numbers from Maru/Blue, but he's still 8 points better than he was when he won a majority at Queen's Park in 2018. Will the "COVID glow" last long enough to get Ford Nation re-elected next spring? Ontario announces plans to sunset 1500 fax machines. Yup. We're still using fax machines. And Keith Leslie is hearing that online re-sellers are booking provincial campsites!