Can I trust this fox in my henhouse?
To the Expositor:
I love politics. I have always loved politics. I have always voted—sometimes Green, sometimes NDP, sometimes Liberal, sometimes even Conservative. I liked Jean Charest, a young man, with a young family, who drafted a plan for Canada that spoke to a philosophy of fiscal responsibility tied to a social conscience.
I liked Bill Davis, despite his controversial public funding of Catholic schools, because I could see some element of fairness in it. And I liked Terry McCutcheon for his forward thinking plans to build the economy of my beloved Manitoulin Island, while preserving its serene nature.
So, is the provincial election this time around one of the times I can see myself voting Conservative? Absolutely not! While Trump is no Lincoln, by a long shot, Doug Ford is no Bill Davis, that’s for sure.
So, when did I begin to lose complete faith in the ability of conservatism to offer any solace to ordinary people like me? It began with Harper, I think, and the sleazy shenanigans of his administration.
Then there was Trump, a Republican snake who bragged about being a snake. I was dumbfounded when voters rewarded him for his “honesty.” The fact that those voters won’t really know how duped they were until the true pain of the gutting of Obamacare and the huge tax breaks for the top one percent kicks in, added to my cynicism.
These experiences, therefore, have tended to make me less and less trustful of today’s conservatives in general, and especially of the one running for premier of our province.
But, I didn’t want to be one of those infuriating people who insisted they “just didn’t trust Hillary,” but could not point to anything in particular that made them distrust her. So, I had to wait for Doug Ford to show his true colours before I could feel secure in my gut feeling.
Now he has given me something to point to that speaks to the essence of what this new brand of conservatism reeks of that makes me “just not trust” Doug Ford to act in the best interests of anyone that doesn’t run in his moneyed circle.
His proposal to construct “affordable housing” in Toronto’s Greenbelt areas is so morally bankrupt on so many levels. It was a blatant attempt to deceive people, much less fortunate than he is, into believing he actually cares about them.
At the same time, he proposed to change a landscape that feeds people, cleans the air we breathe, and nurtures the human soul with its beautiful vistas, essentially enriching the contractors who would be paving paradise to put up a bunch of parking lots, as Joni Mitchell wrote many years ago.
Though the plan he floated created a resounding backlash that resulted in his backtracking on the idea, it speaks to what guides his thinking in general, and where he would be likely to go with his original and similarly questionable ideas, if he actually gained power.
The man has revealed who he is. The tiger has shown his true stripes. He is smart and wily and sly as a fox. Being that way has made him a lot of money that has, for so long, removed him from the realities most of us face on a daily basis, making him basically unqualified to speak for us or our needs.
Think of this the next time you check your hydro meter to see whether, because of numerous conservation strategies, you are still maintaining your average 9 kwh per day; or you decide to cook your casserole for next night’s dinner after 7 pm, in order to keep costs down.
Do you think Doug Ford has to turn down his AC on a hot day, just to save a few dollars? If he wants to update his kitchen, would his choices be just between butcher block and laminate, or would they also include granite and marble?
He’s entitled. He’s wily. He’s sly. He doesn’t share the realities of most people in Ontario. How can he speak with conviction on our behalf? Can I trust this fox in my henhouse? I don’t think so.
Sincerely,
Deborah Wilson
Little Current
