Ontario’s COVID-19 Disaster in Five Words
The Ontario government would like to blame the behaviour of Ontario’s citizens for this disaster implying somehow we are so much worse than the citizens of other countries, and even other provinces, that are at the end of this crisis as we enter the worst of it. The fact is other jurisdictions acted quicker and stronger and got through the worst quicker because they put the health of their citizens first.
Ontario has from the start tried to get by with half measures because the government’s priority was protecting business interests, the sacred economy. Now the government is flailing about trying to appear to be doing something while failing to implement many of the measures recommended by public health experts, and implementing others that will have little impact beyond punishing the citizens of the province for the government’s inaction and ineptitude.
Indeed the priority of Premier Doug Ford is not protecting the health of Ontario. His priority is not even governing the province of Ontario. His priority is reflected in the five words he uttered so proudly “I’m a businessman first”.
1 comment:
Modern politicians have many constituencies. In Ford's case they include the party, the Chamber of Commerce and, in third place, the people of Ontario. Juggling these priorities requires finesse, even in good times. Trying to uphold that order in times of emergency is an impossibility, something Ford has refused to accept.
You might think that, after a year of this our governments would have learned to navigate this pandemic, to see it as a public health emergency, one that takes priority over political and economic concerns. The pandemic ultimately prevails anyway.
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