As Premier Kathleen Wynne's approval ratings plumb new depths and rumours of a possible coup ensue the Liberal's have resorted to beer and circuses to try and assuage the masses from the pulling out of pitchforks and torches next year.
The first was the introduction of the "Fair Hydro Plan" rolled out late last week. The Liberals' made much pomp and circumstance unveiling "the greatest rate relief" in the province's history. Behind Wynne were big glossy photos of clean and efficient hydro dams as the premier spread the blame for the soaring electricity prices onto the other parties and tried to explain why spreading the cost to the future generations was the right thing to do. Wynne's Liberals are hoping the voters are myopic enough to only look at today's bottom line, not tomorrow's. The summer can't come soon enough for Wynne, when the additional 17 per cent rate reduction kicks in, giving temporary relief to ratepayers of ballooning costs and hopefully the Liberals of their ire.
The dog and pony show continued this week. As the Liberals look at potentially shutting down hundreds of schools to find savings somewhere, they unrolled some new progressive pet projects.
Racists have been popping up everywhere, like trilliums in Ontario's spring, so on Tuesday the Liberals unveiled their A Better Way Forward: Ontario's 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan to combat the sudden outbreak. The plan includes $47 million to let "black youth in this province know their lives matter." The Attorney General and cabinet ministers were in attendance for the monumental event.
On the same day, Finance Minister Charles Sousa made an announcement at an LCBO to "boost economic growth across the province" with the government investing $4.9 million in the Small Cidery and Small Distillery Support Program over the next three years. A booming provincial economy is just around the bend and voters' wrath will be extinguished by sousing in the process.
Then on Wednesday for International Women's Day the premier announced new measures to level the playing field for girls and women in sport. Apparently Ontario is sexist, so the government needs to intervene to let girls be able to play sports too. This includes giving $326,650 this year to the Coaches Association of Ontario to help increase the women coaches quota.
Although these endeavours seem worthy, in reality, they are trivial expenditures and actions by a desperate government trying to quickly change the channel on a province in economic turmoil. These paltry sums will have little effect for everyday Ontarians living in an increasingly stagnant economy. Real surges in racism, sexism and alcoholism will occur if the province's economy continues its tailspin.
It's also odd that a Liberal government in power for fourteen years hasn't been able to eradicate the rampant racism and sexism within the province.
The latest sleight of hand by the Ontario Liberals will likely do little to distract voters from the harsh reality of being the most indebted sub-sovereign nation, owing over $300 billion. Several million here and few thousand there will do nothing to alleviate that crippling burden.
Written by Graeme C. Gordon
