EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park.
Political party leaders sparred over what is and isn’t a good use of public money in a televised debate Monday evening, with the NDP, Green and Liberal leaders accusing Progressive Conservative Doug Ford of “wasting” money on stunts and unrealistic projects that could be better used on other priorities.
“It's just not fair in Ontario right now that we have a government wasting $2.2 billion on a spa in downtown Toronto, tens of billions on a tunnel under the 401, or millions ripping up bike lanes in Toronto when so many people across this province are wondering ‘How do I afford a home, or find a doctor, or not have my rural hospital closed,’” said Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner.
Ford largely avoided engaging in discussions of issues such as education and health care. When faced with a direct question about them, Ford’s go-to response was to point out that his government had increased spending in those areas, which is why he must protect the economy from the threat of American tariffs, or the threat of increased taxes if any of the other leaders win the election.
“But you can't pay people on ODSP if you don't have an economy,” said Ford while defending his decision not to double ODSP rates as the other parties have promised. "All these three believe in is to simply just tax the people to death, tax companies to death.”
But other parties are promising income tax cuts, and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie went on the attack by noting that Ford had failed to deliver on his promise of an income-tax cut from his original 2018 election campaign.
“You promised seven years ago that you would cut our taxes. You didn’t get it done, Doug. You didn’t cut our taxes,” said Crombie. “I am the only — only — leader on this stage that is committed to cutting taxes.”
“I have committed to cutting taxes,” Schreiner exclaimed as multiple leaders attempted to interject.
Ford said that he was “about to roll off the stage” with laughter in response to Crombie’s promise to cut taxes.
Crombie and the other party leaders also attacked Ford for the $200 cheques that the PC government sent out to most Ontarians as a “tax rebate" at election time, noting that they went to wealthy Ontarians such as Loblaw chairman Galen Weston Jr.
“It's not fair that Mr. Ford has handed out $200 cheques to millionaires and billionaires like Galen Weston, the guy gouging you at the grocery store when so many people can't afford to even pay for groceries,” said Schreiner.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles also attacked Weston and other grocery store companies while promoting her party’s proposal of monthly “grocery rebate” cheques as an alternative to an income-tax cut.
“Every month, you're going to get a cheque back that covers some of the costs, money back in your pocket, and you can spend that on food,” Stiles explained. “We're also going to fix the problem of price gouging by all of these grocery CEOs with a consumer watchdog … I am not going to be giving a $200 cheque to Galen Weston.”
Ford defended the cheques with one of his most well-used talking points — that the money in the rebate cheques belongs to Ontarians and not the government.
Ford also found himself defending the potential cost of his 401 tunnel by accusing the other parties of being against building highways and being short-sighted about the traffic needs of the Greater Toronto Area.
“My question to all three of them is: where's the traffic going to go?” said Ford while arguing that adding more truck traffic to Highway 407 is not a realistic solution. “Talk to the trucking association, they don't want it.”
Crombie countered that for all their supposed spending, the PCs have still failed to fix issues, and that the 401 tunnel will end up a being an expensive boondoggle that will never be built.
“How does a government spend $100 billion, and there are still 2.5 million people who don’t have a family doctor?” she chided. “Doug, Doug, Doug, this fantasy tunnel. How dumb is that, Doug?”
The redevelopment of Ontario Place to include a Therme spa was also held up as an example of PC money-wasting at the debate by the other parties. Ford countered that his party is “building a world-class destination.”
“If it's such a great destination. Why are Ontario taxpayers on the hook for this when our kids are learning in overcrowded classrooms?” retorted Schreiner.
When Stiles asked Ford if he would cancel the Therme deal, Ford responded with a non-sequitur about cutting taxes.
Ford’s Greenbelt mea culpa
All candidates were asked if they would build housing on the Greenbelt, and all said “No,” but Ford’s response was particularly clear and direct.
“No. And I think I was pretty clear. I said I was, and then I wasn’t, and then I went ahead and did it. But, in saying that —” he said and was interrupted by laughter from the other candidates.
“In saying that — I apologized to the people. Unlike any of you, when you do something you don't want to apologize. I apologized to the people.”
Thank a cop
Crombie and Ford also sparred on crime, with Crombie decrying how it feels like it has worsened during the seven years of the Ford government, especially concerning auto theft and break-and-enters.
But Ford said his government had invested more in police than any other government and blamed Liberal “catch-and-release” policies for crime.
“Folks, when you see a police officer, please go up to them and say — “
“‘Thank you,’” Crombie interjected.
Ford continued —“has the PC government done more for them, or has the previous government?”
Both Schreiner and Stiles pointed to delays in the court system as a reason why some people who have committed crimes go free.
The most civil exchange
Schreiner and Stiles had the most civil exchange of the evening when the Green leader was given the chance to ask the New Democrat about her housing plan. After saying that he agrees with her on the need to get the province “back to building deeply affordable homes,” his only quibble was whether a new bureaucracy would be needed.
The two politely debated the point until time was called.
Crombie claps back
After nearly a year of being branded the queen of the carbon tax, Crombie hit back at Ford, attacking his privileged upbringing and accusing him of lying like U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Unfortunately, Doug, you don't get the plight of real people because you were raised privileged with a silver spoon in your mouth. You never had to work for anything. You got a company handed to you, Doug. You don't understand how expensive things are today. I bet you couldn't tell me what the cost of eggs are. I am the first Liberal to say it's too expensive to have a consumer carbon tax. I was the first Liberal to say there will be no tax on consumers. There will be no carbon tax, Doug. I have said that repeatedly ... but you, just like your friend Donald Trump, you make things up. You are saying lies.”
No downtime
All the candidates got a chance to answer a get-to-know-you question about what they do with their time off from work. Ford didn’t take the bait.
“I never stop working,” he replied. “I return calls. I have a cottage that I think I saw twice last year for five hours to cut the grass and came home. That's what I'm consumed about. I really am. I wake up in the morning, early, 5:30-6 o'clock, and return calls. And people know it across the province, from midnight, I’ll return calls. So I enjoy working.”
The others spoke of spending time with their families in nature.
—With files from Jessica Smith Cross
