LTE: Doug Ford Has Stopped Pretending — And We Need to Stop Pretending Too

I’ve been to several protests in my life. More in the last few years than I ever expected. And every single time, I come home with the same mix of pride and frustration: proud of the people who showed up, frustrated by how many didn’t.

I’m talking about the people who are angry. The ones posting online, venting at the kitchen table, shaking their heads at the news. The ones who know something is wrong but are still waiting and hoping that someone else will fix it.

I’m writing this because another protest is coming on April 25, and if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, it’s time to stop waiting.

Doug Ford is not a politician who sometimes gets things wrong. He is a Premier who has decided that the rules of accountability, transparency and democratic norms simply don’t apply to him. And the longer we let that slide, the more permanent it becomes

Start with the Greenbelt.

Ford promised Ontarians that protected land would remain untouched. “Not one inch,” he said. Then his government quietly removed about 7,400 acres from protection. That land increased in value by billions of dollars almost overnight. A small number of developers, some with access to decision-makers, stood to gain enormously.

When investigators looked into it, documents went missing, staff communications vanished, and the province fought FOI requests tooth and nail. Yes, Ford eventually reversed the decision, but only after getting caught. My question is: “How many times has something like this happened without us ever finding out?”

This isn’t one scandal. It’s a pattern that has become a governing philosophy.

Now, there are proposed changes to Ontario’s Freedom of Information system — one of the last real tools the public has to see what government is doing behind closed doors. Ford’s government has proposed changes that would give ministers more control to delay, deny, and limit access to records. That’s not administrative housekeeping. That’s a direct hit to transparency. Without FOI, scandals like the Greenbelt don’t get exposed, they stay buried. When a government controls what you’re allowed to see, accountability becomes optional.

Look at healthcare.

Ontario’s ERs are overwhelmed. Surgeries are backlogged by the hundreds of thousands. Nurses are burning out and leaving in droves. Ford’s answer? Expand private surgical clinics. That means taxpayer money subsidizes private for-profit clinics, while the public system struggles to keep up. This isn’t about efficiency. It’s a structural shift that risks turning a public service into a profit-driven model.

Then there’s education.

Class sizes are growing. Schools are underfunded. Students are falling behind in ways that will take years to recover from.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office measures student performance across the province. Changes to testing and reporting have made it harder to get a clear, consistent picture of how students are performing.

At the same time, Ford’s government has spent hundreds of millions on outside consultants, including McKinsey & Company, while telling school boards to tighten their belts.

Ford’s government has also proposed studying a tunnel under Highway 401, a project that could cost tens of billions, while expanding highways that primarily benefit developers outside urban cores.

There always seems to be money for projects that support expansion and private development. But not for healthcare and classrooms.

Look at how he uses power.

This government has invoked the notwithstanding clause multiple times. This is a constitutional tool meant to be used sparingly, allowing governments to override certain Charter rights.

Why does that matter? Because those rights protect you when power is being used unfairly, and they set the tone for wages, job security, and working conditions across the province.

When the government used it to override court decisions on labour rights, it weakened workers’ ability to negotiate fair wages and conditions.

When it was used in the context of election financing rules, it limited the ability of third-party groups, such as unions, advocacy organizations, and citizen groups, to speak out during elections. That tilts the playing field in favour of the party already in power, making it harder for opposing voices to be heard and for voters to get a full picture before they cast a ballot.

In both cases, the issue isn’t just the specific policy. It’s the precedent: when a government can override rights to get its way, the usual checks and balances stop working the way they’re supposed to.

The province has also granted “strong mayor” powers in several municipalities, allowing mayors to override council decisions with support from just one-third of council when tied to provincial priorities, centralizing power and weakening local democratic checks.

Planning rules have been loosened to make it easier for developers to push projects through, often with less community input. When oversight becomes inconvenient, the solution isn’t to improve accountability, it’s to sidestep it.

Ask yourself: who is consistently benefiting?

It’s not nurses working double shifts.
It’s not teachers managing overcrowded classrooms.
It’s not families waiting months for basic care.
It’s not young people priced out of housing.

The consistent winners are well-connected developers, private operators receiving public contracts, and consulting firms billing hundreds of millions of dollars.

This is not about left versus right. It’s about who the government is working for. If you voted for this government and you’re angry about what it’s done, you’re not betraying your side by speaking up, you’re holding it accountable. That’s your job as a voter.

I know people are tired; I hear it all the time. They feel like speaking up won’t change anything, like showing up doesn’t matter.

But here’s the reality: silence gets interpreted as acceptance.

Low turnout at protests sends a message that people aren’t paying attention. High turnout does the opposite. It puts pressure on decision-makers. It creates media coverage that can’t be ignored. It signals to every elected official — including those within the government — that the public is watching and pushing back.

Numbers matter. And the numbers are us.

On April 25, there will be another protest. You don’t need to speak. You don’t need a sign. You just need to show up.

One more person in a crowd sends a message: we see what’s happening, we understand who benefits, and we are not okay with it.

Doug Ford has stopped pretending. So now it’s time we stop pretending that someone else will deal with it.

The next protest is on April 25, in front of MPP Nolan Quinn’s office, 1 PM – show up. Bring someone with you. The only thing this government is counting on is that you won’t.

For more info:

Provincial chapter: Fighting Ford (protest Doug) https://www.facebook.com/groups/999677935818616

Or Local chapter: Fighting Ford (Protest Doug) Cornwall, ON https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467719521512359