DECEMBER 30, 2020 – Premier Doug Ford likes to portray himself as a “friend”. While he’s done some good work during Covid, he has failed the province dramatically by simply not putting the right people in charge to deal with the pandemic.
Chiefly, his Minister of Health, Christine Elliot. Covid-19 emergency laws and guidelines are riddled with loopholes and enforcement across the province has been lax which has led to rapid growth during the second wave which is stressing our healthcare system and will cost lives.
Why? Simply because the basics of viral aerosol based pandemics have not been enforced or respected.
Enforcement seems to be our Premier’s failing grace sadly.
The biggest example of this is renegade Anti Mask activist MPP Randy Hillier.
Mr. Hillier has been cited at least once for violating the emergency act. Frankly he should’ve been charged multiple times.
He just published a picture which essentially was a slap to the face of Premier Ford challenging the core of emergency orders in Ontario including Hillier’s own riding! He then doubled down and gave any prosecutor enough to charge him and his family members for their large Christmas gathering.
When a criminal is charged; many times they have to sign a peace bond to be able to have bail.
Hillier needs to be charged for his flagrant transgressions of the Emergency Act, and other possible charges like reckless endangerment which includes the possibility of jail time. He needs to be in jail until he signs a peace bond which stops his Anti Mask activism and incitement of the public to break the Emergency Act. And if he violates such an order he needs the full weight of the law land on him.
Premier Ford sadly has remained silent on this issue.
Now word that the Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, is sunning himself in a luxury resort on the high end island of St. Barts while many in Ontario remain locked down in their homes.
Phillips and some of his supporters claim this was a mistake. It’s no such thing. It’s an adult, in this case the Finance Minister of Canada’s largest province, making a decision to take that vacation and work while on the island. It shows that his judgment is such that perhaps he shouldn’t be a cabinet minister during a pandemic.
There is no way to spin this that shouldn’t result in his resignation or Premier Ford removing Phillips from Cabinet.
You can’t ask so many to give up so much when your key leaders won’t. It also isn’t the first time that one of Mr. Ford’s MPP’s has not respected the Covid Emergency laws.
And it’s time for the Province to put a health minister in place that will properly protect Ontario residents from risk of the Coronavirus, especially now that the more contagious variant is live in the province.
The political weakness of Doug Ford is costing lives and tax dollars in the province. It’s time for him to step up and really act like a friend or stop using such language.
What we need now in Ontario is Premier Ford to make the wearing of masks mandatory, without exemptions across the board. With heavy fines for those that refuse or wear them under their noses or not social distancing including any legal protests. There’s no reason to not have masks and social distancing if a live protest is legal.
We need stores that don’t enforce this fined heavily or shut down too.
We need law enforcement and health units punished if they don’t take proper action. Here in Cornwall for example the local police service refuses to take Covid complaints leaving the public at the mercy of those whose actions will lead to higher rates of infection.
We need all those flying into Ontario to wear ankle bracelets during their mandated quarantine as estimates are as many as 25% are cheating and not staying in place.
And we need a new Minister of Heath and a Chief Medical officer that will use the best practices in fighting the Pandemic and not let politics water our response down. The current lock down could’ve been avoided by simply enforcing clear rules.
People are hurting now because of the failure of the Ford Government’s weak sauce handling of anti maskers and those like Minister Phillips that don’t respect a virus that doesn’t respect politics or its victims.
It’s time for action Premier Ford. It’s time for you and your government to step up.
This editorial is an opinion piece and the sole opinion of its writer. It does not reflect or speak for any other party including our advertisers.
jamie@cornwallfreenews.com