Doug Ford versus Donald Trump. Is Ontario facing a democratic existential crisis?

Ontario is having an election on June 7, 2018, and Doug Ford is poised to become the new premier. He will likely replace Kathleen Wynne, who took office in 2013. Doug Ford is seen by many as the Trumpian candidate in the election. As an Ontarian who is deeply troubled by the state of American politics, I find myself very worried about the potential “trumpization” of Ontario politics.

Doug Ford is brother to the deceased Rob Ford. Both served on Toronto’s City Council, as Doug ran for Rob’s seat when Rob ran for Mayor in 2010. Is it possible for Doug Ford to have the kind of impact in Ontario that Trump has had in the USA?

Born to entrepreneurial families with money, both Ford and Trump sell themselves as men of the people. In what ways are they alike? In what ways do they differ? Let’s take a look.

Policies

Doug Ford Vows to reduce deficits by cutting $6 billion from spending and refusing to provide any budget estimates for any of his proposed spending.

Cut taxes for the poor and middle income, as well as for businesses.

Fire the CEO of Hydro One. (He can’t because the utility has been privatized.)

Increase funding for healthcare with particular focus on mental health and access to care in the north.

Allow legalization of marijuana and expand sales of alcohol into smaller privately owned outlets.

Scrap Wynne-led changes in education especially math and sex education (which were wildly unpopular with social conservatives).

End environmental protection programs and cancel energy contracts. Open the greenbelt to development.

Donald Trump

Radical departures from US policy on trade, immigration and domestic policies have rattled many but empowered his base. Revolving door of secretaries and White House staffers.

Trump’s policies effectively cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans.

Unable to achieve reform of the health care sector despite having a majority in both Congress and the Senate.

Donald’s policies frequently echo the last person with whom he talked. He is either brilliant (playing some long con) or a complete idiot. There doesn’t seem to be much room for an in-between interpretation of his actions since and before taking office.

Controversies

Doug Ford

Someone hired actors to act as supporters during a high-profile campaign debate. Mr. Ford decried such actions and said they were unnecessary.

Reported illegal selling of incomplete conservative party memberships

Reputed use of illegally obtained data from 407 users who received campaign robocalls.

Support of candidate Andrew Lawton despite him arguing that firms should be allowed to discriminate based on gender or race. Support of candidate Tanya Granic-Allen who is against gay marriage. Support rescinded when it became clear that the controversy would damage Ford’s reputation. He called her use of anti-gay vitriol “irresponsible.”

Donald Trump

Reputedly there were hired actors in campaign rallies to make sure that they looked “full” enough for TV. Mr. Trump denied any such actors except at his opponents’ rallies.

Can’t count the constant lies. Biggest inauguration crowd ever.

Being nominated by partisan politicians for a Nobel peace prize for a “now cancelled/now on again” summit between North and South Korea.

Potentially cooperating with the Russians to delegitimize Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Potential obstruction of justice in attempting to avoid investigation into the Russia allegations.

His base includes radical extreme right wingers, white supremacists, and religious fundamentalists. Against LGBTQ rights, immigration by non-whites, and against changes to improve systemic racism and sexism in the USA.

Ongoing attacks against media who report unflattering stories.

Family background

Doug Ford

In the 1990s, Doug ran the company business and was reputed to be a decent manager and the firm flourished until he gave up daily control in 2010 to enter politics.

Donald Trump

Born to money, Donald was given a “small loan” of a million dollars to get started in real estate. His net worth is unknown as he is also known to lie and to exaggerate constantly.

Work history

Doug Ford has been employed in politics since 2010. Before that he worked for his family’s business.

Donald Trump has been an entrepreneur known for reality television and real estate developments.

Reputation

Doug Ford is reputed to have been a drug dealer in high school.

Donald Trump is reputed to have links with the Russian mob, to have sexually assaulted numerous women, and to have refused to pay contracted firms amounts due.

Let’s review.

Doug Ford is a professional politician with a murky past who has a track record of active participation in municipal politics. He is known to be socially conservative and doesn’t appear to mind how non-politically correct his associates’ views are, as long as they don’t state them publicly or rudely. He has rejected candidates who espoused views that depart from the mainstream norms. He has bent the rules wherever he thought he could get away with it. He has provided incomplete information on his platform, but the policies are not crazy nor a radical departure from ongoing debates in the province. The policies are in general pro-poor. He wants to eliminate environmental protections for development programs while removing pro-green legislation AND slow down energy programs.

Donald Trump is a politician with a murky past that includes current and ongoing links to criminals in Russia and the USA. He openly associates with white supremacists and bigots. He has passed tax legislation that heavily favours the wealthy. He lies constantly about issues big and small. He has no record of public service. He openly stated he thought that being president would be less work that running his own businesses (largely handled by his children). He undermines the processes of democratic government by questioning the reputations of his own country’s judiciary and investigative forces. He undermines the media at every opportunity, calling every unflattering story “fake news,” and directs his followers to listen only members of the media willing to flatter him constantly.

If Mr. Ford is elected, in my opinion, we would end up with a significantly higher deficit and more social tension around immigration integration and LGBTQ rights. I think his energy and environmental policies are misguided and would lead the province down a road of unsustainable growth, and cost us far more money in the long run. His ethics appear to be not quite as rigorous as my own and in my opinion, he would need to be monitored carefully by the ever-present media and opposition.

However, his election would not undermine the democratic principles of the province of Ontario. Mr. Ford largely sticks to the scripts expected of a public servant and follows the norms and practices of the government which he hopes to represent. In this, Ontarians are not facing the existential crisis with which our neighbours to the south must grapple.