Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has pledged to audit the province’s finances and jail “political insiders” if he’s elected premier.
“I can assure you … the political insiders and everyone that’s trying to rake the taxpayers over the coals, they’re done,” said Ford during an April 19 rally in Mildmay, a village located 10 minutes from Wellington County’s northern border.
“And once we do the audit, once we do the audit and we find out who’s been getting rich off the taxpayers, we’re going to hold them accountable. We’re going to hold every one of them accountable and – they’ve done something illegal – they’re going to be in jail with their last buddy, the chief of staff that went to jail a couple weeks ago.”
Ford’s statement on jailing political insiders referenced a four-month jail sentence handed to former Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty’s chief of staff David Livingston in March.
Livingston was jailed for his role in the wiping of hard drives in the wake of a scandal over the politically-motivated cancellation of gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga prior to the 2011 election.
Ford said the overflow crowd in the Mildmay Community Centre, which has a capacity of just over 400, was “just amazing” and “the largest crowd we’ve ever had across Ontario.”
Ford indicated the audience size was representative of what he sees as an unprecedented push for change among Ontario voters.
“Friends, I’ve been in politics for 30 years, federally, provincially, municipally. I have never seen a movement like this in 30 years,” said Ford.
“This isn’t about being a PC, a Liberal or NDP. This is about a movement that everyone is united. The grassroots folks are standing up and saying ‘enough is enough.’ They’re sick and tired of getting tax, tax, tax, spend, spend, spend.
“As I’ve said, and I’ve said this to Kathleen Wynne herself … the party is over with the taxpayers’ money. I was telling Kathleen, ‘pack up your loot bags, everyone out the door, the party’s over.’”
Ford devoted much of his 20-minute talk to his previously-stated pledge to fire the board of Hydro One and Mayo Schmidt, the CEO of the utility that was recently privatized by the Liberal government.
“This is how the hydro rates get so high, my friends. You have the CEO of Hydro One making four and a half million,” said Ford, prompting a call of “fire him” from the audience, to which Ford replied, “That’s coming.”
Ford noted Schmidt also received an additional $1.7 million in compensation in 2017.
“When people are hurting out there, the arrogant cockiness of the CEO in giving himself a $1.7-million bonus – that’s unacceptable,” Ford stated.
“First thing I’m going to do when I’m premier, he’s fired, the board is fired.”
However, the PC leader pointed out getting rid of the CEO was made potentially more expensive through “a back room deal” reported the previous day by the Globe and Mail in which the board approved changes to the company’s executive compensation policies last November, making it costlier for the government to intervene in the utility.
“They make a secret deal to double the compensation if they get fired. So that is the most disgusting, shameful act I have ever seen in government. Deplorable,” Ford continued.
He said a PC Ontario government would team up with Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe and Alberta United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney, who he called “the next premier of Alberta,” to challenge the federal government’s carbon pricing plan in court.
“They’re trying to force the worst tax on us this country’s ever seen, the worst tax in Ontario that affects every single person in this room, every single business out there and that is the carbon tax,” he said.
“The carbon tax is done, it’s over. We’re going to lead the charge in challenging Ottawa,” said Ford, adding a PC government would meet with Moe and Kenny.
“And then we’ll be challenging the prime minister in the Supreme Court because we don’t believe they should be dictating to the people of Ontario.”
The province does not currently have a carbon tax, but the governing Liberals have implemented a cap and trade system. The PCs had proposed a carbon tax under former leader Patrick Brown.
However, Ford scrapped the election platform plank earlier this year, after winning a leadership contest to replace Brown, who resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The federal government has stated carbon pricing legislation will require provinces to submit their own carbon pricing plans or have a national price imposed.
Denouncing job-killing “red tape,” Ford said a PC government would stimulate the economy by reducing taxes on businesses.
“We’re going to reduce the business tax by one per cent. It doesn’t seem much, but it’s going to stimulate,” said Ford.
“From eleven-and-a-half percent to ten-and-a-half percent. I know small business owners will reinvest that into people, will reinvest it into equipment and it’s going to give a little stimulus to the economy.”
Ford also trumpeted plans to provide a tax-break to minimum wage earners. However, he didn’t mention a previously-stated proposal to cancel a planned increase in the minimum wage, from $14 to $15 next year.
“Trying to survive on minimum wage, it’s heartbreaking. Anyone who’s making minimum wage, approximately $30,000 (annually) or less, will be paying zero per cent (provincial) tax,” he said.
“You know, it may not be a lot. It works out to be around approximately $850. But it’s a lot to people when they don’t have anything.”
As he wrapped up his remarks, Ford pledged to return as premier and count down a list of promises kept.
“I’m going to come back and we’ll have a bulletin board … with a check mark, your hydro rates went down; check mark your taxes are down, carbon taxes [are] gone, we’re creating new jobs.”
Following his speech, Ford stayed to pose for individual photographs with a long line of supporters.
