Ford developing platform from scratch

Leadership race offers some clues to direction

With j ust t hree months until the next provincial election, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party is going back to square one on its policy platform.

While some parts of t he platform de veloped by former l eader Patrick Brown may survive, new chief Doug Ford is more or less starting from scratch, a source on his team said Monday.

Out the window is the People’s Guarantee, t he centre- right manifesto released by Brown last year. It promised a 22- per- cent income tax cut, more funding for mental health and child care, and a tax on carbon emissions to help pay for it all.

“That platform was crafted for a very different candidate, with very different pluses and minuses and with some very different views of what the role of government in people’s lives should be,” said the Ford adviser. The Toronto businessman’s will be a “different document,” though possibly with some portions of the People’s Guarantee retained.

The platform will focus on a few key areas Ford — elected l eader Saturday — wants to emphasize, the source said.

“He’s more of a five- bigthings kind of guy than a laundry list of a thousand commitments,” said t he Ford confidant. “In terms of how he likes to campaign, it’s a shorter and clearer list.”

During his bid for the PC leadership, Ford did provide a flavour, at least, of the policies he might push in the June 7 election, though he offered few details. They ranged from making almost $ 6 billion in budget cuts, to offering tax incentives to attract new business and scrapping the Liberals’ costly program for encouraging alternative-energy sources.

Ford drew considerable attention — and support from social conservatives — for his pledge to repeal and rewrite a controversial sexeducation curriculum. He also said he would allow his members to vote freely on matters of conscience, and mused that it might make sense to require parental consent before underage girls get abortions.

And after being “anointed” at Toronto’s Prayer Palace evangelical church, Ford said he would always give the church a voice.

But on Monday, he played down social- conservative issues, saying they were not his highest priorities.

“Our focus will be on straightening out the finances of this province,” Ford said. “We’re going to reduce hydro rates, start attracting high-paying jobs … and make this the most prosperous region in North America.”

Charles McVety, a prominent evangelical leader who enthusiastically endorsed Ford as PC leader, said he was not disappointed to hear social issues would not top the Tory agenda. He said social conservatives will be happy if Ford — should he become premier — merely carries through on his promise to revamp the sex-ed program.

“It’s not who he is, and everybody knows that,” said McVety about social conservatism. “This is a tough, beerdrinking businessman. Not exactly your churchman.”

Based on comments at debates and elsewhere, this is where the new Conservative chief stands on some issues:

SHRINKING SPENDING

Ford has said he will cut four per cent from the province’s $ 141- billion budget — or about $ 5.6 billion. He hasn’t offered specifics, but says he will review spending “line by line” and implement efficiency methods like the “Lean” system. The Liberals say those kind of reductions, though, will cost jobs.

HEALTH- CARE EFFICIENCIES

At one debate, Ford said he would provide help and “more resources” to the health-care system. But then he said his focus would be on listening to front- line workers to find “efficiencies” and better deliver services. He provided no details.

ABORTION

Ford said he would welcome any member who brought forward a bill requiring parental consent before minors undergo abortions, but said he was not angling to revive the hot-button abortion question.

INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESS — BUT NOT CORPORATE WELFARE

Ford says he would offer tax incentives — as well as cut red tape — to attract businesses to Ontario, but insisted that it would not be corporate welfare, something he said he opposes.

MERGING SCHOOL- BOARD BACK OFFICES?

Ford told one debate about how the Catholic and public boards in the Peel region west of Toronto each had adjacent “Taj Mahal” headquarters. He seemed to suggest the two systems should share administrative functions: “Why can’t they have one Taj Mahal, instead of two?”