Ford developing platform from scratch, adviser says

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 of Canada.”

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?”