Doug Ford letting his inner dictator shine through

What is Doug Ford thinking? He has gone from being the most unpopular premier in Canada, prior to the pandemic, to being its second most popular, behind only British Columbia’s John Horgan.

Ford is seen by most Ontarians as having done a more than credible job managing the province through the pandemic so far. Thus his sky-high approval ratings. And yet Ford seems determined to let his inner dictator shine through. Consider two recent examples.

Last week, under cover of COVID-19, Ford’s government stripped municipalities of the right to choose either the existing first-past-the-post voting system or a ranked ballot system in municipal elections. Why? He said it’s because ranked balloting will confuse people. Really? It works well enough for political parties, including his, to use ranked balloting to choose a leader, but it’s too confusing for citizens? Further, he said, the status quo has “worked well” since 1867 so doesn’t need to be modernized. Yes, 1867, when women, the working class, Black, Indigenous and people of colour couldn’t vote.

Ranked balloting is not confusing. It is used all around the world. It has already been used in some Ontario municipalities, notably London, which chose that option via referendum.

Here’s how it works. Voters rank candidates in order of preference — first, second, third etc. A candidate who gets more than 50 per cent of the firstchoice votes wins. If no one gets a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and his or her second place choices are counted. The process is repeated until one candidate has the required 50 per cent majority.

Ranked balloting would achieve a consensus choice, rather than allowing several candidates to split the vote and one to cruise up the middle, sometimes with pluralities in the low 30 per cent range. This system encourages more compromise because it is in the best interests of candidates to appeal to a broader base including supporters of other candidates. In places where ranked balloting is used, diversity tends to improve so councils are more representative. Why would Ford not want that?

Like first-past-the-post, ranked balloting has its supporters and critics. The point is not so much whether it is the best option, it is that municipalities and the people who live in them should be able to decide, not have it decided for them without even modest consultation. Yes, the province has the power and right to do this, but it’s not a good look for a premier who says he believes in regular people making local decisions.

Neither is it a good look for Ford to support homophobic and Islamophobic preacher Charles McVety. McVety leads Canada Christian College, which is on the cusp of being granted degree-granting status by the province. He is also he same man who warns that “Islam is not just a religion, it’s a mandate for a hostile takeover.” Who says same-sex marriage is “a dagger in the heart of man,” who says “homosexuals pray on children” and sex education is part of a “militant homosexual agenda.”

What do you do with someone as offensive as McVety? Why, you give his school the power to issue BA and BSc degree programs, of course. Would you want a science degree from a university run by a man who disputes the science of evolution? Well, thanks to the Ford government, you will be able to get one assuming the school passes accreditation. Nice accomplishment Mr. Ford.

What is the premier thinking? Maybe, given his sky-high popularity, he believes he can do whatever he wants, regardless of ramifications. Time will tell if that is true or not.