PCs to put priorities for 2021 to the people

Ford government canvassing supporters for thoughts on road ahead

Decisions, decisions.

Fight crime? Curb COVID-19 infections? Oppose the federal “carbon tax?” Help small businesses?

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives are asking party members for feedback on the government’s priorities for this year.

With a provincial election scheduled for June 2, 2022, the Tories are canvassing supporters for their thoughts on the road ahead.

“We know our PC government was elected to work For the People,” said a fundraising email sent out Tuesday, referring to Ford’s 2018 campaign slogan.

“In 2021 alone, we invested: $12 million in new mental health beds to support seniors across our province; $2.8 million in additional dollars to combat crime in our local communities; $200 million for small, rural and northern communities through the 2021 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund,” the missive continued.

“This is just the start — we are going to continue to invest in our province. But we need your feedback as we develop our plan,” it said.

From a list of 12 topics, Tories are being asked to select three that should be the focus of the government’s attention this year.

They are: “Combating crime; combating COVID-19; investing in education; investing in health care; investing in transit; lowering taxes; opposing the carbon tax; protecting the environment; reducing hydro rates; strengthening the economy; supporting seniors; (and) supporting small business.”

A second question in the survey invites respondents to say what else “you would like to see in 2021.”

The third question asks “generally, do you think the PC government has been on the right or wrong track in 2020?”

Recipients are then asked for their name, postal code and email address.

The party appeal does not mention the Tories’ spending of $189.6 billion in 2020-21 or the record $38.5-billion budget due to a pandemic that has killed almost 6,900 Ontarians.

Nor does it cite the fact that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business last week castigated Ford’s government as “the worst in Canada” for boosting businesses during COVID-19.

It also doesn’t note that electricity subsidies are already a surging expense for the treasury — $6.2 billion last year, up from $5.5 billion the year before, $4.2 billion in 2018-19, and $2.8 billion in 2017-18, the last fiscal year former premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals were in office.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, who will table a budget next month, has ruled out any spending cuts or tax hikes during the pandemic.

But Bethlenfalvy warned that “these deficits are not sustainable in the long run.”

Conservative insiders, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal strategy, emphasize that the non-binding party survey is merely intended to gauge the views of party members, not to determine government policy.

“Our members are the ones giving us the hardest time about the huge spending and deficits and (the economy) being locked down, believe me,” one high-ranking insider said.

So far, the party says 3,559 Ontarians have responded to the online survey.