There’s a phrase in provincial auditor general聽Shelley Spence’s report聽that could, by now, serve as a slogan for Doug Ford’s government: “Without proper planning.”
That was her description, in Tuesday’s annual report, of how the decision to close supervised-consumption drug sites was made.
But six years into the life of a government that has always shown an eagerness to fire before it aims, it seems more like an all-purpose description of The Doug Ford Way.
The report contains plenty of other language that might seem jolting when applied to government actions, but by now seems overly familiar. The 聽(or MZOs)were “not fair, transparent or accountable.” The assessment process for the was聽“irregular” and “subjective,” and “rules and guidelines 鈥 were not followed.”聽
Another description of MZOs that may as well be a shorthand summary of this government’s standard operating procedure: “no protocol and no apparent rationale.”
Those descriptions could easily describe any number of the Ford government’s other moves: slashing the size of Toronto’s city government and reorganizing other GTA governments in the middle of an election campaign; the whole Greenbelt hokey-pokey; trying to slash funding to 海角社区官网Public Health a year before a global pandemic; the ; the eventually reversed decision to dissolve Peel region; the recent move to rip out bike lanes in Toronto.
The list is not exhaustive.
There are a few themes there that are at the forefront of Spence’s report. Decisions seem to be made quickly and on impulse, according to either the political whims and vendettas of the premier or the backroom desires of developers and corporate interests. Traditional accountability checks or analysis of impacts are discarded. Rinse, repeat.
Sometimes,聽Ford and his government reverse course when it becomes clear that what they are doing is phenomenally stupid and massively unpopular. But a willingness to admit a mistake has never caused them to pause and think before steamrolling forward into the next big blunder. If it wasn’t for hindsight, they wouldn’t have any kind of sight at all.聽Ford may be willing to change his mind, but he has never changed his ways.聽
So where does that leave us?
Well, in the case of Ontario Place, we see that some bidders had closed-door meetings with the premier’s staff and other government officials (despite this being explicitly prohibited) and that they “had direct access to an Infrastructure Ontario executive.” Rules for assessing the bids were not clear and were not followed.
And the redevelopment costs to be borne by the province have more than quadrupled to $2.237 billion.
Additionally, Ford’s decision to close supervised drug consumption sites near schools and daycares was made “without proper planning,” the AG said.
Additionally, Ford’s decision to close supervised drug consumption sites near schools and daycares was made “without proper planning,” the AG said.
It certainly isn’t reassuring, in this context, to note that Infrastructure Ontario CEO Michael Lindsay, who took over after the conduct the auditor uncovered, but well before the Ontario Place deal was finalized, is taking over as interim head of Metrolinx to try to push the Eglinton Crosstown (and assorted other projects) across the finish line.
Nor is Spence’s finding that were behind schedule and over budget, including one hospital that was $4 billion over budget.
Oh, and the cost of moving the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place has ballooned such that it is now more expensive than the estimates for rehabbing the old building.
, the auditor notes harm reduction strategies that prevented 1,500 deaths from overdoses are being discontinued without proper planning or impact analysis. Which sounds like a roundabout way to say people are likely to die.
If there’s another thing that has defined Ford’s government it’s boastfulness 鈥 and . The government tripled its advertising spending in one year (to $103.5 million), setting an Ontario government record. The report concludes that about 62 per cent of these dollars were essentially partisan: their primary objective was “to promote the governing party.”
If the ad bonanza continues into what is expected to be an election year next year, the report does offer some fantastic, auditor-approved tag lines. “Ontario: no protocol and no apparent rationale” has a certain ring to it. The ring of truth.
Clarification — Dec. 4, 2024
This column has been updated to clarify that Infrastructure Ontario CEO Michael Lindsay took over in that role after the conduct that auditor general Shelley Spence uncovered in her report.
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