Premier Ford fooled me.

People have asked what I think about this week’s arbitration fiasco.

For the first time, a Canadian government walked away from arbitration.

The Arbitration Act of 1991 defines the law that parties must follow, when they agree to a third party process to resolve disputes.

It is bad when a government overturns an arbitration ruling. It is unheard of to walk away during the middle of arbitration. It is like walking out of a court case.  No one does that.

Ford has found ways to do what no one else thought he could. He kicked out Hydro One directors, cancelled Solar and Wind contracts, and did not hesitate to whip out the notwithstanding clause.

Pundits rolled their eyes at first. Not anymore.

Regular voters want action. Most do not read political philosophy. One quarter of American adults have not even read a single book of any kind in the last 12 months.   Why would voters know or care about all the ways Ford Nation tramples good government?

What Flavour is Ford?

Premier Ford campaigned as a Progressive Conservative. But is he even progressive or conservative?

There are Birkenstocked Burkeans, paleo-cons, social-cons, neo-cons, theo-cons, crunchy-cons (my favourite),  baby-cons, and a hundred other flavours.

What flavour is Ford? Continue reading “Ford Fools Physicians on Arbitration?”

Legolas trained his ear on Caradhras, “There is a fell voice on the air.”

The entrails of lynx and the hump of hyena divine the portents. Palm readers foretell young widows, poverty and bankruptcy.

Doctors plumbed new depths this weekend. Starving sailors cast lots on whom to eat first. After six years of cuts, OMA council seems to have voted to attack colleagues. Rob Peter to pay Paul. Is the profession imploding?

When the day looks darkest, and the opposition insuperable, it is the worst possible time to cast lots on whom to throw overboard.

You might as well surrender. You have lost the ground to govern. No amount of rhetoric can justify support for even greater cuts to specific sections at the depths of the deepest cuts of all times. Continue reading “Government Wins if Doctors Win – Doctors’ Darkest Hour”

My wife and I watched a renovation show. A makeover program responded to a woman’s request to renovate the garage and surprise her husband for his birthday.

Before renovation, the garage looked like a grownup’s version of a teenage bedroom.

Garage sale treasures hung from the ceiling and covered every corner. Work stations looked used: grinders had grit; saws had sawdust. The man worked there.

A makeover crew turned the workshop into Sesame Street. Giant red and white checkers on a polished floor bounced stadium lighting off aluminum cabinets.

The dirt was gone. So were the tools, lumber, and workstations. Designers packed the old garage into pretty bins on shelves high up on the ceiling. Two cars fit with extra room for bicycles and picnic baskets.

My wife cheered. I cried. So did the husband. He couldn’t face the camera. The show’s hostess said he must be too happy to speak. Hi-Fives everyone! 

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.’

New political leaders are all alike. They consult. They observe. Then they diagnose. Hopefully, they fix problems that everyone hates.

But sooner than hoped, too many politicians start on their legacy. Continue reading “Dear Government: Please Do Less”