Who stands for the working person, the little-middle class businessperson? Yah, who indeed?

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Way back, years ago Doug Ford made some promises in an effort to win an election against Kathleen Wynne’s administration. One was an end to corporate welfare, paying corporations to place their production facilities within Ontario, and invest in an Ontarian economic base.

Now that a Ford administration has existed in Ontario for some time has this promise been acted upon? The provincial and federal government has promised 28 billion dollars to a few corporations, who promised to establish manufacturing plants involved in the electric vehicle industry.

Minister Victor Fedeli has been traveling the globe in an attempt to acquire commitments from other corporations to establish themselves in Ontario. The promises made by the Minister are not known as of yet, and certainly they will remain within the shadows for some time. Ontario’s Conservative government has shown itself to be as: secretive, non-transparent and ambitious as its predecessor’s the Liberals.

Has anything changed since Doug Ford has become Premier? The economy is booming, the ring of fire is being developed, 1.5 million housing starts (not affordable housing) are being developed, and yet transparency is wanting, accountability for actions and inactions questionable, much of government business carried out in the shadows, and business sector priorities central to a Conservative status quo.

Conservatives in Ontario often view all this with minds firmly cast on corporate needs. Happy business is a happy province. Highways are maintained and built anew. Healthcare in Ontario is questionable at best. Conservatives prefer to build, employing those who transform the province economically. It is all for the business sector, right?

Healthcare, staffing issues, new technology and equipment are another story. Fighting about wages, costs and people issues is not a Conservative preoccupation is it. New builds, new housing starts make for better propaganda, political advertising.

The corporate advantage will always be central in Ontario no matter the political administration in power. Global economic policy says so. Wages are actually high in Ontario, and taxes too; so many corporations would rather locate near Ontario, but not within the province, so political-corporate welfare remains, and political promises forgotten.

I became a Conservative because of the apparent corruption presumption within the Liberal administration of Peterson-Wynne. Now what? Who stands for the working person, the little-middle class businessperson? Yah, who indeed?