Doug Ford loses another court battle.
Honestly, I wasn't sure where this one would land. I imagine that the judge relied a lot on Ford's words and actions in determining whether or not to overthrow the bill that would see Toronto's council size slashed nearly in half.
I somewhat thought he would actually win the court case even on this one.
But, as much as the outcome surprises a bit, the government's response shocks me more. Even more than the promise to invoke the 'notwithstanding' clause, is the claim that Ford has a mandate to make these changes.
Firstly, a majority government, in my opinion, does not a mandate make. A majority of the votes makes for a better argument. But, Ford did not win a majority of the votes. He won a majority of the ridings. Secondarily, a narrow victory on a multi-faceted platform does not a mandate make either. I'm not sure what the magic number is, but I'd be far less annoyed about the use of the word if a party were to get more than 50% of both the total votes and ridings. But, given the size and complexity of party platforms these days, I'd say a 2/3 majority is a comfortable starting place to start assuming your victory is a blank cheque on policy changes.
Even worse though, Ford didn't even win a majority of the RIDINGS, let alone votes in the city where he is having the most impact. Toronto. And he even lost a bid to be mayor of that town. And this particular change does NOTHING to benefit the province.
Any claims of a mandate on this matter are utter BS. Toronto's council budget comes from municipal taxes, not provincial. Let's ignore the fact that the cost to tax payers for all of the lost jobs combined will amount to less than a dollar a year for each citizen of that municipality. It isn't really a provincial concern at all. Forget whether or not Ford technically "has the power" to do these things.
I live in Ottawa, so I really shouldn't have any say on the governance of Toronto at a municipal level. Why I'm raising my voice on this item is NOT for the sake of Toronto. The Ford government lost the court case on the grounds that it violated charter rights. Ford is invoking a loop hole to allow him to intentionally violate the charter rights of a specific municipality with no proof that the actions will benefit anyone. Neither the people of Toronto, nor Ontario. This sets a huge precedent. And Ford has even promised to not shy away from abusing this clause in the future.
I somewhat thought he would actually win the court case even on this one.
But, as much as the outcome surprises a bit, the government's response shocks me more. Even more than the promise to invoke the 'notwithstanding' clause, is the claim that Ford has a mandate to make these changes.
Firstly, a majority government, in my opinion, does not a mandate make. A majority of the votes makes for a better argument. But, Ford did not win a majority of the votes. He won a majority of the ridings. Secondarily, a narrow victory on a multi-faceted platform does not a mandate make either. I'm not sure what the magic number is, but I'd be far less annoyed about the use of the word if a party were to get more than 50% of both the total votes and ridings. But, given the size and complexity of party platforms these days, I'd say a 2/3 majority is a comfortable starting place to start assuming your victory is a blank cheque on policy changes.
Even worse though, Ford didn't even win a majority of the RIDINGS, let alone votes in the city where he is having the most impact. Toronto. And he even lost a bid to be mayor of that town. And this particular change does NOTHING to benefit the province.
Any claims of a mandate on this matter are utter BS. Toronto's council budget comes from municipal taxes, not provincial. Let's ignore the fact that the cost to tax payers for all of the lost jobs combined will amount to less than a dollar a year for each citizen of that municipality. It isn't really a provincial concern at all. Forget whether or not Ford technically "has the power" to do these things.
I live in Ottawa, so I really shouldn't have any say on the governance of Toronto at a municipal level. Why I'm raising my voice on this item is NOT for the sake of Toronto. The Ford government lost the court case on the grounds that it violated charter rights. Ford is invoking a loop hole to allow him to intentionally violate the charter rights of a specific municipality with no proof that the actions will benefit anyone. Neither the people of Toronto, nor Ontario. This sets a huge precedent. And Ford has even promised to not shy away from abusing this clause in the future.
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