Federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has a clear message for Ontarians: Don’t vote for Conservative Andrew Scheer because that would be “doubling down’ on Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Ford and Scheer, you see, are so similar that it’s difficult to tell them apart.
As much as Trudeau might like people to believe that, it would be tough to find two Conservative politicians more different than Scheer and Ford. Even during an election campaign, when truth typically takes a holiday, the Scheer-is-just-like-Ford argument is laughably off base. It has novelty value, though. It’s not every day that you see a prime minister build his re-election campaign around attacking a premier’s record.
Ford and Scheer come from quite different backgrounds, and that has shaped their values and the way they operate. Scheer grew up in a thrifty, middle-class family in Ottawa with parents who were cautious and conservative. Ford was raised in Etobicoke, where his father was owner of a successful business and later, an MPP.
Ford has a slim political resume, while Scheer has been involved in politics most of his adult life. Ford served a single term on Toronto city council and spent years around the fringes of the Ontario PC party, but was never a real player until his surprising leadership victory. Even then, he came into the job as an outsider who was not supported by most of the caucus. His victory was akin to a hostile takeover and Ford was a relative political amateur when he became premier.
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See Also:
(1) A list of cuts and program changes the Ford government has reversed
(2) These services are no longer covered by OHIP as of October 1
(3) Toronto, Peel, York boards to close schools Monday if CUPE Ontario strike goes ahead
(4) The problem with Ontario’s plan to ban food waste from landfills
(5) Finally, 911 caller charged for allegedly griping about Amber Alert
