With the Ontario legislature in the early stages of a 21-week break, Premier Doug Ford has a lengthy reprieve from being grilled directly by rival politicians.
As Ford found out on Tuesday, journalists aren’t gifted five-month summer vacations.
While announcing that Ontario was teaming up with the federal government and the City of Toronto to invest $1.5 billion to lower development charges on new homes across the municipality, Ford faced a volley of unrelated questions that appeared to test his patience.
Ford bristled when asked about a poll released earlier this month that suggested his approval rating among Ontario voters has sunk to its lowest level (21 per cent) since his government was first elected in 2018.
At the time, he questioned the legitimacy of the poll, provoking a strong rebuke from Angus Reid Institute.
On Tuesday, Ford maintained that his government is as popular as ever with voters.
“If the election was held today we wouldn’t just form a majority, we would form another massive, super majority as we call it, that no one’s ever done in the history of Ontario,” he told reporters.
“Polls only count on election day.”
Ford went on to list many ways he said his government has saved Ontarians’ money, such as introducing and extending the One Fare program, removing licence plate stickers and renewal fees, and removing tolls on several stretches of highway.
He then read internal polling results showing his party was at 41 per cent, well ahead of the provincial Liberals at 27 per cent.
“I don’t care about polls,” he still maintained.
Ford, whose reddening face was extenuated by the white construction hat he donned, then fielded more questions about polls, including multiple surveys relating to his Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport expansion plans.
When asked about polls that showed progressively sagging support for the expansion, Ford was once again defiant.
“You can talk about polls and who’s doing them and who’s right who’s wrong, we know it’s (airport expansion) very popular and it’s popular because it’s (going to create) thousands of jobs, it’s going to create convenience and opportunity for people to land here at beautiful Billy Bishop and go down to the largest city in the country … it’s going to boom the economy, it’s going to allow convenience and competition for lower fees,” he said.
“Just watch how popular it’s going to be.”
Ford argued the expansion is “absolutely critical” to get finished.
“We are the only large city that doesn’t have two airports, but we’ll have two airports that will allow more people to come and visit us and spend their tourist dollars and business dollars right here in Toronto,” he said.
Premier said Ford Fest protesters ‘intimidated’ guests
Ford was then questioned about the annual Ford Fest event held at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough on Friday, which he said was disrupted by busloads of OPSEU protesters.
He accused the protesters of using foul language in front of children and making his guests uncomfortable.
“Ford Fest was created to come and have a family barbeque that’s carried on for 31 years. Am I disappointed? Yeah I’m disappointed that they came in and used vulgar language and tried to disrupt it,” Ford said.
“But they were there for about an hour and then they left and everyone had a great time, and it’s just disappointing they’d use those tactics in front of little kids and family. But like I’ve always said, everyone is welcome at Ford Fest.
“I apologize to the families that were sworn at, intimidated and insulted.”
The premier was then asked if he felt the protesters, who could be heard loudly drowning out his time at the podium with boos, reflected how the public feels about him.
He may not have been in the legislature, but the premier seemed ready to call a five-month break on taking media questions.
“Oh, you love this don’t you,” he said.
“Let me cut to the chase here, all you’ve done is attack me since I’ve been up here.”
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
