As I searched for a parallel to this preposterous rationale from Ford, I flashed back to a long forgotten (and never terribly prominent) singer and songwriter from the 1960s, Phil Ochs. Now there was a man who knew satire. Late 1962 saw a standoff between the U.S. and Russia over the fact that Khrushchev had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. An American blockade was the response and for more than a week the world faced the prospect of nuclear war until the Russians backed down. In the aftermath of this incident Phil Ochs penned his Talking Cuban Crisis song, one portion of which went as follows:
Yes, it seemed the President's stand was strong and plain
But some Republicans was a-goin' insane (And they still are)
They said our plan was just too mild
Spare the rod and spoil the child
Let's sink Cuba into the sea
And give 'em back democracy
Under the water
It is striking how prescient the lyrics were about the mental state of the Republican Party (I can’t help noting in passing), but my reason for this quote is to demonstrate the absurdity of giving people back democracy “under the water.” I would argue that only slightly less absurd is Doug Ford’s assertion that he needs to invoke the notwithstanding clause to allow his government to enact legislation found by the court to be contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms so that he can preserve democracy and protect the will of the people.
It is not readily apparent to me how democracy is preserved for Toronto’s almost three million residents by cutting in half the number of elected politicians who will represent them. Nor is it clear how such a step preserves the will of the people, since this step was never discussed during the provincial election campaign, much less supported by “the people.” To the contrary, by taking the extraordinary step of invoking the notwithstanding clause, and suggesting that he would use it again if the courts get in his way, Doug Ford reveals profoundly undemocratic tendencies.
What a kidder, our Premier. Just a barrel of laughs!
What is More Urgent Than Saving Democracy?
Before I could post the foregoing portion of this blog, I learned from watching the news on television that this extremely urgent legislation – required to save democracy for Torontonians – will not, in fact, be approved by the Ontario Legislature as quickly as might have been the case, because the Legislative Assembly is not meeting for two days at the beginning of next week so that the three party leaders can attend the annual International Plowing Match (this year being held in Chatham-Kent).
To recap, the need to cut in half the size of Toronto’s city council is so essential to the preservation of democracy in Toronto that Doug Ford resorted to the nuclear option – using the notwithstanding clause for the first time ever in Ontario so that he could ensure that this change would be in place for this year’s October municipal elections. Toronto’s City Clerk is not sure how she will be ready for that election with the off-again, on-again changes to the electoral wards in the city. But before completing the passage of this absolutely essential legislation, we need to take time out to watch farmers plow furrows. I appreciate the importance of agriculture to the Ontario economy and the long established tradition of party leaders attending and also competing against each other in this annual event. But if this turn of events has left you with your brow furrowed, you are not alone.
Continuing with this agrarian theme, I am reminded of an incident involving Mitch Hepburn, Liberal Premier of Ontario from 1934 until 1942. He enjoyed telling stories, including irreverent and off-colour ones. At one political rally, he jumped up on a manure spreader and remarked that he was speaking from a Tory platform – only to have someone in the audience (presumably a Conservative) respond “Well, wind ‘er up Mitch, because she’s never carried a bigger load.” Doubtless Doug Ford would enjoy such repartee, being something of an expert himself on the spreading of manure.