The latest dramatic about face involves the regional review that was appointed to consider changes in seven regional governments, one restructured county (Oxford), and one county (Simcoe) that was not part of any restructuring. The review, was to look for ways to make better use of taxpayer dollars, to cut red tape and duplication, and to save costs. The appropriateness of two-tier structures in all cases would be considered and amalgamations were a possibility.
After indicating that the report of the review would be kept confidential, the province has now announced that it won’t do anything with the report or its recommendations (whatever they may be). Instead it has concluded that communities should decide what is best for them, and the province will provide up to $143 million for municipalities to find new ways to lower costs and improve services. [One can’t help observing that apparently not all communities can be allowed to decide what is best for them, considering Ford’s action in cutting the size of Toronto’s council in half just one day before the close of nominations before last year’s municipal election – but perhaps the Premier has suddenly gained a newfound appreciation for local wisdom.]
The Key Steps Involved
To recap this very unusual approach to policy making by the Ford Government.
#1. Drastic changes are announced with little consultation or advance notice.
#2. The proposed changes make the government, and Ford especially, increasingly unpopular.
#3. In response, the government cancels or scales back dramatically the proposed changes.
#4. Through this dazzling combination of techniques, the government is now accomplishing very little while remaining very unpopular.
I suppose it is always possible that Premier Ford is using the time-honoured technique of announcing the worst, then softening the blow, so that folks feel relieved rather than outraged – but such an approach seems too subtle for his “bull in a China Shop” approach. Whatever he is doing, he may wish to consider a new approach for the three years remaining in his term.