Ontario really has gone down the tubes

[Sarah89]

Especially when you elect a monster of a Premiere who intends to make cuts affecting the most vulnerable. I have a developmentally disabled 23 year old sister and I am absolutely terrified about the supposed reform of ODSP starting in November and how it's going to affect her.

Doug Ford also intends to eliminate rent control and likely other housing programs and subsidies which will have her back living with our Mother (who is recovering from Cancer). These reforms are going to put many disabled people without family to fall back on out on the street.

Not too mention the cancelling of OHIP plus which helped give a pharmacare plan to children and young adults who wouldn't otherwise have prescription drug coverage. Freezing the minimum wage, defunding University expansion projects and now a proposed OSAP elimination.

I am entirely sickened. A leader chosen reflects peoples mentality and opinions and if this is the case then Ontario is rotten to the core. Pathetic. Some of these ''cuts'' would not even be allowed south of the border, this is radical and bizarre regression of progressive thinking and policies. Even the sex ed curriculum was changed for school aged children because it featured ''LGBT'' subject matter. Regression...

[kwoldtimer]

There is an Ontario politics thread in the Ontario section.

[Architype]

This thread will be locked or moved, but I am tempted to say that people get what they vote for; however I think the real blame lies with the political party itself, which permits this type of leadership to represent them.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Architype

This thread will be locked or moved, but I am tempted to say that people get what they vote for; however I think the real blame lies with the political party itself, which permits this type of leadership to represent them.

Blame lies with at least all of the following: Ontarians, the Ontario Tories, and Ontario's electoral system of FPTP ridings.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

There is an Ontario politics thread in the Ontario section.

Maybe this thread is of Canada-section scope if the intent is to ask "what other province do you suggest an Ontarian relocate to in order to escape?"

(otherwise though, I'll admit I mostly agree with you.)

[Sarah89]

Originally Posted by Architype

This thread will be locked or moved, but I am tempted to say that people get what they vote for; however I think the real blame lies with the political party itself, which permits this type of leadership to represent them.

How could some one like this even exist in politics period? Ten years ago such a person would never even be considered. He doesn't even have any real experience and he is not an educated man (only a high school diploma to his name).

Mike Harris was a PC, and while controversial he was at least experienced, educated and never got into this bizarre ''social conservatism''. It is frightening how backwards this Province has become if Doug Ford is what they want. I could see us veering into ''abortion reform'' and OHIP privatizations.

[Sarah89]

Originally Posted by lio45

Blame lies with at least all of the following: Ontarians, the Ontario Tories, and Ontario's electoral system of FPTP ridings.

The Tories have certainly changed for the worse but this actually reflects the ''core values'' of the province and its peoples mentality that have somehow shifted into something very different. I have definitely noticed a ''change'' in the air here and strangely enough... a bizarre type of Christianity appearing from absolutely nowhere. Never did I have so many people talking about ''Jesus'' and how ''Abortion is terrible'' in real life to me. I have even heard legitimate homophobic comments. What on earth is going on here? This is not ''the culture'' I grew up with.

What would cause such a shift in opinions if any?

[SpongeG]

Trump and the politics of fear. Spout off about things, false facts etc and never return to the subject again.

Let the media clean up which no one watches anyway cause its just fake news. But the followers eat it up. Play right into the conservatives and they feel like finally someone is listening to us! go Ford Nation!

[Acajack]

It's just one of those inevitable pendulum swings I'm afraid.

And I don't think you've seen the "worst" of it yet.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

How could some one like this even exist in politics period? Ten years ago such a person would never even be considered. He doesn't even have any real experience and he is not an educated man (only a high school diploma to his name).

Mike Harris was a PC, and while controversial he was at least experienced, educated and never got into this bizarre ''social conservatism''. It is frightening how backwards this Province has become if Doug Ford is what they want. I could see us veering into ''abortion reform'' and OHIP privatizations.

We are in a new era, one of social media, where new political movements like Trump are created and generate their own kind of inertia (populism), moving the pendulum too swiftly in extreme directions.

[Acajack]

I mean, Brazil just went pretty hard right today, and Merkel in Germany lost another bit of her foundation in lander elections in Hesse. The hard right AfD did not win, but they continue to rise most every time there is a vote.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's just one of those inevitable pendulum swings I'm afraid.

And I don't think you've seen the "worst" of it yet.

Brazilians just elected an extreme-right president who misses the dictatorial days of the country and who admires Trump. I guess that's "worse"?

Oops you beat me to it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Brazilians just elected an extreme-right president who misses the dictatorial days of the country and who admires Trump. I guess that's "worse"?

Beat you to it by 2 minutes!

Arguably "worse" but probably not "the worst" or at least "the max" in terms of the pendulum swing.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

The Tories have certainly changed for the worse but this actually reflects the ''core values'' of the province and its peoples mentality that have somehow shifted into something very different. I have definitely noticed a ''change'' in the air here and strangely enough... a bizarre type of Christianity appearing from absolutely nowhere. Never did I have so many people talking about ''Jesus'' and how ''Abortion is terrible'' in real life to me. I have even heard legitimate homophobic comments. What on earth is going on here? This is not ''the culture'' I grew up with.

What would cause such a shift in opinions if any?

... immigration, maybe? At least here, it's the obvious cause of any observable rise of any of the following: homophobia, sexism, and opposition to abortion.

(Not sure whether the same applies to Ontario.)

[Acajack]

You should see the crowds dancing in the streets after the Brazilian election. I am seeing on this on France 24 (all news channel) right now.

Not sure if they do this after every election in Brazil though...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

... immigration, maybe? At least here, it's the obvious cause of any observable rise of any of the following: homophobia, sexism, and opposition to abortion.

(Not sure whether the same applies to Ontario.)

I don't get a sense that the opinion leaders on these values issues in Ontario are primarily immigrants, though perhaps the fact that you have more immigrants who are overtly religious and also have conservative moral values, have sparked the other non-immigrant Ontarians who are like this to come out of the woodwork.

[Sarah89]

Originally Posted by Architype

We are in a new era, one of social media, where new political movements like Trump are created and generate their own kind of inertia (populism), moving the pendulum too swiftly in extreme directions.

I know that but why would we want to sell off our rights and progress? We are going backwards now rather than forwards. We spent years as a province trying to make headway in certain issues that created a sense of stability and equality that now is being lost. It has to be one of the saddest things I have ever seen in my life.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

I know that but why would we want to sell off our rights and progress? We are going backwards now rather than forwards. We spent years as a province trying to make headway in certain issues that created a sense of stability and equality that now is being lost. It has to be one of the saddest things I have ever seen in my life.

Did you ever think that perhaps not everyone defines progress the same way that you do?

(Not talking about me, BTW.)

[Sarah89]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Did you ever think that perhaps not everyone defines progress the same way that you do?

(Not talking about me, BTW.)

How come they seemingly did even a mere decade ago?

Though I was a child and preteen during the ''Harris era'' that P.C party was not like this one. Harris for example was heavily pro-choice and encouraged wide access to abortion services for women and he never stopped the expansion of educational facilities. I guess that is the difference between a real man and a ''hoser''.

[Architype]

People who are happy with all the progress we have made, the ones ok with the status quo, tended to not actually vote, and the results are obvious. Low voter participation is a big problem.