John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE IN THE CONVERSATION
“Doug Ford’s attack on the ‘Court Party’”
Doug Ford’s proposal is an inappropriate use of the "notwithstanding clause."
Why do I say that?
Because the clause is a very large and dangerous weapon, and he is proposing to use it for a relatively trivial matter, the number of city councillors in a particular city, and changing that number under rushed conditions just before a new city election.
And, of course, I'm sure there is a big element of revenge intended in what he is doing, revenge for the way his late brother, then Mayor of Toronto, was treated by the council when they stripped him of many authorities.
The council was right in what it did because Rob, the brother and mayor, was a total shabby, law-breaking disgrace.
Doug, of course wouldn't agree, but then we know something of Doug's background from an investigation by the Globe and Mail.
Doug a few decades back was a drug dealer, and in one reported instance he actually kidnapped a man behind on his bills and kept him secreted somewhere outside the city.
Some Premier! Some legal mind!
The trouble is Ontario is structured so that the cities are virtually creatures of the province, a situation which should not be for a number of reasons.
It is unfortunate that someone of Doug's character was elected Premier, but for that we have a decade of the most incompetent and wasteful Canadian politician to thank, Dalton McGuinty. And his successor proved every bit as terrible, not leaving a lot of choice.
I wrote an essay some while back that readers might enjoy. It was at the height of brother Rob's insane circus in office:
https://chuckmanwords.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/time-wounds-all-heels-what-torontos-rob-ford-fiasco-is-about-and-what-we-can-learn-from-it/
You might also enjoy:
https://chuckmangalleryofgrotesques.wordpress.com/?s=rob+ford&searchsubmit=Find+%C2%BB
