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| Doug, say it ain't so..... |
I'm even more disappointed because this decision seems to have the Premier's nasty fingerprints all over it. It is a petty provocation that surly must have been opposed in cabinet by those who understand that the reputational damage to the Ontario Conservative brand will be considerable.
As for cost-cutting, like any program, the money-savings have to be measured by the value of the loss of the program as well as the political implications if any.
I'm sure Doug Ford thought that the decision would be well-received by his constituency but it is indeed a misstep that may lead to a one and done government.
Most Ontarians didn't vote for Ford but rather against Kathleen Weil. Many of those who voted for him understood his limitations but judged him the better of two evils.
So far he hasn't impressed.
But whether Doug Ford succeeds or not, one thing is for sure, that is that Caroline Mulroney's political career will be permanently wedded to Ford's. As the responsible cabinet member for Francophone affairs, being forced to defend the Ford cuts is the kiss of death politically. Her dreams of perhaps succeeding Ford as leader are dashed and any idea of federal politics is out of the question. She has overnight become as toxic as a Chernobyl three-headed fish, a quisling who chose expediency over her cabinet responsibilities..
Privately, Mulroney should have threatened to resign from cabinet if Ford went ahead with the cuts, and should have done so if Ford called her bluff.
Doing so would have been painful in the short term, but it would have propelled her to superstar status nationally, a politician with backbone and principles, something all Canadians would appreciate.
She'd be a shoo-in to replace Andrew Scheer, if and when he loses to Trudeau in the next election.
Fighting the good fight and accepting the consequences would win her eternal love in Quebec, as well as with Ontario progressives (of which there are millions,) while garnering grudging respect in the rest of Canada.
She missed a golden opportunity to do the right thing and I'm disappointed.
At any rate, the decision to reduce francophone services was wrong not only on a political level but on a moral one as well.
Shelving the creation of a French-language university can also be seen as payback to the progressive city of Toronto which largely voted against Ford. Perhaps he saw the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Ontario has as many francophones as Quebec has anglophones, yet not one dedicated French-language university. All this while Quebec has two and a half English universities, McGill, Concordia and the tiny Bishop's.
Those who argue that Ontario francophones don't deserve their own French-language university, by extension, must believe Quebec anglophones don't deserve theirs either.
Building such an institution in Toronto which actually has a small francophone community may seem paradoxical, but because the institution would become a shining beacon for all Ontario francophones, attracting them from all over the province, it is the logical location.
As they say...build it and they will come.
Such an institution could grow according to need, but if it developed an expertise in certain categories it could become an important Canadian institution.
Today while bilingualism is not an absolute must in the top echelons of government and the civil service, it is an important element and those who possess both languages have a giant advantage. Ambitious anglophones could use the university to develop their language skills if the right program would be offered.
That is just one idea, I'm sure there are other exciting options that would attract a wide base of students.
A French-language university would polish Toronto's already stellar reputation as a university centre, offering an alternative to Montreal for international francophones.
Those neanderthals that tell us that French is just a minority amongst minorities in Ontario do not understand the beautiful reality of Canada's two founding nations, proof to the world that two-language nations can work and flourish when mutual respect abounds.
Yes, the minority English in Quebec are a privileged lot, and so too should the minority French in Ontario.
Respected, protected and nurtured.
Doug Ford needs lessons in civics and history.
He badly misunderstands what Canada is.
Instead of reducing Ontario francophones opportunity to flourish, he should get up in Queen's Park and apologize to Ontario francophones à la Justin Trudeau, for past wrongs.
"Regulation 17, which was enforced from 1912 to 1927, was a shameful chapter in the province’s history that banned elementary schools from using French as a language of instruction beyond grade two. It also capped the amount of teaching time in French for elementary school students to one hour per day, and permitted French-language education only at the specific request of parents. The measure helped permanently weaken the presence of French in southwestern Ontario." LinkThat regulation wiped out the francophone culture in southwestern Ontario. It was a shameful act that back then was perceived as reasonable, but by today's standards, cultural and linguistic genocide.
In all this, I am comforted that the large majority of Ontarians feel differently. They value bilingualism and they cherish and respect the Francophone community that enriches Ontario's culture.
Doug Ford is wrong and if Anglophone activists in Quebec don't call him out, we cannot ask for support ourselves.
I call on our community to publically rebuke and reject Doug Ford's regressive and mean-spirited policy.
