Marit Stiles has finally learned what it takes to grab a headline: just say something stupid. The Ontario NDP Leader predicted this week that when she becomes premier she will order a public inquiry that will result in Premier Doug Ford ending up 'in prison.' If you wanted to make two predictions that will never come to pass, you couldn't do much better than that pair.
Just to stay with Stiles's fantasy world for a moment, she wants this inquiry to look at Ford's aborted plan to expand the Greenbelt and his recent move to exempt cabinet documents, including Ford's cellphone records, from public access. Why bother with the inquiry? Stiles says she already knows Ford is guilty of a criminal offence, and that he will be charged, convicted, sentenced and imprisoned. Lock him up.
Unfortunately for Stiles, her ill-judged rant doesn't hurt Ford, but it does highlight her own political incompetence. What other leader in Canada today would advocate locking up an opponent, given U.S. President Donald Trump's long-running vendetta against those who have opposed him? Stiles has achieved the near impossible feat of making an NDP politician sound like Trump. Probably not a good look for the party that likes to portray itself as the kinder, gentler alternative to the mean and nasty Ford PCs. Until this week, Stiles seemed like a pleasant, if bland, person. So much for that.
When her comments were challenged by the PCs, Stiles accused them of 'clutching their pearls,' even as she was displaying exactly the fake moral indignation the term implies. Perhaps thinking she was on a roll, Stiles went on to criticize Ford for accepting an honorary degree from an American university, calling it a 'private club.' A simple online search would have revealed that Michigan's Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution ranked 99th in regional universities in the Midwest by U.S. News and World Report. Not exactly Harvard, but not a private club, either.
Stiles's Political Situation
Stiles's pathetic attempt to get attention is perhaps understandable when placed in the context of her own dismal political situation. Despite Ford's own declining poll popularity, Stiles isn't gaining ground. The latest Abacus Data poll shows the PCs and Liberals in a statistical tie at 37 and 36 per cent support, respectively. The NDP has dropped four points to 17 per cent.
Here's a suggestion for Stiles: why not tell people what you would do differently if you were premier? For example, get rid of the new law that enhances cabinet secrecy and pro-actively release information to the public. It's their government, their money, their information.
Liberal Missteps
And since the Liberals have seen a recent surge, this would have been a good time for them to shut up and watch their NDP and PC opponents attack each other. But no, the Ontario Liberals have the political instincts of a rock. When Ford dismissed those poll results and predicted he'd win a majority if he called an election now, interim Liberal leader John Fraser was ready with a schoolyard taunt.
The opposition parties in Ontario continue to prove they have no coherent strategy to defeat Doug Ford. Instead of focusing on policy differences and presenting a credible alternative, they resort to personal attacks and empty rhetoric. This approach not only fails to damage Ford but also alienates voters who are looking for serious leadership.
