An alternative to the throne speech

You don’t have to hate Ontario to loathe much of its politics, but it probably helps. 

Other than the fact that it’s way bigger than it needs to be, and forgetting the whole GTA-traffic thing, I kind of like Ontario. I’ve lived here more than two decades and in that time I’ve met loads of good people. People with loving hearts, kind souls and wonderful families. 

And then there’s Doug Ford. You could say I am not a fan. I do not buy his awe-shucks schtick, not even when he’s swallowing insects on camera, don’t appreciate his technological cluelessness or his campy photo ops. I don’t vote conservative and don’t like the direction conservative politics is taking in this province and country. 

That’s my bias. 

So of course I didn’t like the throne speech and budget. But beyond not liking it, I fear there’s something else — I fear we are returning to the kind of Family Compact governance that, unchecked, will lead us down a road where the destinations are selfishness, greed and callousness. 

I don’t want to go there. In the Ottawa Citizen this week I penned an alternative to the throne speech, which I hope you’ll like.