As Ontario voters prepare to head to the polls on February 27th, it’s time for facts over feelings. It’s time for an honest, unfiltered look at Premier Doug Ford’s track record. While Ford has consistently positioned himself as the solution to a “broken” Ontario—placing blame on previous Liberal governments—the evidence tells a different story. Many of the issues facing our province today have been worsened or directly created by his administration’s policies, with marginalized communities bearing the heaviest burden.

Healthcare: Cuts Deepening the Crisis

Ford campaigned on fixing Ontario’s healthcare system. The reality? His government has implemented significant cuts that have made things worse. Unity Health Toronto alone lost 750 positions due to provincial underfunding, according to the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions.

The consequences are visible in everyday experiences: longer emergency room wait times, overcrowded hospitals, and a healthcare workforce pushed to its breaking point. Rather than addressing structural issues, the Ford government’s austerity approach has accelerated the system’s decline, all while deflecting responsibility to previous administrations.

The impact of Ford’s healthcare cuts on staffing and patient care

The Greenbelt Scandal: Environmental Protection for Sale

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the gap between Ford’s promises and actions than the Greenbelt scandal. His government attempted to open 7,400 acres of protected land for development—a move that had nothing to do with solving the housing crisis.

The Auditor General’s investigation revealed the troubling truth: this decision would have delivered an $8 billion windfall to select developers with insider connections, while doing nothing to address housing affordability. More damning still, the report confirmed that this environmental sacrifice wasn’t even necessary to meet housing targets.

This wasn’t about housing—it was about who benefits from development decisions.

Infrastructure Failures: Transit Promises Derailed

Ford’s approach to infrastructure, particularly transit, reveals a troubling pattern of prioritizing soundbites over evidence-based policy. Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than his 2019 decision to scrap the shovel-ready Downtown Relief Line (DRL), a critical project designed to address Toronto’s subway congestion.

At the time, this decision seemed odd. Why would a government scrap a fully planned and funded transit solution that had already undergone years of study? Now we know why. Developers with close ties to Ford stood to benefit immensely from the Ontario Line proposal, which shifted key transit hubs to areas where wealthy landowners had significant real estate interests. The Ontario Line wasn’t about improving transit—it was about enriching those who already had the means to manipulate policy decisions in their favor.

This wasn’t just a rebrand—it was a calculated reset designed to funnel billions into the pockets of well-connected landowners rather than prioritizing the needs of Toronto commuters. The result? Ontarians are still waiting for transit relief that should have been well underway by now, while property values in newly planned station locations skyrocketed, benefiting Ford’s developer allies.

His proposal to remove major bike lanes in Toronto follows the same pattern—justified as a traffic solution despite internal documents showing it would likely worsen congestion while endangering cyclists.

These decisions reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of modern urban transportation needs and show how ideology—not data—drives decision-making in the current administration. The “subways, subways, subways” promise has delivered nothing but delays and unnecessary costs to taxpayers. Maybe this was Ford’s way of getting back at Toronto for how we reacted to his brother Rob’s antics. Or maybe it’s just more of the same from a leader who values profit over people.

Ford’s Priorities vs. Ontario’s Needs

A comparison of Ford’s spending priorities versus what Ontarians actually need

Political Distraction: The Billion-Dollar Election Con

Let’s be absolutely clear about what’s happening: Ford’s snap election is nothing more than an expensive distraction strategy, and Ontarians are footing the bill.

This election—which will cost taxpayers up to $1 billion—comes at a time when the Premier faces multiple scandals and investigations. The timing is no coincidence. By manufacturing an urgent crisis around potential U.S. tariffs, Ford hopes to reframe himself as Ontario’s economic defender rather than what the evidence suggests: a politician desperate to escape accountability.

The financial impact of Ford’s decisions over his term is not disputable. From the $8 billion developer windfall in the Greenbelt scandal to the billions wasted on scrapping and restarting transit projects, the pattern is clear. This election is simply the latest expenditure in a long list of financially reckless decisions that have benefited Ford’s allies while costing average Ontarians.

Instead of addressing legitimate concerns about his administration’s actions, Ford has created a crisis narrative to distract voters from the real issues at hand—a classic con that depends on Ontarians not connecting the dots.

Ford’s Troubling Record on Marginalized Communities

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Ford’s leadership is his treatment of marginalized communities. The evidence is irrefutable: this is an administration that has consistently failed to protect Ontario’s most vulnerable residents.

Ford’s attitude toward those with developmental disabilities came into stark relief years before he became premier. He openly campaigned to dismantle a home for people with autism in Etobicoke, making disturbing comments about wanting to “buy it and sell it himself.” This wasn’t just a policy disagreement—it revealed a fundamental mindset about who deserves care and support in our society.

His government’s record on protecting LGBTQ+ Ontarians has been equally troubling. From rolling back modern sex education curriculum that included LGBTQ+ awareness to consistently failing to appear at Pride events, Ford has sent clear messages about whose rights he prioritizes.

For Indigenous peoples, Ford’s government has cut Indigenous Affairs funding and programming while simultaneously fighting against Indigenous rights in the courts. And for people of color across Ontario, his policies on policing, housing, and community supports have disproportionately caused harm.

Visit SmartVoting.ca to learn how to strategically vote to ensure Ontarians are protected, and our services and funding for essential healthcare and support for marginalized communities are fully supported.