Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford made his first visit to Sudbury as party leader Wednesday, promising historic economic growth if his party is elected June 7.
Ford spoke to a crowded hall at Cambrian College's Student Life Centre, where he was introduced by Sudbury candidate Troy Crowder.
“I'm excited about Doug Ford being our leader,” Crowder said. “Doug is a guy who wants to listen to everybody and make a masterplan … The next premier of our province, Doug Ford.”
As 'Eye of the Tiger' played in the background, Ford began his address, touching on some of familiar themes: he wants to talk to ordinary people, the Liberals are elitists and he can cut $6 billion in spending without layoffs.
“It's great to be in the North with the real people of Ontario,” Ford began, referring to Crowder as “an all star” candidate. “I can't wait to come back as premier of this great province … We're compiling a great team to make sure we turn this province around.”
He would respect taxpayers by “putting money in your pocket instead of the government's pocket,” he said.
“Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal government, for 15 years, has zero respect for taxpayers.”
He took particular aim at the salary of Hydro One CEO Mayo Schmidt, who got a $1.7 million raise last year, bringing his salary to $6.2 million.
“I don't know anyone else who got a $1.7 million raise last year,” Ford said. “I will do everything in my power to make sure … we're getting rid of the CEO of Hydro One.”
He promised he could cut $6 billion in spending – or four cents for every dollar the government spends – and said when his late brother, Rob, was mayor of
Toronto, they saved taxpayers $1 billion, didn't raise taxes and didn't lay anyone off.
They did it by talking to rank and file workers, Ford said, who know better than anyone where the waste in the system lies.
“The best ideas come from the frontline workers,” he said. “But they get totally ignored … We're going to take those ideas and implement those ideas.”
When he asks people in the province whether the government is wasting four cents of every tax dollar it spends, Ford said “the answer is an overwhelming yes. They easily waste every four cents.
“(But) the party with taxpayers money is over.”
He restated the incorrect claim that Ontario has the highest hydro rates in North America, and attacked the carbon tax as “the worst tax.”
“I can tell you, my friends, I am super environmentally friendly,” Ford said. “We have to take care of the environment, but not by pulling the wool over our eyes.
“We're losing money on wind turbines. That's unbelievable.”
He also accused politicians at Queen's Park, who know nothing about mining, dictating to people in the mining industry “how to do their job.”
“We're going to listen to the people in the mining industry,” Ford said. “A new day will dawn, a day of economic growth … like this province has never seen before.”
He blasted the recent Liberal budget -- which included an array of new spending promises – as a last ditch attempt by a government that “is on life support.”
“She was promising everything under the sun, but people are too smart to fall for that again,” Ford said. “Kathleen Wynne, truly believes she's smarter than each and every one of you.
“We believe in empowering the people, not the government. All they want to do is tax, tax, tax and spend, spend, spend.”
Ford also referenced the fact Wynne challenged him to three debates on Wednesday – the same day a formal Liberal staffer was sentenced to jail in the fallout over the gas plant scandal.
“I'll debate her in front of jail that one of her political insiders are going to be in for gouging the taxpayers,” Ford said. “That's my answer to Kathleen Wynne.”
In response to Ford's visit, Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault issued a statement Wednesday accusing the Tory leader of planning massive cuts without providing details on how they will do it.
"Doug Ford is making a visit to Sudbury tonight, but he won’t be talking about Conservative cuts that are forecasted to grow to $10 billion a year under his watch,” Thibeault said in the statement. “Independent economists agree his reckless scheme would lead to -- at a minimum -- 75,000 public and private sector jobs losses across the province.
“Ford doesn’t understand Sudbury or Northern Ontario. His own candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North admitted that in an article last week. In the Ring of Fire, he wants to open gold mines in a chromite deposit, while bulldozing through local communities and tearing up agreements with Indigenous communities. That is not the kind of leadership we need in the North.”
“Doug Ford and the Conservatives’ priorities are to deliver reckless cuts at a time when we need care," Thibeault concluded.
Watch a replay of the full Ford speech here.
