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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 14 ,2 01 8 | 8 Waterloo Chronicle 630 Riverbend Dr. Kitchener, ON N2B 2G1 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-579-2029 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 CONTACT US VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Advertising Director Bill Ford bford@metroland.com Sales Lead Michelle Stevens ext. 795062 Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow ext. 795066 Zach Peters ext. 795068 Jan Bodanka ext. 795072 Editor Bob Vrbanac Reporters Adam Jackson Bill Jackson Namish Modi WHO WE ARE The Waterloo Chronicle, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario. The Waterloo Chronicle is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca waterloochronicle @wlchronicle ABOUT US ® Chronicle.WATERLOO $1.00 CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA OPINION • EDITORIAL • The weather forecast for the day after the election was partly sunny, partly cloudy and warmer than some of our recent unseasonably cool temperatures. In other words, the sun will come up, regardless of what many feel is a troubling outcome in this election. It hasn't been pretty. Veteran observers are calling this the ugliest election they've seen - so far. Some of the nastiest moments were courtesy of the Doug Ford campaign. But while Ford set the tone, the other two main parties quickly followed suit, with the NDP calling the Liberals 'corrupt' and the Liberals returning fire. We had cries of "Lock her up", with Ford initially con- doning such behaviour and only repudiating it under pres- sure from his opponents and the media. We had NDP candi- dates hurting their party's cause through stupid past social media behaviour. There were repeated reports of member- ship corruption and fakery in the PC party. And then there was the lawsuit launched against Ford by the widow of his own brother. Thankfully, it's over. Ontarians clearly wanted change, and change is what they're getting. But will it be change for the better? Regardless, Ontarians voted, and the people are never wrong. Ford pledges to scrap Ontario's cap-and-trade system. He will run directly afoul of the federal government on that, which has said provinces that don't do the work themselves will have it imposed. Ford promises a court battle. Legal experts predict he'll lose. Ford promises to cut gas prices by 10 cents per litre. How soon? How will he replace the revenue loss of $1.19 billion annually? He promises to eliminate provincial income tax for people earning minimum wage, and lower provincial in- come tax by 20 per cent for people who earn between $42,960 and $85,923. That promise alone will cost the government nearly $2.3 billion per year in lost revenue. Ford says he'll lower hydro bills by 12 per cent. How will he lower rates when those rates are not under government control? Ford also pledges to expand GO Transit to Kitchener, complete the expansion of GO into Niagara and support regional transit in Ottawa, Hamilton, Guelph, Waterloo Region, London and Mississauga and Brampton. More lost revenue here. Ford pledges to lower business taxes from 11.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent. The move would cost the government $1.3 billion per year starting in the second year of his term. Ford says he would create 15,000 new long-term care beds over the next five years and 30,000 over 10 years. The Tories say this will cost the government $62,000 per bed, per year, once each bed is in use. That's another $1.7 billion annually. You can see the theme here. How will Ford finance all these promises, which add up to between $7 and $8 billion a year? And how will he spend all that when he is also prom- ising to cut $6 billion from overall spending? Doug Ford won the election with bumper-sticker promises and mini- mal substance. Now he's going to have to make those slogans into re- ality. Ontarians will be watching closely. This editorial appeared in the Hamilton Spectator Ford can expect the scrutiny he deserves The jokes have already started that Mike Harris Jr. will be a member of Doug Ford's cabinet as the minis- ter of nepotism. There is no doubt the man who calls Waterloo home but represents the Kitchener-Conestoga rid- ing had the advantage of be- ing the former premier's son, and although he didn't like it, the candidate was parachuted into a safe rid- ing by Doug Ford in a seat that is traditionally Tory blue and was held by a man named Michael Harris be- fore him. So he doubly checked off the usual boxes of name recognition, although a lot of people were sore in the local riding about how the incumbent Michael Harris got dumped by his party and his namesake sup- planted him. The whole sexual picadillo he got caught up in made it seem that the popular Michael Harris got railroaded and mostly because he backed the wrong candidate for leader - Christine Elliott. Mike Harris Sr. was in- terviewed by our reporters and said all the suggestions around the shenanigans around his son's election were "nonsense." He felt that the people were report- ing more rumour that fact. He also praised his son for keeping his cool about those accusations and ris- ing above the personal at- tacks, which is admirable for any political candidate. Politics is a blood sport and you don't get into it without a thick skin and healthy knowledge of how to let things slide of your back. But the younger Harris has some work to do to be his own man and escape his dad's big shadow and the perception that he was cho- sen because of the senior Harris' close relationship to the Ford family, with Doug Ford Sr. serving in his cabinet. People are waiting to see what kind of man Harris Jr. is after being painted with the"bro" brush and known for being more of a "dude" than a "dad with five kids." This area will be watching with interest if he can rise to the challenge and re- present and important eco- nomic engine of the prov- ince competently, instead of being just another candi- date with a famous name and backbencher pulling a paycheque. It's only then that we'll do him the favour of drop- ping the Jr. from his name and just call him Mike Har- ris, MPP, Kitchener-Cones- toga. But he's got to earn it. - Managing editor Bob Vrbanac is an award- winning columnist. Mike Harris Jr. has to prove that he's more than a name One of the newest local MPPs has a lot to prove in parliament, says Bob Vrbanac BOB VRBANAC Column