Rod Phillips, former Ontario Finance Minister may have thought that he could have dodged a bullet, but he had to have known “he was toast” the moment the Premier started to grope for plausible deniability to explain RP’s extravagant, nonsensical flight South.
It was clear from the moment the public discovered that RP was in the sunny South that his plans had the blessing of the Premier or his office – same thing. No amount of feigned contrition by either gentleman would hide the obvious disregard/contempt for the public’s interest, real or perceived. It did not help that a “plan” to deceive the public had been hatched prior to his departure.
Welcome back to private life Mr. Phillips.
There are at least three other “colleagues” – not including the Premier – who are applauding your decision to be pushed onto your sword. Maybe the system’s bloodlust will be sated, if ever so briefly. Those colleagues must sense that it is just a question of time before their number is called.
For example, does anyone think that, even in their wildest dream, Merrilee Fullerton has a grip on her Long Term Care Ministry? 62% of all Covid-19 related deaths have occurred in residences licensed by her officials. The criticism is unrelenting from all quarters: insufficient supervision of operational issues, staffing, poor physical conditions and ineffective patient care …coupled with legislation to protect operators from legal liability.
What about Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education? In-class? Virtual learning? No school; some school; school for some and not for others; performance testing…but not for everyone and not now; safe classrooms but not safe schools; disinfectants and PPE for some but not for all; social distancing but with exceptions. Rules made by authority vested in “by the seat of your pants”. The last school year was a total bust. Now, as to this one … is your head spinning yet.
Even in Hope, Ford’s trusted lieutenants disseminate Despair. Canada’s “Hero in Afghanistan” – remember him? – Generalissimo Hillier, hired for his logistical expertise to get the vaccines administered promptly and efficiently, decided to take a break over the Christmas holiday weekend (apparently after consultation and negotiation with Colonel Virus on the enemy side), and NOT conduct vaccinations.
Not to worry, he devised a brilliant plan: why not apply only one dose instead of the two required by the companies which manufacture the vaccines. That way we can inoculate twice as many people with whatever we have.
Take heart in the comparatives. The USA had scheduled 20 million vaccinations per month, starting December 1, 2020. To achieve the goal of 80% inoculation to kill the virus, in a population of about 340 million, America would need one full year. At the end of December, barely two million had been vaccinated. They will need ten years to achieve their goal at that pace.
In Canada – it includes Ontario – we apparently are vaccinating at one quarter (1/4) the rate, so it should take four times as long. Did we win the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan?
