ON PCP TALL GRASS WARRIORS EXTEND EMERGENCY ORDERS

 Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party voted to extend Emergency Orders until December, which were first passed last year through Bill 195. This allows Ford’s government to extend lockdowns and put in place public health orders without the approval of the Ontario Provincial Parliament. 

It should be noted that not only did former PC MPPs like Romand Baber, Belinda Karahalios, and Randy Hillier vote against the extension to Ford’s power grab, but even former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne voted against the draconian powers. 

What should also be noted is that the majority of Ontario MPPs were not willing to vote on the extension, and that would be thanks to MPPs Karahalios and the NDP, who forced an official vote, meaning that not only did Ford and the PCs have to have their votes on the record, but that they couldn’t avoid criticisms during a break of the provincial parliament.

So despite it being rather strange for a normal vote, it is no shock that despite actively wanting an extension to his emergency powers, Premier Ford did not have the courage to vote in favour of doing so. Clearly, based on how close a margin the yes vote passed by, the Progressive Conservatives had calculated how many ‘yes’ votes they would need and only had MPPs in safe PC ridings vote for the extension.