By Pepper Parr
January 14th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Is this the beginning of the downfall of a provincial government?
In a major pre-election setback for Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives, Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips is retiring from politics.
Phillips, a key cabinet minister who has represented Ajax since 2018, announced Friday he would not be running in the June 2 election.
“I have spoken with Premier Ford and with Brian Patterson, president of the Ontario PC Party, to inform them of my decision not to seek re-election and to step down next month as the MPP for Ajax,” Phillips, 56, said in a written statement.
Phillips was a big hitter who many thought would return to a more senior Ministry after his trip to the wood shed after returning from that trip to the sunny south.
Some will conclude that Phillips became fed up with a Premier that doesn’t appear to be able to lead.
Are there others?
Something feels off here. Why resign now?
Has Minister Rod Phillips become the scapegoat for the problems that are yet again plaguing Long Term Care? Long Term care has been an issue for many many years .This pandemic simply brought the shortcomings to light.
Once again promises made by the Premier of Ontario during the first wave of this pandemic have failed to materialize.
It’s one thing to jump ship, but to leave this sector of the health care system at this point in time is not something I would have expected from this minister.
Perhaps Minister Phillips was not getting the support he needed from the Premier to make necessary changes.
Unfortunately we will never know.
This Pandemic has been a wake up for all Ontario taxpayers for the errors of the ’90″s.Remember the Harris -Years.. LTC privatization & cuts to regulations, Health Care budget cuts & staff layoffs, Education cuts and fights.( Interesting that all 3 Top Ministers are from the GTA- the hardest hit on all levels of need) .
These are Provincial responsibilities of ‘Cradle to Grave’ expectations of our Taxes paid. So no Federal Blame game will work.
Fed help and resources have come. How they have been managed, deployed rests with Ford and his Cabinet. Some Provincial Premiers have done well—Focus on People, Safety& Tough Love- Some not- Ontario Focus ‘Back to work’ !.But at what ost?
We, the Undecided Voters will Remember come election time.
Is he stepping down early so that he can go to St. Bart’s in March?
It would also being an interesting experiment to appoint a member of the Opposition to take on this cabinet role. They might actually have some good ideas to correct the mess and would be a test of the government’s commitment to fixing the problems rather than talking about it.
Another major player in the incompetent Ontario cabinet takes early retirement before too many chickens come home to roost.