Doug Ford, a divisive player on the regional stage long before becoming an equally polarizing national figure, has been turning heads since it became clear that Canada would not be spared the spread of the novel coronavirus. But many of those heads, once likely to be thrown back in dismay, are now bestowing nods of approval.
Gone is the pugnacious partisanship and populist rhetoric that opponents once used to compare Ford to U.S. President Donald Trump. The premier’s regular briefings have instead drawn widespread plaudits for their calm, collegial tone as well as their comparatively progressive content.
Such an approach, political observers say, differs not only from that demonstrated by like-minded politicians south of the border but from his own past conduct.
“I’m a Liberal, but I’ll give Doug Ford a lot of credit — he’s handling this really well,” said Dan Moulton, vice-president at Crestview Strategy and former senior staff member in the previous Liberal government. “He’s being transparent, responsive, engaging. Ontarians are really seeing him in action.”
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See Also:
(1) Canadian hospitals see surge in coronavirus patients, with Ontario, Quebec and Alberta of greatest concern
(2) Ontario to unveil added home learning for students as schools remain closed
