Political Pandering Of The Worst Kind

In the ongoing debasement of democracy, Ontario's Doug Ford is certainly playing his part. With his populist deck fully stacked, his latest effort to pander to the lowest common denominator has been dealt: no more driver's licence plate renewals! 

This is wrong on a number of levels, but worst of all in the way that it plays to the notion that government exists only to make life easier for the individual, not society as a whole. And the problem this measure seeks to address? The fact of over one million lapsed plates; since Ford scrapped licence renewal fees, many have forgotten that they still have to renew them online.

“I’m here to announce today, actually, that we’re getting rid of that totally — registering your vehicle,” Ford said.

“We did the first step: getting rid of the sticker. Now, we’re getting rid of the re-registration. They’ll be automatically re-registered. So people won’t have to worry about that at all.”

Now, if one has a Machiavellian cast of mind, one will see the political advantages for Ford. Not only does it enhance his "street cred" with Joe average, it also puts the opposition parties on notice - oppose this measure and you will be seen as elitist and out of touch. My guess is that both Marit Stiles and Bonnie Crombie will have little to say about it for that reason. However, if they are smart they can object to it with conviction and practicality.

Putting aside the ongoing infantilization of the electorate, all they have to do is talk about the danger of increasing the numbers of drivers with no insurance, Up to this point, to renew one's plate, one had to provide proof of insurance coverage. That requirement is now gone, and hence, the roads will pose even more danger than they already do.

But this government is all about short-term advantages, not long-term consequences. Sadly, I expect it will boost the Ford government's popularity considerably.