PCs expel Ontario MPP for criticizing lockdowns

Ontario MPP kicked out of Ford’s caucus after letter claims ‘lockdowns are deadlier than COVID’ | Global News - Gabby Rodriguez:

January 15, 2021 - "The Ontario government has kicked out one of its own members after an MPP wrote a letter to Doug Ford calling for the end to the lockdown measures implemented due to a surge in coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations. 'The lockdowns are deadlier than COVID,' wrote Roman Baber, MPP for Toronto’s York-Centre riding, as the title of his letter to the premier posted on social media Friday morning. Baber had been elected as a Progressive Conservative MPP in the 2018 provincial election.

"'I wrote a respectful letter to Premier Ford, asking to end the Lockdown. Look at the data — the virus is real but the crisis is mostly in LTC (long-term care),' Baber said in his tweet. 'Let’s focus on LTC & hospital capacity, but ending the Lockdown is best for our health.' Baber attached a copy of the letter to his tweet and to his Facebook page. In the letter, he writes that 'the medicine is killing the patient' and 'Ontario’s hospital and ICU capacity are better than in the last three years.'

"'Effective immediately, Mr. Baber will no longer be sitting as a member of the PC Caucus and will not be permitted to seek re-election as a PC member,' said Ford in a statement, in response to Baber’s letter.... Ford said Baber’s comments are 'irresponsible' and by 'spreading misinformation he is undermining the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers at this critical time, and he is putting people at risk. I will not jeopardize a single Ontarian’s life by ignoring public health advice.'

"In the letter, Baber said, 'the lockdown isn’t working,'  and says “it’s causing an avalanche of suicides, overdoses, bankruptcies, divorces and takes an immense toll on our children.' The letter goes against all of Ford’s policies on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and lists figures from a list of other diseases and illnesses such as cancer, overdose rates and mental health.

"'Covid is real, but the fear of Covid is exaggerated. While every death is tragic, after 10 months we learned that Covid is not nearly as deadly as first thought – it has a 99.98% infection survival rate,' said Baber in the letter....

"Baber responded shortly after Ford’s statement to being removed from the PC Party caucus and said: 'It’s a regretful decision since many colleagues agree with me … I don’t regret speaking out for millions of lives and livelihoods decimated by Public Health.'

"The Ontario government implemented a second state of emergency on Tuesday and a stay-at-home order came into effect on Thursday, previously the entire province had been put under lockdown on Boxing Day with some hotspot regions in lockdown since the end of November.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/7578229/roman-baber-ontario-mpp-lockdown-coronavirus-letter-doug-ford/

Randy Hillier expelled from Ontario PC caucus

Ousted MPP accuses PC party operatives of 'egregious acts' | CBC News:

March 18, 2019 - "Ousted MPP Randy Hillier has again taken aim at the Ontario premier's office, this time from outside the Progressive Conservative caucus. Hillier, who has represented the eastern Ontario riding of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston since 2007, was expelled from the PC caucus on Friday.

"He was initially suspended over comments he allegedly made to parents of children with autism during question period at Queen's Park last month, but Hillier told constituents in a letter last Thursday that the real reason for the rift was his refusal to stand and clap in the legislature....

"In another letter to constituents on Monday, Hillier claims two of the premier's key advisers have been engaged in an 'underhanded and relentless campaign' to boot him from caucus since last August..... Hillier now claims he was expelled [for] his 'refusal to breach oath of office,' his 'refusal to accept the obstruction and prevention of caucus criticism or input on public policy,' and 'for raising concerns of possible illegal and unregistered lobbying by close friends and advisors employed by Premier Ford'....

"He also claims he was expelled because he refused to seek party permission before speaking with the media, and complained he was 'condemned' for attending his brother's funeral without seeking permission.

"'Like many people, I had high hopes and expectations with the election of a PC government after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, scandals, and harmful policies,' he wrote. 'I could not stand by and tolerate operatives engaging in similar and more egregious acts'....

"The premier's director of media operations said in a statement Monday that the allegations in Hillier's latest letter are 'absurd and categorically false.' Simon Jefferies ... said Hillier rarely showed up for caucus meetings, where members were asked for their input on party policy.... Jefferies said PC MPPs are encouraged to talk to the media, and have the right to 'proper bereavement'."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/randy-hillier-mpp-letter-expelled-1.5060865
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Ontario vote result may be a win for libertarians

Marni Soupcoff: The real winners of Ontario’s election? Libertarians! (Wait, what…?) | National Post:

June 8, 2018 - "Thursday’s election may prove to be a hidden victory for libertarians. I’m not saying that because ... the Ontario Libertarian Party won any seats (I’m sober, and it hasn’t). And I’m not saying that because ... Doug Ford ... is a principled champion of freedom.

"To me, the hope comes from the recoiling I’ve been watching, especially on social media.... Ford has won the hearts of about 10 per cent of the people I follow on Twitter and perhaps even fewer media commentators and columnists. The rest of them are horrified, repelled or at the very least disheartened by the notion of Doug Ford as premier of Ontario, and not without good reason. But having people with influence and prominence horrified, repelled or disheartened by a political leader can be a very healthy thing....

"For every bill that gets tabled that gives government room to overreach, there’s a warning from a cranky libertarian about all the terrible things that could result. Then there’s always a patronizing rejoinder from the bill’s supporters about how no leader or government would ever do those terrible things. It would be unthinkable. They just wouldn’t.

"While Doug Ford is an entirely different man and phenomenon from Donald Trump (operating in an entirely different political system), one virtue Ford shares with the U.S. president is that he evokes such visceral negative reactions in establishment types that they’re forced to rethink their hypotheticals. Suddenly the terrible things no leader would ever do ... have to be revisited with the reviled actual leader in mind. And so, the instinct to limit and balance government power — which so often lies sadly dormant in academics and mainstream policymakers and Toronto Star columnists — is suddenly awakened."

Read more: http://nationalpost.com/opinion/marni-soupcoff-the-real-winners-of-ontarios-election-libertarians-wait-what
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