TORONTO—Mere days after “No Kings” protesters flooded the streets of US cities and towns to preserve democracy, Doug Ford and his government started the process of anointing their own “kings,” in a bill that gives Conservatives’ own appointees absolute power to rule over regional fiefdoms in Ontario.
The verdict from CUPE Ontario followed Conservatives’ introduction of the ironically named Bill 100, Better Regional Governance Act, 2026. It creates “strong” regional chairs, appointed by the province and with sweeping powers to rule – and overrule – democratically elected regional councils in Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Waterloo, Simcoe, York, Peel and Niagara. At the same time, the size of regional councils will shrink dramatically.
“There was some mind-blowing doublespeak from the Minster of Municipal Affairs and Housing when he introduced this bill,” said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. “He stood beside fellow Conservatives to roll out autocratic changes that will stifle local democracy and accountability in eight Ontario regions. Yet he was still was brazen enough to claim ‘democracy is alive and well.’
“No words can mask the fact that they’re remaking Ontario in their own anti-democratic image. Ford’s Conservatives have given themselves the power to handpick regional chairs from among their cronies, all so they can override the will of elected regional councillors. As Minister Flack himself admitted, strong chairs will only be required to ‘work with’ elected councillors, not be bound by their decisions.”
Although Ford was elected on the promise to protect Ontario from Trump’s tariffs, he has resorted to Trump-like manoeuvres as premier. Hahn observed that “Ford has centralized power in in the executive branch of the provincial government, taken over school boards, changed freedom of information laws, grabbed power from cities, and given government power of a public-sector pension plan.”
Hahn went on to debunk the Minister’s claim that regional councils will remain responsible for local water and wastewater. “In Bill 98, introduced in March, the government signalled its plan to financialize the ownership of water and wastewater and remove that specific power from local government oversight. Our fight to stop that from happening will include the fight against Bill 100.”
-30-
For more information: Mary Unan, CUPE Communications | [email protected] 647-390-9893
