Ms. Scott:

In 1969 the late Jimmy Breslin a Pulitzer Prize-winning American columnist and author wrote a great little book called The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. It was a bestseller and it was about ineptitude in leadership and those who blindly follow. A very funny touching read.

Your Queen’s Park “Gang….” are neither touching nor funny. Last week’s reversal on the plan to retroactively reduce municipal funding by some $177 million is just the latest in a litany of poorly thought out but impactful strategies the Ontario PCs have had to “walk back” since they were given the keys to Queen’s Park. The list is too long to recite here but speaks volumes.

Doug Ford says “this government listens” but in reality it plans very poorly and then reacts almost exclusively to outraged affected citizens. Reasoned mature organizations on the other hand make decisions by consulting debating weighing consequences and then implementing new initiatives in the most prudent sensitive manner possible. The Ford Government is leading with a wrecking ball and in so doing is alienating and hurting so many.

We know there is a deficit that needs to be addressed. We know the Liberals (and the PCs before them and the NDP before them) made some poor economic decisions. We get it! What we don’t get and won’t stand for is this slavish “bull in a china shop” ill-informed and single-minded attempt to change the bottom line overnight at the expense of some very vulnerable people and some incredibly important programs.

The members of the PC caucus should go away together for a weekend and have someone who understands leadership principles and governance to explain what the government should really be doing and how to go about doing it effectively. You’ve all wasted too much of our time … and yours.

Sean Pennylegion

Haliburton