Against the People

“Ontario’s is the most under-resourced healthcare system in Canada: Understaffing. Fewer hospital beds per capita than any other province. Repeated and escalating crises in long term care. Unprecedented numbers of emergency room closures. Ongoing exploitation of the health care workforce. Unsustainable workloads. Harassment or firing of those who speak out. This book allows a full appreciation of exactly how, despite its duty to all Ontario citizens, the Ford government is Getting it Done for only a select few. It is required reading both to remind Ontarians of the greed, incompetence and undeserved privilege of our government, and to outline how we might work together to build back a better Ontario, for All the People.”

-- Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Senior Scientist at Toronto General Hospital, and Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto

“Is Doug Ford’s bumbling political incoherence his secret weapon? This angry, persuasive book highlights how he’s built a uniquely effective—and Canadian—version of rightwing populism.”

-- Rick Salutin, author and journalist

“This powerful volume sets out how Doug Ford is dismantling Ontario even more zealously and recklessly than Mike Harris did. Against the People tells an infuriating tale of foolish privatizations and chronic underfunding of health care, education, and so many other things that made Ontario a good place to live—all for the benefit of a wealthy elite.”

-- Linda McQuaig, journalist and the author of The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada’s Public Wealth

“Doug Ford is one of the most effective right-wing populist leaders in the country, blurring the nature of his political agenda with a folksy style and unexpected flexibility. This book shines crucial light on the impact of the Ford rule in every aspect of society. Vital reading for anyone involved in the struggle for social justice in Ontario.”

-- John Cartwright, Past President, Toronto and York Region Labour Council

“A powerful and insightful polemic on Doug Ford’s six years in government. It is a must-read road map for the left in Canada in understanding working class conservatism and its appeal in the blue-collar communities of Oshawa, Hamilton, Timmins, and Sudbury.”

-- Sid Ryan, former president, CUPE Ontario

“This timely book goes well beyond a progressive issue by issue critique of the Ford government. The authors analyze the distinctive nature of the populist right in Ontario, and the fundamental threat it poses to working class politics.”

-- Andrew Jackson, former director of Social and Economic Policy, Canadian Labour Congress

“Against the People is a sharply-written must-read for anyone seeking to understand what is really happening in Ontario beneath the endless spin cycle of distraction and exaggeration that characterizes policy debates in the province. Put it on your shelf and refer to it frequently.”

-- Randy Robinson, Ontario Director, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

“As business power expands, ordinary citizens’ experience of democracy is reduced, while those who remain engaged seek to advance their specific interests. This book challenges us to reflect on our organizing process, where internal organizing can be a transformative site and process. It also reminds us of the urgent task to rethink and reframe workers’ justice and what constitutes workers’ power.”

-- Christopher C. Sorio, Secretary-General of Migrante Ca