By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.” – Sir Winston Churchill
In today’s political climate, this quote is a powerful reminder of what happens when elected officials prioritize unwavering loyalty to a leader or a party over the duty they owe to the people they serve. When politicians silence their own judgement, uphold poor decisions, or defend the indefensible simply to stay in good standing, they are, in effect, feeding the crocodile – hoping compliance will spare them.
True leadership requires the courage to speak up, to challenge what is wrong, and to remember public service is not about self-preservation but about safeguarding the integrity of our institutions and the citizens who rely upon them.
I tell you this because during debate on Bill 68, Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2025, I was accused by a government member of talking too much about my riding of Haldimand-Norfolk. Proudly, guilty as charged! The member said: “This is the fall economic statement and we’re talking about the entire province of Ontario. All I have sat here and heard is about her own riding and what she can do.”
I reminded this member of something very important: “Well, if the member in front of me here doesn’t understand that our work here actually has to do with our communities, good luck being re-elected next time is all I say. I stand here in this House, and I fight for the people of Haldimand–Norfolk because they’re the ones who sent me here. But I also know that the issues in Haldimand–Norfolk are not unique to Haldimand–Norfolk.”
So, being my duty, I raised the issues of importance to Haldimand-Norfolk in relation to Bill 68. There were plenty.
I started by flagging a couple of positives for business, particularly the $30 billion tariff relief package and the return of the WSIB surplus funds to eligible employers. On the flipside, the government could have lowered the business tax rate from 3.2 per cent to 2 per cent and raised the threshold to access this rate from $500,000 to at least $700,000 and indexing it to inflation, missed opportunity.
I pointed out to the government $400 million was made available to rural/small communities through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund to help build vital infrastructure including roads and bridges. You know where I’m going with this…The Argyle Street Bridge sits waiting for a re-build while the Minister of Transportation and the Finance Minister boast they are getting shovels in the ground building roads and bridges. We need action right here, right now.
Same deal with long-term care. On one hand, government says they are working to keep people in their own homes longer. It’s a nice thought and if the supports actually existed to do this, it would be fantastic. $2.1 billion is slotted to long-term care new builds – great optics but the truth is long-term care is not being built. I reminded my chamber mates the planned 64-bed expansion at Edgewater Gardens in Dunnville has been paused indefinitely due to a funding shortfall.
I only have a limited number of words in this column, so I haven’t got the room to mention every issue I raised at Queen’s Park, so perhaps “Part II” will be next week’s theme. I’ll close by telling you I gave the government a piece of my mind about nurse practitioners. It baffles me why the government isn’t using them to their fullest scope. Nurse practitioners can easily provide relief to a strained healthcare system by expanding primary care access, managing a wider range of patient needs and helping to address doctor shortages. Everyone knows this needs to be done yet the government sits on its hands.
As I spoke in the Legislature, I could see I was getting the attention of colleagues. In response I offer no appeasement, no backing down. If anything, I’ll only be turning up the volume representing you, the people of Haldimand-Norfolk.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk