Here’s the thing about democracy. The principle that power resides in the people, must be respected at all times — not only when one side wins. While many had broken political hearts Thursday night as election results were revealed, it was apparent the people were speaking. And they spoke quite clearly.Winning a majority of 76 seats and receiving approximately 40 per cent of the popular vote is definitive for Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives, despite 60 per cent of the electorate not supporting the party.That’s the way our system works. Progressives, too, have reaped the benefits of the same process.The NDP received close to 34 per cent of the popular vote, becoming the official opposition with 40 seats, while the once mighty Liberals trailed at 19 per cent and lost party status. The Green Party, with nearly 5 per cent of the vote, won its first seat in the legislature — a truly historic moment. The voting turnout was higher than it has been in several years, which supports the proposition that voters were not apathetic. Instead, they were angry. Motivated by that anger, which is a powerful and often reckless force in a democracy, nothing was going to dissuade people that it was again time for the traditional Ontario rotation of the two old line parties. Voters didn’t care that there was a change in the Conservative leader just weeks before the campaign kickoff. They didn’t care about personal Ford family matters. They didn’t care about the lack of a fully costed policy platform. They didn’t care about the inexperience of the leader.Read more:Doug Ford is Ontario’s next premierEasy win for Horwath at home in Hamilton CentreVoters bring a door-slamming end to Liberal ruleNor did they care that the Liberal premier took herself out of the equation in the waning days of the election. “Sorry, not sorry” was a desperate pseudo apology. It was a risk too late.The energetic option of the NDP wa ...
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