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© Bruce Reeve
A Candid Interview with Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford
By: Peter Szecsodi, Publisher, Canadian Building Trades Magazine
Interview Organized By: James St. John, Business Manager, Central Ontario Building Trades
Peter: have a sheet, eight and a half by eleven, split right down the middle
What can you say are the greatest qualities that your parents and had just phone numbers, no names, just numbers, nonstop.
possessed and how their influence helps shape who you are today? Because they'd be calling into his house line. And he just, he was
like a machine. And so I think that's really our focus is to support
Premier Ford:
people. It's interesting. I've always wanted to study Ford Nation. I
Hard work. Hard work and making sure you give back to people that
can't figure it out. Because we have every demographic. We have
may not be as fortunate as you are. And that falls under such a
traditionally NDP voters, traditional Liberal voters. Matter of fact,
large category. No matter if it's physically not able to get out there
we have more traditional NDP and Liberal voters than we do
and support people. Those people have to be taken care of. People
Conservative voters. And I've said publicly numerous times, "The
with disabilities, mental illness. So those people have to be taken
establishment doesn't like us. The elites don't like us." But when
care of, but you also have to have a strong work ethic and make
we pull up and we're door knocking and they have a pickup truck in
sure you take care of, again, people in low income communities.
their driveway, 85% chance they're voting for us.
That's our forte. That's what we focus on. When I started with my
brother Rob, going into all the Toronto Community Housing projects Peter:
and supporting the people. And when they call, you return their call A question that's near and dear to me and many of your supporters,
and we show up to their door. Most politicians, they want to hang mental health is out of the closet and finally being talked about.
out with all the, as I say, the fancy-pancy elites and everything else. What is your government's future plans with regard to helping
That's not our style. We're there for the working people, and that's people with mental health issues? And what are your plans,
our base and we'll always support them. particularly where our youth are concerned, in combating this
epidemic?
Peter:
What is it about you, and your late-brother Rob, individually and Premier Ford:
when you were a team, that draws such a huge audience of So, I'm passionate about this. I always add mental health and
supporters to Ford Nation? addiction because sometimes it goes hand in hand. Every person
in this province knows a family member, a relative, a friend that has
Premier Ford:
an addiction or mental health issue. And these people need help.
I think it goes back right down to our roots. Again, going back to
You know, once they have help and they get support and they may
returning phone calls and helping people out, but you know,
go for mental health, get treatment there or go to rehab for an
everyone has experienced calling the government. You just get the
addiction, deep down they're good people. But finally, our society
run around constantly and no matter what level of government it is.
is accepting that everyone has a few bumps in the road in life, but
And when they can either call the Mayor of the day or their Councillor
they need the support. And we're putting an historic $3.8 billion
or their Premier and get a return call, and Rob was famous for
into mental health and addiction.
showing up to people's houses. And I was, I'm a little busy right
now but I give Rob all the credit in the world. And I always compliment areas that need to be complimented. And
I give credit to the federal Liberals that they supported us. When
If it wasn't for Rob, I wouldn't be Premier. That's the bottom line.
we went to them and said, "We're putting 1.9 billion in, can you
Really. That's what it comes down to. He worked those constituents
match it?"
for 15 years. He'd return, crazy, he'd return 80 calls a day. He'd
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