When Matt Spoke started Project Ontario, he thought Premier Doug Ford and his team would be open to hearing new ideas and maybe even use some of them to shape policy.
But instead, Ford called the group of unhappy conservative voters “yahoos” and said they “sound like a bunch of radical rights.”
Spoke said the response from people close to the premier has been even harsher as his group has become more outspoken in criticizing the Ford government’s record after seven years in power.
“We’ve received very negative feedback from people inside the government and the party,” Spoke said in an interview on Focus Ontario. “The original goal was just to share ideas for what the government could be doing better — things like housing, health care, education, and the economy.”
Project Ontario believes the Progressive Conservative government has moved away from its conservative values. Spoke says Ford is spending too much money and focusing on “retail gimmicks” instead of serious long-term reforms.
“By almost any measure, this government is spending more per person and more of the province’s GDP than the last two governments — even though Ford criticized them for overspending,” Spoke said. “It feels disingenuous.”
He added that the Ford government is more interested in appearances than policy. “They like photo ops, press conferences, and big cheques. Instead of real reforms like tax cuts or reducing red tape, they’d rather stand outside an ice cream shop and hand out money because it looks good on camera.”
Ford has drawn attention for several public stunts — like pouring out a bottle of Crown Royal whisky to protest a distillery closure, and eating an ice cream bar while taking questions about homelessness and other issues.
Even with critics like Project Ontario speaking out, Ford’s Progressive Conservatives still hold a strong lead in the polls — around 50 per cent support, even higher than the 43 per cent that won them another majority earlier this year.
Spoke said Project Ontario began by publishing opinion pieces and quickly found many like-minded PC supporters. The group now holds events to discuss how to steer the party back to its roots.
He said they’re not trying to push Ford out, but they believe real change might only happen under new leadership someday.
“We’re not here to topple the premier,” Spoke said. “We just want better outcomes for the province. If the premier’s office starts paying serious attention to our ideas, that’s a win. But after eight years, you can only expect so much.”
