Today, readers are talking about Ontario’s credit rating being downgraded by Moody’s. The agency cites revenue cuts under Doug Ford as the reason for the cuts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives to speak in Toronto on Wednesday December 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank GunnFrank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Wow. Only four-five months in office and already being downgraded. What will the province look like in four years? - mhorne3
Fact: The Liberals took the debt from $139 to $325 billion, sending the debt to GDP from 27.5 per cent to 40 per cent. The straw that broke the camel’s back may belong to Ford, but the umpteen bushels of straw that are the real problem came from the Liberals. - Booflette
It is easy to blame the past. But Doug Ford so far has not provided a clear path to fixing the problem. The cuts are gonna hurt. Just hope they don’t hit you and yours. - Mr Yellin
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter.
Sure, to a large extent the Liberals got Ontario in this mess, but Mr. "for the people" Ford has been so busy playing whack-a-mole with various political adversaries and propping up friends to important provincial jobs, that he hasn't given any thought it seems, to how he's going to come up with all those spending cuts to reduce the deficit. He knows how to impulsively and unnecessarily cut tax revenue when it suits his narrative, but I guess hasn't figured out that the math isn't working in his favour. Moody's didn't waste any time figuring it out though. - Robert Drouin
Cutting revenue contradicts the stated goal of reducing debt. That's clearly the reason for the downgrade. Blaming the Liberals is mere petulance and solves nothing. Ford is giving us ideology, not good management. The province's rating will improve when the electorate makes a more responsible choice. - independentlypoor
Ontario needs revenue - no getting around it. Impulsive revenue reductions was the trigger for this downgrade. That possibly could have been done within a comprehensive multi year budget rollout. All of Doug Ford’s threats about charging Liberals for corruption certainly doesn’t engender the type of political and economic stability that international ratings agencies look for in responsible governments. In fact, very little of what Ford has thus far offered could be construed as thoughtful, careful, and meaningful. Lots of cheap, empty slogans. Moody’s wasn’t fooled. Senior Tories better wake this guy up. He acts like he’s still campaigning. - rd1953
From the Comments is designed to highlight interesting and thoughtful contributions from our readers. Some comments have been edited for clarity. Everyone can read the comments but only subscribers will be able to contribute. Thank you to everyone furthering debate across our site.