An insider unpacks Ford's East Coast tour
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ABOVE THE FOLD
— EAST COAST CRUSADE: Premier DOUG FORD is taking his anti-status-quo-health-care approach to his fellow first ministers in the Maritimes.
Just a couple of days after revealing the plan to cope with a strained hospital system on his home turf in Ontario, Ford headed to New Brunswick Monday to meet with Premier BLAINE HIGGS, along with the Premiers of Nova Scotia, TIM HOUSTON, and PEI, DENNIS KING. Ditto federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister DOMINIC LEBLANC.
They talked about health care staffing shortages and boosting immigration to deal with labour shortages plaguing pretty much the entire country.
To help unpack the summit, I spoke with DAVID TARRANT — a longtime PC operative who’s worked on both Ford and Houston’s campaigns, and now heads up Enterprise Canada’s Atlantic office. Here are Tarrant’s hot takes:
— On lessons Ontario can glean from the experience out East: It’s like a sneak preview of what’s coming to Ontario because of the demographi…