Ford's 'No 2.0' is a Power Grab That Leaves Toronto Hanging

OPINION: Let's call this what it is. Premier Doug Ford is playing a dangerous game of chicken with Toronto's solvency. By flatly rejecting the city's bid for a sustainable funding partnership, Ford isn't just managing a provincial deficit; he is executing a blatant power grab, forcing Mayor Olivia Chow to beg for scraps while the city's financial foundations crumble.

As CBC Toronto first reported, Premier Doug Ford told reporters Wednesday morning that "there's no [New Deal] 2.0." Despite Toronto facing a $1-billion shortfall as it heads toward its winter budget, Ford insists the city must be "responsible for their own budget." This is a stunning reversal from the 2023 agreement that provided billions in relief in exchange for the province taking control of the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway. With those funds set to expire at the end of the year, the province is effectively pulling the rug out from under the city.

City Hall's response has been embarrassingly timid. While budget chief Shelley Carroll has argued that the 2023 deal was merely a "stop-gap approach" and that Toronto requires a "long-term solution" rather than a "blank cheque," the city has yet to mount a serious fight against this austerity. Even in the face of Ford's dismissal, a statement from Mayor Chow's office merely noted that the Mayor "looks forward to meeting with the Premier to discuss working together on shared priorities."

The provincial side is equally cold. CBC Toronto reports that Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy stated a new deal was "not our plan," and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack claimed he was "not aware of any specific negotiations" with Chow.

Ford's strategy is clear: he will not provide systemic stability, but he will fund his own pet projects. CBC Toronto reports that Ford signaled he is "all in" on funding public safety, specifically if it means increasing police presence in the subway system to reduce crime. It is a classic Ford move—denying the city the tools it needs for overall solvency while inserting himself into the operational details of transit policing.

With the province projecting a deficit of nearly $17 billion, Ford is using "tough times" as a shield to abandon Toronto. But by rejecting the city's previous requests for new revenue tools, such as a municipal sales tax, Queen's Park has left the city with no one to turn to but itself—a city currently staring down a billion-dollar hole. If City Hall doesn't stop playing nice, they are simply consenting to their own financial strangulation.