MIKE HARRIS: HIS POLITICAL LEGACY Introduction In October 2001, to the surprise of many possible federal leader to replace Joe Clark or both inside and outside his Progressive Stockwell Day. At times, he was touted as Conservative Party, Ontario Premier Mike the politician who could galvanize the Harris announced his intention to retire from country’s fractured political right into a force politics. Citing mainly personal reasons for that might one day be capable of presenting a his decision to quit public life, Harris left serious challenge to the governing federal office after having governed Canada’s largest Liberals. In the end, however, after over 22 province for over six years, in a way that years in provincial politics, six of them as never failed to arouse strong controversy. His Premier, Harris decided that he wanted to supporters hailed Harris as a leader who leave politics. possessed the courage and determination to Harris’s sudden departure initially left his reduce the role of government in society, party scrambling for a replacement who curb the power of public sector unions, cut would be able to lead it into a third term in taxes, foster individual initiative, and pro- office by the time the next provincial election mote investment and economic growth. But is called in 2003. The Conservatives quickly to his detractors, Harris’s legacy included an encountered a dilemma in the face of their autocratic approach to governing the prov- government’s sharp decline in popularity ince, crumbling health-care and public- against the surging opposition Liberals, led education systems, rising poverty and despair by Dalton McGuinty. In order to win another among marginalized Ontarians, questions campaign, should they adhere rigidly to over the police shooting of a Native pro- Harris’s hard-right approach to governing, or tester, and a lack of concern over environ- should they instead take the opportunity mental regulations that had allegedly and in afforded by choosing a new leader to soften part triggered the tragedy of Walkerton’s the edges of their neo-conservative ideology tainted-water scandal of 2000, which resulted as well? The two leading candidates to in seven deaths. succeed Harris epitomized this dichotomy Harris first became premier in 1995, perfectly. Former finance minister Ernie ousting Bob Rae’s hapless and recession- Eves, who had left politics for private busi- plagued NDP administration, and led his ness and then made a sudden return to run for party to a triumphant re-election in 1999 Harris’s job, represented the pragmatic, despite massive opposition from labour, moderate position, and called on the party to environmental, and social-action groups reach out to groups who had become alien- across the province. His “Common Sense ated from it, in particular the province’s Revolution,” with its calls for lower taxes, teachers and health-care workers. On the less government, reduced social services, and other hand, Jim Flaherty, who had assumed the vigorous encouragement of the private Eves’s old finance portfolio, called for a sector as the engine of prosperity became the continuation of the Common Sense Revolu- rallying-cry for neo-conservative forces tion at all costs. On some issues, like law and across Canada. Along with Alberta’s Ralph order and homelessness, Flaherty appeared to Klein, Harris symbolized the reinvigorated be staking out positions that were, if any- right-wing approach to politics that had given thing, even more right-wing than Harris’s. rise to the Reform Party (later the Canadian In the leadership vote of March 2002, Eves Alliance). Some even looked to Harris as a won a comfortable victory, but Flaherty’s News in Review — 31 — May 2002 strong showing indicated that for many in the Recommended Web Sites party, the Harris legacy was not something To add further perspective to this story, the they were readily willing to abandon, or even use of the following Web sites is recom- tone down. Whether Ontario’s Conservatives mended. would succeed, in time for the next provin- • www.ontariopc.on.ca (The Web site cial election, in healing the deep ideological of the Progressive Conservative divisions the leadership campaign opened up Party of Ontario) remains to be seen. But what was beyond dispute was the fact that during his six • www.gov.on.ca (The Web site of tumultuous years as premier, Mike Harris the Ontario provincial government) changed the face of government and its role • www.ontarioliberal.on.ca (The Web in Ontario society. Moreover, he left behind site of the Liberal Party of Ontario, him a controversial legacy whose conse- the official opposition) quences the province’s people would be living with for many years to come. • www.ontariondp.on.ca (The Web site of the New Democratic Party of Ontario) May 2002 — 32 — News in Review MIKE HARRIS: HIS POLITICAL LEGACY A Lasting Impression This News in Review report provides an overview of the Mike Harris government in Ontario, including an examination of its major policies, the support and opposition they aroused when they were introduced, their lasting effects on the province, the future of his party after his departure from office, and his lasting political legacy. Changing Times While watching the video make a list of the major changes the provincial government of Mike Harris introduced in Ontario between 1995 and 2001. Compare your list with that of others. In the Face of Change Now form groups to discuss the changes you have identified and their effects on Ontario and perhaps all of Canadian society. In your groups, use the following questions to help guide your discussion: 1. Why did Harris believe that cutting taxes, balancing the budget, and reducing the size and cost of government were good policies for his government to follow? 2. What effects did the introduction of these policies have on Ontario residents? 3. Why did some groups in the province oppose the policies of the Harris govern- ment? Why did others support them? 4. How did Harris and his government respond to the criticism and opposition they faced from some people in the province? 5. Why were the changes Harris introduced in the areas of education, health care, and municipal government so important? For a detailed understanding of this story, watch the video again. This time record answers to the following questions: 1. What was the name Mike Harris’s party gave to its policy program in 1995? 2. Who succeeded Harris as premier of Ontario in 2002? 3. By how much did Harris promise to cut provincial income tax rates in 1995? 4. What major financial achievement did Harris’s government accomplish by 1999? 5. What important economic change in Ontario helped Harris win re-election in 1999? 6. What two provincial political leaders were significantly influenced by Harris’s approach to governing? 7. What major criticism did Harris make of the federal government of Prime Minis- ter Jean Chrétien? 8. Who did Harris appoint to head a commission that reviewed Ontario’s health-care system in 1996? 9. By how much did Harris cut the operating budget of the province’s health-care system? News in Review — 33 — May 2002 10. How much money was the Harris government spending on health care by the time Harris left office in 2001? 11. What were the main changes Harris’s government introduced in the province’s education system? 12. How did Ontario teachers demonstrate their opposition to these changes? 13. What was the Omnibus Bill of 1996? 14. How did the Harris government promote its policies with the province’s residents? 15. What were the Days of Action? Change for the Sake of Change? Now consider the answers to the above questions. For each, suggest the impact of the change on the people of Ontario, or others. 1. The Common Sense Revolution 2. Ernie Eves 3. Thirty per cent 4. He balanced the provincial budget and eliminated the deficit. 5. An end to the recession and a booming American economy helped stimulate growth and prosperity in Ontario. 6. Conservative Premier Ralph Klein of Alberta and Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell of British Columbia 7. Harris criticized Chrétien’s government for underfunding the health-care system by reduc- ing the amount of money in federal transfer payments to the provinces for this sector. 8. Dr. Donald Sinclair 9. $1.3-billion 10. $23-billion 11. It introduced a new, standardized curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12, brought in standardized testing, increased the amount of time teachers had to spend in the classroom, cut the number of school boards, and changed how they received their funding. 12. Teachers staged a two-week protest against the Harris government in November 1997, shutting down the province’s schools. 13. The Omnibus Bill of 1996 gave the government new powers to restructure government services, which it used a year later when it announced major changes to education funding, welfare, public transit, and property taxes. 14. The government spent $8-million to promote its policies with the public by buying adver- tisements in newspapers and on radio and television. Opposition parties charged that during its time in office, the Harris government had spent $100-million of taxpayers’ money on such ads. 15. The Days of Action were protests called by labour and other social groups opposed to Harris’s policies, staged in major Ontario cities between 1995 and 1997. May 2002 — 34 — News in Review MIKE HARRIS: HIS POLITICAL LEGACY Reviewing the Situation In this report a number of significant points of view regarding the Harris legacy are expressed. Read each aloud and then discuss why you think the speaker holds the views he or she does.