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Changing the drug coverage plan for young people so that the “free” government plan no longer replaces existing insurance will save money without harm to the public. All of that is a start, but Ford has a long way to go if he wants to cut an average of $1.5 billion annually from existing provincial spending. His promise to do that without anyone losing a job is just not realistic.

The plan to reform the way welfare and disability payments work is one of those that can’t be properly evaluated until we see the details this fall. The goal is a simpler system that encourages work. The fuss over cancelling a basic income pilot project that was benefitting a fraction of one per cent of people on social assistance has been greatly overblown. The dramatic increase in welfare and disability rates the pilot promised would have cost $17 billion a year, a figure that is unaffordable.

Then there are the misses. The biggest one is the ham-handed handling of the consultation on the sex-education curriculum. Ford could have avoided a lot of grief if he had kept the most recent curriculum in place while the government consulted with parents on changes. Ford and his cabinet have had uncharacteristic difficulty in getting their story straight on this issue. That said, those who oppose potential changes act as if the only things children know about sexuality and gender issues are what they learn in school. That’s doubtful.

With all of these changes and the attendant wails of protest, a little comic relief was required and Ford provided it with his buck-a-beer plan. OK, so a handful of breweries will sell beer for a dollar. Yes, it was an election promise, but is there anything more trivial? Ford’s complaint about high beer prices served primarily to underline the fact that beer is expensive in Ontario because government taxes it to death.

With all that he has done in just a few weeks, Ford has proven himself to be a disruptor. If there was ever something that needed disruption, it’s the Ontario public sector. Everything we have seen so far is just the trailer. No doubt there is plenty more action to come.

Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and former Ontario PC candidate. Contact him at randalldenley1@gmail.com