《大中报》读者支持福特消减市政厅

 

几个星期前，福特省长宣布消减多伦多市政厅席位并将市政选区从47降至25。福特一张大嘴让紧锣密鼓地张罗着2018市选的市政厅闹得天翻地覆，并导致安省政府与多伦多市政府展开唇枪舌战，多次争辩于安省各级法庭。9月10日，安省高等法庭法官Edward Belobaba做出判决称福特消减计划有违宪章。福特政府对这一裁决进行上诉，并为推进计划进程而欲使用“不理会条款”。但安省上诉法庭本周早期做出裁决，支持安省的裁减市政厅法规。三名上诉法官判决称Belobaba判决有法律失误，并准许市政选举按福特的25 个选举规划进行。

A few weeks ago, Premier Ford announced a plan to cut Toronto’s city council from 47 to 25 wards. The announcement, made in the middle of 2018 municipal election, has turned city hall upset down and set off a series of intense legal battles between the province and City of Toronto. On Sept. 10, Justice Edward Belobaba of the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the plant be unconstitutional. Ford’s government appealed the ruling and sought to invoke the notwithstanding clause to push his plan through. However, Ontario top court ruling earlier this week sided with Ford’ plan, arguing Justice Belobaba’s decision errored in law and allowing the municipal election to proceed with the 25-ward map.

在Belobaba做出裁决后，安省议会厅对消减市政厅提议进行激烈争辩，而各种抗议，不满声潮涌向皇后公园。抗议者称，福特政府行为会导致不可挽回的损失并“有害于公众利益”。他们称该行动惩罚了那些马不停蹄地为选举集资，走访选民的候选人，消减市政议员的居民代表性，并给市政官员增添额外工作负担。某些市议员指责其做法鲁莽而不顾后果并有驳民主进程，而另一些议员害怕因此丢了乌纱帽 ，称福特在报复多伦多市政厅，算那些在其胞弟罗伯•福特任职期与他异见相左之政客异己的旧账。

Uproars and protests had erupted at the Queens Park as Ontario government debated the bill at the legislature after Belobaba’s ruling. Protesters argued that Ford government's actions would cause irreparable harm and that they were "not in the public interest."  They said that it penalized candidates who started campaigning, reduced the effectiveness of representation and burdened the City Clerk’s office.  Some city councilors denounced the idea as reckless and anti-democratic, whereas others who were afraid of losing their seats claimed that it was Doug Ford taking revenge out on Toronto.



省长福特力砍市政厅有利纳税人

Ford to slash city councilors is the best thing for taxpayers

但福特的消减计划是符合大众民意的，体现了安省政府缩小市政规模，设立一更为有效政府的初衷。当市政厅需要为建立士嘉堡地铁进行八次投票，为通过鱼翅羹禁令而进行两整天的争论时，我们的确该对市政厅采取消减措施了。将市政厅消减一半则将会让市政府处于简单，统一的管理系统之下，并避免重复，浪费，提高市政厅决策程序的有效性。并且，该措施能为纳税人节省2500万元税款。

However, the plan is in the public interest and reflects his intention to create a small, effective government. Actions are required when it takes eight times for the current city council to vote on $3.5-billion Scarborough subway, and “two full days” to discuss a proposed ban on shark-fin soup.  Cutting the city council in half will put Toronto under a robust mayor system, reflects the government’s mandate to reduce duplication, and improve the decision-making process at Toronto city hall. Moreover, it will save taxpayers 25 million dollars.

福特省长这项获得安省法庭批准的措施获得大多数安省居民的支持。而在这些支持者中，有《大中报》的忠实读者们。他们拥护保守党价值观，且曾纷纷投票支持安省保守党的当选。

The majority of Ontarians have sided with Ford's plan -- which has got the greenlight from the Ontario top court. Among the supporters are Chinese News readers – who support conservative values and helped elect the Ontario PC government.