Actor Kiefer Sutherland is in a Twitter skirmish with the Ontario PC government.
Sutherland called out Premier Doug Ford on twitter for comparing himself to Sutherland’s grandfather Tommy Douglas, who was the premier of Saskatchewan and leader of the New Democrat Party.
.@fordnation @MacLeodLisa pic.twitter.com/ESPnxARaEu
— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 10, 2019
Sutherland’s tweet was in response to an article Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod’s wrote, comparing Douglas’ fiscally responsible achievements when he was premier from 1944 to 1961 to Ford’s effort to balance the budget.
“Put another way, it’s time to make government work for the people again — not the other way around. I think Tommy Douglas would approve,” MacLeod wrote in a Financial Post article.
"It’s time to make government work for the people again — not the other way around.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) June 2, 2019
I think Tommy Douglas would approve." – @MacLeodLisahttps://t.co/YWp1RoxqY9
Over a week later, Sutherland said that the tweet came to his attention. His response was too long to write on Twitter. Instead, he attached an image with his thoughts.
“You are correct, my grandfather Tommy Douglas was fiscally responsible,” Sutherland wrote. He listed his grandfather’s accomplishments: he balanced the budget, developed paved roads, electricity and healthcare in Saskatchewan — all in four years.
Sutherland clarifies the major difference between Douglas and Ford. “Contrary to your argument, it was never at the expense of social and human services.”
He asked the Progressive Conservative government to stop using his grandfather’s image for their own “political agenda” and concludes the tweet with, “P.S. you’re lucky my mum’s not active on Twitter.”
MacLeod responded to Sutherland with a tweet that some thought was rather passive-aggressive yesterday, bashing the TV series in which he acts as the president of the United States.
I used to like this show- which overtook a very expensive bus shelter ad in fall of 2017 outside Queen’s Park.
— Lisa MacLeod (@MacLeodLisa) June 10, 2019
Alas, it’s more difficult to be a politician than pretend to be one on TV. pic.twitter.com/o2quQyYl94
The Twitter community promptly responded to the minister's post.
Rather than dismissing @RealKiefer in this juvenile fashion you could actually take him seriously ... his points are more than valid. Simply respecting his request quietly so as not to make things worse was the very least you could have done.
— M 🇨🇦🇺🇸🏳️🌈 (@Borntodance77) June 10, 2019
As our provincial government starts to exchange blows with Hollywood talent, it heads into the longest provincial recess in recent memory.
by Hannah Alberga via blogTO
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