Upon recent inauguration as the new Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford has promised to lead the first ever true Government of the People. His first enacted policies however have not served the broad mass of Ontarians so much as a fraction or even a sliver of the people. One example that escaped much attention is the premier’s suspension of anti-scalping regulations installed by the previous government.
Scalping is a market manipulation whereby online programs are used to mass-purchase tickets for big sporting or concert events. After buying out tickets at mass-speed and thereby monopolizing them, scalpers then resell tickets at severely inflated prices at the expense of the consumer. In response to this practice, the now-suspended provisions of the Ticket Sales Act had prohibited tickets from being resold at above 50 per cent of their original value. (Last year the Green party of Ontario adopted anti-scalping policies as well.)
The PCs had previously alleged this law was not reasonably enforceable. But they betrayed their lack of self-confidence by hiding the decision from the public until it was announced by the bureaucracy.
One would think that “the People” would be more likely to be the Ontarians hoping to buy affordable tickets, as opposed to the obscure profiteers of cyber scamming. But unless the PCs pledge to bring in a new tougher anti-scalping law, it seems those wanting to see who will score big at the hockey games may instead see big scores against their wallets — thanks to Premier Ford.
Stefan Klietsch
Renfrew
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