Doug Ford says he'll hop into a school bus and drive kids to class this fall if he has to
Is there anything Doug Ford can't do? By his own estimation, not really.
The Premier of Ontario has added "driving a school bus" to his ever-growing list of self-perceived capabilities, atop such talents as scolding yahoos, baking cheesecake, rescuing coyotes, vlogging trips to McDonald's, seeing the future, fixing little red wagons, going up ying-yangs with firecrackers and coming at things "like an 800-pound gorilla."
Ford was asked during the question period following a press conference in Ottawa on Monday why, with elementary and high schools set to reopen for in-person learning in just a few weeks, his government had yet to release a formal plan of action.
Ummm…is @fordnation qualified to drive a school bus?? https://t.co/mSY1NBhpVu
— Dawna (@mamabee77) July 26, 2021
The premier didn't quite answer the "why" part of that question, but he did say that Minister of Education Stephen Lecce is working with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore to "come up with a strong plan" and that said plan is "going to be out very, very shortly."
He then forcefully reiterated his commitment to getting kids back in school this fall by making an unexpected promise.
"We're going to make sure the kids are going back to school in September," said Ford. "They're going to be in class. I want to repeat that they're going back. Even if I have to hop in that school bus and drive it myself, the kids are going to be going back to school."
"They're going back to school even if I have to hop in that school bus and drive them myself." - Doug Ford at today's presser.
— Sheba Siddiqui (@ShebaSid) July 26, 2021
The REAL Magic School Bus.
Ontario's COVID-19 advisory science table reccomended last week that, based on the success of vaccination campaigns and "barring catastrophic circumstances," schools should open across the province for in-person learning this September.
While some Ontarians surely appreciate the premier's willingness to get hands-on in helping classs resume, others pointed out potential flaws in Ford's plan to drive around a bus full of kids.
"Does Doug have a Class B or E school bus license?!" asked one Twitter user.
"My favourite part of any Ford announcement are the wild hypotheticals that he always throws in," joked another. "Like my guy, no one is asking you to drive a bus."
