The Progressive Conservative Party today introduced its first health care policy. Doug Ford outlined his party’s “first step” to end what he called “hallway health care” in Ontario. The party media release was headlined, “Doug Ford will cut wait times for the people.” That promised more than what was delivered. The announcement was limited to a promise to create 15,000 new long term beds in five years and 30,000 in ten years. The background paper to the release made no mention of how much this promise will cost or where the money will come from. Ford did make the point that freeing up hospital beds will reduce wait times.

Ford made his announcement standing outside a health facility in Sarnia. One reason for choosing Sarnia just might be that the Toronto media, who are well versed in the complexities of health care in Ontario, were hundreds of miles away and unable to ask questions. Today, the first question to Ford wasn’t about the health care at all but about how he enjoyed being in Sarnia.

The long term bed announcement came 24 hours after Kathleen Wynne announced a very similar plan. Yesterday she committed the Liberals to creating 5,000 beds in five years and 30,000 in ten years. Liberal campaign co-chair Deb Mathews jabbed that “Ford is endorsing our plan.” Her release added, “Ford needs to come clean with a fully costed, honest campaign.” The Liberal plan is expected to cost $661 million over the next five years.

Back in Sarnia, Ford announced that his health policy team will be led by Dr. Reuben Devlin. Devlin was president of Humber River Hospital. He told CP24 the Conservatives will table a full health costing later in the campaign. Until then, Devlin said the party will continue to release its health strategy for the province in announcements like today.

But today an off the cuff comment from Doug Ford became his Sarnia headline. Ford was asked about safe injection sites. His answer was blunt. He said he was “dead against” safe injection sites in Ontario. "If your son, daughter, loved one ever had an addiction, would you want them to go in a little area and do more drugs? I am dead against that," he said. Ford acknowledged the opioid crisis in the province saying more must be done to help people with drug addictions. That prompted the New Democrats to put out a quick response saying the opioid crisis is devastating communities in Ontario and "Mr. Ford will drag Ontario backwards and deny people the care they need.” The Ontario Liberal government has opened five safe injection sites and has plans to open two more. The Ontario Minister of Health, Helena Jaczek said Ford’s “reckless comments are putting people’s lives at risk.”

It’s been a week of mud-slinging on the campaign trail. And it continued on a CP24 panel this afternoon. NDP campaign director, Michael Balagas, pointed out that the Liberals this week decided that if the Conservative attack went low the Liberals response would be to “go lower.” Minutes later David Herle, Liberal campaign co-chair, did just that using entirely inappropriate language on-air. Liberal Leader Wynne is in Halifax at a meeting of the federal Liberal Party. She told reporters Herle “must and will apologize” for his words. Minutes later Herle’s apology hit my inbox. First, Herle reminded everyone that “Doug Ford has a long history of using derogatory and insulting terms to refer to a wide range of people with whom he disagrees.” Only then getting to what his boss, Kathleen Wynne wanted saying, “today, I used a term in reference to Mr. Ford that was inappropriate and I regret it. I withdraw that remark and apologize for its use without qualification.” Before a rally in Chatham this evening Doug Ford said he’s been called names before but the comment by Herle is “insulting my supporters.” Ford said, “I’m going to take the high road…and move forward in a positive way.”

Eight weeks out from election day and what a wild week it was. One can only hope the Liberals and Conservatives choose to raise the level of campaign discourse to match the New Democrats’ strategy this week. The other option – the NDP “going low” and joining in the race to be the most negative campaign is not something I want to contemplate.