Gord Perks on why he thinks Rob Ford and co. have a “radical conservative agenda”

“I believe the administration we have right now does not believe that government should be delivering services….They’re like the Margaret Thatchers and Ronald Reagans of the world, who say we should cut government, we should just eliminate it and who cares about the social benefits that government provides.”

So said city councillor Gord Perks earlier this week, joining the group of left-leaning councillors who have ramped up their rhetoric in the city’s budget wars. The phrase of the hour is “radical conservative agenda,” which critics of Rob Ford are using to evoke a diabolical ploy to jettison public services under the guise of financial necessity. Perks added his voice to the chorus, calling Ford’s library cuts “a radical conservative attack on the very fibre of what makes Toronto a great place to live,” and the budget part of a “deliberate attempt to destroy public services.” It all sounds deliciously sinister—although we wonder if the Iron Lady (or Meryl Streep) would appreciate the shout-out.

• Ford, allies branded ‘radical conservatives’ [Toronto Sun]