Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford publicly apologized at a news conference in Niagara Falls after he broke his promise about the Greenbelt decision. The Greenbelt of Ontario was established in 2005 to permanently safeguard agricultural and environmentally sensitive territories from urban expansion. The government of Ontario has been under enormous pressure in recent weeks with the housing crisis to open the protected Greenbelt, which has resulted in disastrous mistakes and the resignations of two ministers. Despite that, Premier Doug Ford showed transparency in his communication, admitted the damages, and effectively communicated the solutions to the public.
Doug Ford Giving a Press Conference
As evident in his address, Premier Doug Ford was quick to remit the matter and took responsibility by expressing his deep disappointment:
“I made a promise to you that I wouldn't touch the Greenbelt. I broke that promise. And for that I'm very, very sorry”
His message has a clear-cut objective - to apologies and restore trust.
“Reputation is gained by what one does, not by what one says” Ford’s message shows accountability and transparency, which strengthens his arguments’ credibility and his reputation in the public’s eyes. This can be seen when Doug Ford stated,
“As a first step to earn back your trust, I’ll be reversing the changes we made and won’t make any changes to the Greenbelt in the future”.
He also suggested that a strategy has been put in place, as this is one of the many steps to be taken to rectify the damage. Ontario’s Premier made it clear that his audience has a voice in the matter:
“I want the people of Ontario to know that I’m listening”.
This is a very important step in reestablishing trust. Receiving feedback in public relations is critical in understanding the receivers’ point of view.