Is Ontario headed for another Wynne win?

[revjohn]

Bob Rae got a raw deal as Premier.

Did he ever.

They made tough decisions that alienated their core support in the unions (remember the Social Contract and Rae Days) because they thought the decisions needed to be made for the province.

Sadly, that seems to be a unique quality. Tragically, it also seems to be something that the populace is intent upon punishing even though it clearly loathes politicians who look out only for themselves. Rae is victim of some particularly ripe and odorous hypocrisy on behalf of the voting public.

I have to confess that Andrea Horwath has never really stood out to me

My beef with Horwath is more strategic. When she pulled the plug on a Liberal Minority government and was spectacularly unprepared with a campaign platform, as a result, I was soured on her leadership. Forced to the polls (and the expense) by someone who couldn't be bothered to provide a legitimate alternative to the government she just toppled.

Don't waste my time.

but, yes, of the big three she's by leaps and bounds the best choice in this election.

Which doesn't say much considering the other two running. That said, the PC's are just not going to be a benefit to the Province of ON. Not with the leader they have and the way he has been appointing members (when he said he wouldn't). Not to mention the calibre of some of those appointments is questionable.

Yes, he did turf Granic Allen. Clearly she thought he would give her more latitude to shoot her hateful mouth off. And maybe he would have had there not been any attention paid to it. So, we know that Ford is not immune to policy by popularity. We also know that he has no real clue about the extent of the Provincial Legislature's power. Just what the Province of Ontario needs, a former 1 term city of Toronto Councillor who regularly didn't show up for that job or demonstrate any grasp of how the City of Toronto or her budgets worked.

 

[Mendalla]

Yes, he did turf Granic Allen. Clearly she thought he would give her more latitude to shoot her hateful mouth off.

OTOH, one of his parachute candidates in this area is former media personality Andrew Lawton who has said similar things. Lawton has admitted to the controversial remarks but now puts them down to mental illness and says it's past. Some are not sure given that that past (his time on talk radio) is likely what got him the appointment. The second article below lists some of the incidents in question.

PC candidate Andrew Lawton admits to 'reckless' past | CBC News

Ford's hand-picked London West candidate admits to slurs

 

[Mendalla]

BTW, Lawton isn't in my riding. He's actually in the next riding West of me. My riding is blessed with Susan Truppe as the PC candidate, who did such a wonderful job as our Federal MP that we turfed her after one term.

 

[revjohn]

OTOH, one of his parachute candidates in this area is former media personality Andrew Lawton who has said similar things.

I am aware. I fully expect both the Liberals and the NDP to point this out sometime soon.

Lawton has admitted to the controversial remarks but now puts them down to mental illness and says it's past.

Makes things tough right? Go after him for the remarks and risk that being spun into an attack on someone who was mentally ill. Not a good look for either the Liberals of the NDP. Precisely the kind of thing the ONPC's would use as counter attack.

So, I expect that there will be some tip-toeing on this one.

Granic Allan was proverbial mouthy bull in a China shop.

I expect that with the election of Ford both the Liberal and NDP campaign apparatus have been giddily yanking up Doug being Doug as TO Councilor for material to sink the ONPCs.

I served in ridings that were traditionally PC while in ON and Doug was a TO Councilor. Nobody in those ridings thought highly of the Mayor of TO or his doofus brother. I can't imagine that they think he is the answer to any dream of winning back the Government.

 

[Mendalla]

Some local reaction to Ford announcing he will keep Lawton (which happened earlier today):

London Muslims question PC leader Doug Ford's judgement after candidate's 'disgusting' tweets surface | CBC News (includes comments from the incumbent New Democrat that he is challenging)

CTV London: Lawton supported by Ford (sorry for the ad)

Doug Ford ducks questions about how London West candidate was vetted

 

[Mendalla]

New poll from Ipsos. While the headline is a bit sensational, there's some interesting results buried in there.

74% of Ontarians wish for different party leaders in provincial election: Ipsos poll | Globalnews.ca

 

[Jaebius]

New poll from Ipsos. While the headline is a bit sensational, there's some interesting results buried in there.

74% of Ontarians wish for different party leaders in provincial election: Ipsos poll | Globalnews.ca

The longer I watched those three debate on CityTV, the more I felt I should just stay home on election night and make a nice lemon pie.

 

[Graeme Decarie]

Well, for the first time in some years, I heard an NDP speaker who sounded like a NDPer should sound on matters of moral principle.

 

[Jaebius]

Noticing many, many Kinga Surma (PC) up now in Etobicoke Centre. Looks like Yvan Baker (Liberal incumbent) has quite a fight on his hands.

 

[revsdd]

I saw the first campaign sign in Ajax-Pickering just a few minutes ago for the local NDP candidate, whose name escapes me. Not my home riding - I just work here - so I can't say I follow the local candidates down here closely.

 

[Jaebius]

I saw the first campaign sign in Ajax-Pickering just a few minutes ago for the local NDP candidate, whose name escapes me. Not my home riding - I just work here - so I can't say I follow the local candidates down here closely.

Since you're the Minister there Steven, should you not educate yourself on who the area's candidates are, and what the issues are?

 

[Mendalla]

I saw the first campaign sign in Ajax-Pickering just a few minutes ago for the local NDP candidate, whose name escapes me.

A couple Susan Truppe (local PC candidate) supporters in my neighbourhood stuck her old federal signs out on their lawns weeks ago. Probably illegal under the Elections Act or something but I'm not too fussed about it.

 

[revsdd]

Since you're the Minister there Steven, should you not educate yourself on who the area's candidates are, and what the issues are?

Issues, yes. One interesting local issue is a proposed new mega-casino in Ajax. There's already a casino at the Ajax Downs race track, and the thought is that it would probably be closed to make room for the new one. There are all sorts of concerns about impact on traffic in the area. The intersection where it's supposed to be built already has a huge traffic volume. As for local candidates? Well, I won't be telling anyone how to vote or who to vote for (although I will be having dealings from time to time with whoever ends up being elected) but with the campaign underway I'm sure I'll hear lots about the local candidates. Far more important for me to become acquainted with my own local candidates. There, the local PC MPP is running for re-elecion and will win handily, unless there's some sort of quasi-divine intervention. the NDP and Liberals both have very young inexperienced candidates (mid-20's, one in school and one just out of school.) Haven't heard about the other parties yet. Still planning to vote Green for now, although depending on how things go between now and June 7 I could end up giving my vote to the NDP.

 

[chansen]

Since you're the Minister there Steven, should you not educate yourself on who the area's candidates are, and what the issues are?

How did you consider this a reasonable response?

 

[Jaebius]

How did you consider this a reasonable response?

As a Christian leader I know the importance of what's going on in the neighborhood of one's church. It's important toward relating well with others in the church. At any date, @revsdd gave a good answer.

 

[Graeme Decarie]

I'm not at all sure I'd start with the 'issues'. My starting point would be the social philosophy of each of the parties. Unless you know that, you can't possibly decide what the major 'issues' are. And on that basis, we know the social philosophies of the Liberals and the Conservatives from the start. They don't have any. Both parties are tools of big money.

The other parties are narrower than I would like or flabbier than I would like in their choice of issues. But my starting point would be to ignore both the Liberals and the Conservatives. Those parties have always (ALWAYS going back to 1867 and earlier) been the tools of the very wealthy.

 

[revjohn]

Hmmmmm. Asking the leader of an Ontario Political Party to explain how a bill becomes a law in Ontario is now a "gotcha" question.

One is tempted to think that such knowledge is necessary to run a government.

 

[Redbaron]

One might have thought so, yes. Evidently, however, fordnation seems to be stuck in 1984, where 'Ignorance Is Bliss'.

 

[Mendalla]

Must ... get ... facepalm ... smiley.

Doug Ford doesn’t answer question on how a bill becomes law in Ontario

 

[Delightful Life]

Must ... get ... facepalm ... smiley.

Doug Ford doesn’t answer question on how a bill becomes law in Ontario

Everyone knows that to pass a Bill* it first has to be brough before Kathleen Wynn and Cheri DiNovo (who has done some truly awesome things) to check for its Ideological Purity...

ON is soooooo screwed lol

*which reminds me: remember "I'm Just a Bill" by Schoolhouse Rock? Well the Singer and Songwriter Bob Dorough died this April 23. Conjunction Junction is my fav.