London as Ontario Capital ?

[ldoto]

Wild Proposal for New Province

See Video!!!!!

http://www.atv.ca/london/news_72260.aspx

MPP Bill Murdock is once again putting himself in the spotlight with a controversial idea.

The midwetern Ontario member of the legislature is suggesting Ontario should be split up. Toronto, he says, can form its own province with its own interests. And the rest of Ontario will go its own way, with a new capital city, perhaps in London.

The private member's opinions have no support from his own party, or any other organized political group, but the concept is already getting lots of talk among the general public if only beause it is so radical.

[manny_santos]

I personally see Ontario not so much as Toronto vs. the rest as the north vs. the south. I think a more sensible idea would be for Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe to be one province, with the remainder being in another province. I'd consider making Kingston the capital of the other province.

[MolsonExport]

Not going to happen. What a silly proposition from Bill Murdock. Cripes, get your head out of your ass and propose something useful, Bildock.

[duper]

Murdoch loves talking about the stamp of "Toronto mentality" that is so pervasive in all of the laws that are passed at Queen's Park. Whatever this "Toronto mentality" is. He seems like a smug asshole.

[duper]

I personally see Ontario not so much as Toronto vs. the rest as the north vs. the south. I think a more sensible idea would be for Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe to be one province, with the remainder being in another province. I'd consider making Kingston the capital of the other province.

Poor Kingston to have to be under the thumb of Premier Murdock.

He's complaining about what is a typical urban-rural divide, though. It's really silly, since (last time I checked) every province had an urban-rural divide. If you want to get away from that, I'd suggest Murdock try Nunavut.

[eternallyme]

If Toronto ever left Ontario, I see three cities that could reasonably be capitals: London, Kingston and Sudbury.

[manny_santos]

Murdoch loves talking about the stamp of "Toronto mentality" that is so pervasive in all of the laws that are passed at Queen's Park. Whatever this "Toronto mentality" is. He seems like a smug asshole.

I wouldn't underestimate the power of Toronto on the Ontario Legislature. Naturally, due to population, Toronto and area has a ton of representation in the Legislature.

[ForestryW]

I'd like to keep Toronto. Everything north of Parry Sound can go as far as I'm concerned, with Sudbury or Thunder Bay as the capital.

[duper]

I wouldn't underestimate the power of Toronto on the Ontario Legislature. Naturally, due to population, Toronto and area has a ton of representation in the Legislature.

My point was, though, that there is nothing incompatible between Toronto and the rest of the province. I would love to hear Murdock tell me what is different between policy based on a Toronto mentality and an Ottawa mentality.


This just in. Cities have people -- lots of people -- and people vote. So when you boil it right down, Murdock's problem is democracy.

[manny_santos]

Cities have people -- lots of people -- and people vote. So when you boil it right down, Murdock's problem is democracy.

I wouldn't say it's democracy itself, it's more a lack of democracy. There is a democratic imbalance from the fact that Ontario is such a geographically vast province with a quarter of the population concentrated in the City of Toronto, and half of the population being in the Golden Horseshoe. This imbalance can be avoided if the various regions of the province have greater self-government, and by extension, greater democracy. I don't see it as particularly democratic for rural Ontario to be controlled by urban Ontario.

Bill Murdoch is definitely on to something, although I don't think having the City of Toronto as its own province is the best solution.

[duper]

I wouldn't say it's democracy itself, it's more a lack of democracy.

But by very definition, democracy is based on the principle of one person, one vote. You can say the current situation is unfair, or not serving the best interests of rural Ontario, but one thing it isn't is undemocratic.

Indeed, Toronto does not constitute the majority of the seats in the province. Therefore, any legislation has to have some support from other areas of the province.


It's fine to argue that democracy is the problem, but let's call it what it is.


But still, I think this is a lot of sour grapes on Murdock's part. He cannot get the type of legislation he wants, so suddenly it's not his problem, it's all of rural Ontario being victimized by the Toronto boogeyman.