Queen's Park Politics

[Wharn]

This CBC voter compass is, as expected, complete and utter garbage. I'd agree that I'm a hardcore economic conservative, but a social conservative I most certainly am not. I find them, as a whole, to be just as annoying and despicable as the nanny-state Liberals, and I cringe every time they try to meddle with our freedom. Either I'm a self-loathing SoCon or the CBC doesn't understand what the definition of a true "social conservative" is. Still, pretty certain I'll be supporting the PCs:



One thing I can say for sure is that, as a devout Con, I'm disappointed with the campaign Hudak has run. He's spent too much time focusing on bullshit issues (the $10,000 grant, while questionable, should not be a hill that Conservatives die on; Chain Gangs are retarded, so are sex-offender trackers) and not the real issues (Why did McGuinty negotiate a secret wage increase for Ontario's public unions? Why is the education system basically refusing to fail students? And why does Ontario have over $250 billion in debt?) As a Londoner, I'm also concerned with the impact higher electricity costs are going to have on the manufacturing sector in this city. I don't care about the two hundred measly jobs created through this scheme. What's gonna happen to the thousands of jobs at Electro-Motive, 3M, General Dynamics and the like?

McGuinty is a fool and should be a sitting duck. But I guess it takes a fool to blow an election like this.

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

London 1993, is an example we swallowed up Lambeth and minor settlements around our area. Those local residents were quiet pissed and campaigned vigorously against it (although people in London were cool with it) all care of Bob Rae. Highbury Avenue (former highway 126) was decommissioned in 1989 by the Peterson Liberals and Airport/VMP (former highway 100) was decommissioned in 1994 by Rae NDP.

I know it's a bit late into the thread, but thank you for reminding people of the cruel injustices done to the London area by the media's favourite parties. I'm sick of Toronto whining and complaining as if it's all about them and Harris' downloads (which were in response to the federal Liberals.)

[bornagainbiking]

We live in sound-bites. The media controls the vote and it is all a form of propaganda.
The debate was blah.........
Christina Blizzard in the Sun has done some detailed fact filled articles. Yet we are bombarded with the Tax man and the Boogievman. Whoa is us.
It is ALL about jobs and our provincial out of control budget. Greece is just the pace horse.
We have a lot in common and who will bail us out the Feds. Last crisis they downloaded and they looked golden and bragged about it for their campaign.
Hurt now or hurt later but it is on the horizon.
look real close and dig into who is supporting the Dalton gang and their vested personal interests. Working families my butt.
Be careful what we wish/vote for, you get what you deserve and it might not be pretty.

[eternallyme]

Who should be the next PC leader? Randy Hillier?

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by Wharn

I'm disappointed with the campaign Hudak has run.

Yeah, me too. Before the campaign started I thought I was going to vote PC but he's screwed everything up. His changes to policies and their platform is not as bad as Jon Tory in 2007 but it is significant enough to consider the other parties.

It all comes down to giant douche or turd sandwich. I guess you could call Horwath a sillynannny or a *itch if you wanted to.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r23sMvXqjdY" target="_blank">Video Link

Gah.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by haljackey

It all comes down to giant douche or turd sandwich. I guess you could call Horwath a sillynannny or a *itch if you wanted to.

"Moron" is the word I would use to describe Horwath, although if you wanted "Economically Illiterate" would be a less vitriolic description. Her proposal to keep all raw material processing in Ontario is an example of this, as is her proposal to freeze fuel prices (even as an ardent motorist I think the latter is stupid). Anyone who's taken even basic economics can immediately spot the problems with these two policies.

Spot-on comparison otherwise.

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

Working families my butt.

Working Families is basically a front for the Liberal Party of Ontario. The relationship between the two is the most blatant case of unpunished political corruption that I've ever seen or heard of in this province.

Originally Posted by eternallyme

Who should be the next PC leader? Randy Hillier?

I'd sign on but I'm terrible with public debates.

[Doady]

Hudak has stated "we'll stop the war on the car". He's got my vote. McGuinty's pro-urban, anti-car agenda does nothing (good) for Ontario's families, certainly nothing good for Mississauga where everyone has a car. Public transit is just an antiquated mode of transportation, it's time to accept that.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Wharn

"Moron" is the word I would use to describe Horwath, although if you wanted "Economically Illiterate" would be a less vitriolic description. Her proposal to keep all raw material processing in Ontario is an example of this, as is her proposal to freeze fuel prices (even as an ardent motorist I think the latter is stupid). Anyone who's taken even basic economics can immediately spot the problems with these two policies.

Most people haven't taken basic economics, and policies like those, or Hudak's promise to re-institute socialist energy price controls and "eliminate" the hydro debt somehow, are just a way of getting votes. Same with the perennial "I'll cut the fat because I respect taxpayer dollars!".

I don't think the NDP or PCs will really follow through with their socialist energy and resources policies, but the fact that they included the policies in their platforms is concerning.

What we really need (in the north at least), if regional energy pricing based on free market principles of supply and demand (which will be a better incentive to keep raw material processing in the province than a law); a breaking up of the regional fuel distribution monopoly (all of our gas is supplied by Petro-Canada, regardless of the gas station from which you buy it) and greater regional control over economic and social policy and infrastructure.

No one promises these things.

Originally Posted by Wharn

Working Families is basically a front for the Liberal Party of Ontario. The relationship between the two is the most blatant case of unpunished political corruption that I've ever seen or heard of in this province.

These kinds of programmes, along with things like "People for Corporate Tax Cuts" at the Catholic boards "vote right" campaign (or whatever it is called; I can't tell if they're promoting the NDP or Liberals but I think it is the Liberals; would make sense, McGuinty is connected to Catholic teachers) need to be illegal.

And on the issue of Catholic schools, only the Green will end the segregation of Catholics and Francophones from public schools. Other parties (especially the PCs) won't touch this, so no one is talking about it.

Originally Posted by Wharn

I'd sign on but I'm terrible with public debates.

Hillier is too controversial and has too much baggage. His tax problems and connections to the Ontario Landowners Association aren't what the PC Party needs right now. If they can't get elected with Hudak at the helm and a split left, there is no way a more extreme candidate like Hillier can bring the PCs to power.

[SteelTown]

Hudak won’t commit to all-day GO service

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak won’t commit to all-day GO service for Hamilton as pledged by the Liberal government, but says he will sit down with mayors and councillors to hear their transit priorities and see how it fits in with his party’s plans to spend $35 billion on infrastructure.

Hudak, in a Saturday morning visit to Dundas to campaign with candidate Donna Skelly, also praised the idea of a Niagara-GTA super highway through the area as something that would create jobs and ease gridlock in Hamilton and Niagara.

Responding to a reporter’s question about support for all-day GO service, Hudak spoke about his party plans to spend $35 billion for infrastructure investments largely targeted at “breaking gridlock, helping families spend more time together and getting goods to market.”

“It’s a balanced plan,” he said, standing with Skelly and 15 party supporters out front of Adeline’s Family Restaurant on King Street West in downtown Dundas.

“Yes. It’s highways. Yes. It’s transit. We’ve got to get the right plan and we need to end the war on the car that we’ve seen from the McGuinty Liberals. The approach I will take is actually different from Dalton McGuinty. I will actually sit down with mayors and councillors and say what are your local priorities and how can they fit in our plan to actually break gridlock and help folks get to work and get home faster and spend time with their kids.”

http://www.thespec.com/news/election...day-go-service

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

Hillier is too controversial and has too much baggage. His tax problems and connections to the Ontario Landowners Association aren't what the PC Party needs right now. If they can't get elected with Hudak at the helm and a split left, there is no way a more extreme candidate like Hillier can bring the PCs to power.

That is very true, but the party is in a tough position. If they have another leader like John Tory, their conservative base will stay home again and rural seats that should be a slam dunk will not be gained, but rather lost back to the Liberals.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Tried the Ontario vote compass. This is my result.



No wonder I'm so undecided.

Basically, my result was the same...just a tad to the left on economic issues. Closest to the greens, apparently, and close to the libs. I won't vote green.

[vid]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

That is very true, but the party is in a tough position. If they have another leader like John Tory, their conservative base will stay home again and rural seats that should be a slam dunk will not be gained, but rather lost back to the Liberals.

John Tory was in the lead until his comment about funding non-Christian religious schools. If he had kept his mouth shut we'd be re-electing a PC government this week.

Hudak has brought the party to the right and they're still not gaining as much as they wanted. The Liberals have a firm grasp on the middle, and the other two parties are getting squeezed out. John Tory led most of the last campaign. McGuinty has been leading most of this one (since the official campaign began; too bad election day wasn't June 3rd).

Maybe we'll get an NDP/PC coalition but I doubt it, that would alienate the rural, Christophile base. More Liberal government for us, I guess. Hell, a PC/NDP coalition would probably be a Liberal government!

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by vid

Maybe we'll get an NDP/PC coalition but I doubt it, that would alienate the rural, Christophile base. More Liberal government for us, I guess. Hell, a PC/NDP coalition would probably be a Liberal government!

The thing is there is a difference between a Liberal government (what we would get with a PC/NDP coalition) and a whimsical, corrupt Union-and-Special-Interest government (which is what we have now). Even though I'm not a fan of Horwath by any means, I'd do anything to get rid of McGuinty. I'd rather take a gamble on an uncertain coalition than re-elect the premier with the worst fiscal track record in our province's history.

Despite what everyone says about Harris, I kinda wish we had him back. The guy made some bad decisions (amalgamation of Toronto, Highway 407 lease term) but by and large he was honest with his agenda. Harris said what he was going to do and just did it; no games, no lies, no flip-flopping. At this point I wouldn't even mind Bob Rae.

[vid]

Originally Posted by Wharn

Despite what everyone says about Harris, I kinda wish we had him back. The guy made some bad decisions (amalgamation of Toronto, Highway 407 lease term) but by and large he was honest with his agenda. Harris said what he was going to do and just did it; no games, no lies, no flip-flopping. At this point I wouldn't even mind Bob Rae.

It was mostly under Eves, but that government lied about having a deficit. At least McGuinty is honest about how deep in the hole we are. Eves danced around saying everything is swell while our finances got worse and worse. Even the Republicans in the US didn't do that!

In the early part of his term, Harris was honest and did some good things. I'll give you that. If he was a one term premier, we'd probably have fond memories of the guy. Can't say that for Bob Rae but as a 7 year old, I sure loved Rae Days.

[bornagainbiking]

Listen to the content please!
I saw an interview/presentation on SunMedia and Ms Blizzard today. It was just a guy worked about our direction.

http://www.ontariopc.com/campaign-tr...m_medium=email

[eternallyme]

Sun Media refuses to endorse anyone, saying no one is conservative enough on economic and personal issues. They want someone more conservative than Hudak in 2015 (or sooner if a minority is elected). Can anyone say sub-50% turnout?

[vid]

Sun Media didn't mention conservatism on personal issues, just fiscal ones. And I agree. The PC platform in this election is just as fiscally conservative as the NDP platform. The Green Party actually has a fiscally conservative platform, but Sun Media wouldn't support them because Sun Media doesn't accept any facts that are contrary to its opinions.

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

I saw an interview/presentation on SunMedia and Ms Blizzard today. It was just a guy worked about our direction.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say here.

[Wharn]

Originally Posted by vid

It was mostly under Eves, but that government lied about having a deficit. At least McGuinty is honest about how deep in the hole we are. Eves danced around saying everything is swell while our finances got worse and worse. Even the Republicans in the US didn't do that!

In the early part of his term, Harris was honest and did some good things. I'll give you that. If he was a one term premier, we'd probably have fond memories of the guy. Can't say that for Bob Rae but as a 7 year old, I sure loved Rae Days.

I'm not sure how that works... Ontario's debt was actually reduced from 1995 to 2003, and the budget was balanced in 2001... running a deficit for just one or two years is nothing compared to what McGuinty has done.

I, too, was not a huge fan of Eves.

[waterloowarrior]

Globe - Liberals http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2188213/

Star - Liberals http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edito...tario-s-future

National Post - PC http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/...119/story.html

[SteelTown]

Any predictions?

I'll make some local predictions.

Hamilton Centre - This is Andrea Horwath's riding so obviously NDP will win this riding

Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale - Liberal, Ted McMeekin is well known but Donna Skelly will give Ted a tough race.

Hamilton Mountain - Liberal, again a well known candidate, Sophia Aggelonitis

Hamilton East/Stoney Creek - NDP

Niagara West Glenbrook - Tim Hudak's riding, he'll win it

Burlington - I'm predicting a Liberal win, the PC first said they won't commit to redeveloping the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital but now has backtracked. I believe this is going to hurt them.

Now provincially I think we'll have a Liberal minority government.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Am I the only one noticing that the Conservatives are not actually promising anything or suggesting anything substantial? It's all talk and no concrete follow-through plan. If they want my vote (which they could potentially have gotten had they not migrated to the right even more), they would talk about the actual PLANS and the ACTION they intend to take and HOW it helps us in a variety of sectors and WHY I should support it.