Queen's Park Politics

[vid]

I'm surprised Tim Hudak's disapproval rating is so low. I bet the PCs are just itching to dump him.

Ontarian's obviously want someone more to the left than the right. A more moderate PC leader will take support away from the Liberals and assure a PC victory.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

I'm surprised Tim Hudak's disapproval rating is so low. I bet the PCs are just itching to dump him.

Ontarian's obviously want someone more to the left than the right. A more moderate PC leader will take support away from the Liberals and assure a PC victory.

Not necessarily. It would send the conservative base away once again and make it even easier for the Liberals. They are truly in a pickle...they can't win with the base, and can't win without it.

[vid]

As far as I'm concerned, if the PC base would rather have the Liberals in government than a centrist PC party, then let them have a Liberal government.

[SteelTown]

Liberals will support NDP call for 15% auto insurance cut

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspa...rance_cut.html

Premier Kathleen Wynne’s minority Liberals will back NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s bid to lower auto rates, the Star has learned.

In a move that could well avert a spring election, Liberal MPPs are set to support New Democrat MPP Jagmeet Singh’s motion Wednesday calling on Wynne’s government “to gradually reduce average, industry-wide, private passenger auto insurance premiums by 15 per cent.”

While Singh’s opposition-day pitch in the legislature is largely symbolic, the Liberals’ endorsement of it will carry much political significance ahead of next month’s budget.

The New Democrats have given Wynne a shopping list of demands in exchange for support, the highest profile of which is to slash insurance rates that are especially onerous for Greater Toronto motorists.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa, who will table his first budget in mid- to late April, confirmed Tuesday that “it’s in the interest of the public” to make rates fairer.

[Dr Nevergold]

Worth noting in the current by-election season, with Hudak screaming bloody murder over the cancellation of the gas plants. Hudak was the one calling for the cancellation in 2011:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ontari...gas-plant.html

Hudak vows to scrap Mississauga power plant
The Canadian Press Posted: Oct 5, 2011 5:26 PM ET Last Updated: Oct 5, 2011 9:13 PM ET

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak pledged Wednesday to get rid of a gas-fired power plant west of Toronto, just one day before Ontario voters head to the polls.

The Tory leader has repeatedly derided Premier Dalton McGuinty for promising to pull the plug on the 280-megawatt facility midway through the campaign, calling it a crass attempt to grab votes.

Asked if he'd scrap the Mississauga plant if he formed the next government, Hudak replied: "That's right. Done. Done, done, done."

[eternallyme]

The by-election polls look bad for the Liberals, but will they be as bad as they suggest in the end?

I do believe Windsor-Tecumseh (NDP likely over 60%) and London West (PC near 50%) are toast for them and Ottawa South (PC around 40%) is leaning away from them but not hopeless. I have a hard time believing they will lose Scarborough-Guildwood though, and Etobicoke-Lakeshore I can't see as anything less than a toss-up (it is the GTA where the Liberals are strongest). The NDP vote in those ridings may decide the final results...

My prediction: Liberals HOLD Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Scarborough-Guildwood, NDP GAIN in Windsor-Tecumseh and PC GAIN in London West and Ottawa South. That cements the GTA-Rest of Ontario divide even more...

[manny_santos]

NDP take London West. I would not have expected that.

[Loco101]

Etobicoke-Lakeshore: PC
Scarborough-Guildwood: Liberal
Windsor-Tecumseh: NDP
London West: NDP
Ottawa South: Liberal

I was surprised as well about the NDP winning London West in what used to always be a Liberal-Conservative battle. Wasn't surprised about Windsor, Scarborough and Etobicoke. I thought it would have been tighter in Ottawa South as there was once a close call for McGuinty there.

The big loser was Tim Hudak which is no surprise. He can be blamed in what should have been easy gains in London West and Ottawa South. And he caused many who were upset at the Liberals to vote NDP in droves. As for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, I feel that Doug Holyday won it on his own. Hudak was no help and probably the same could be said about the Ford brothers.

[eternallyme]

Any new PC leader has an almost impossible challenge: holding and solidifying the rural base - which is VERY conservative (someone like John Tory will not do it, causing them to stay home or perhaps start a new party), while also making inroads in centre-leaning urban areas (places like downtown Toronto are a lost cause).

[vid]

Someone like John Tory (minus any possible gaffes; we'll need the election to be as short as possible) would likely draw a lot of centrist Liberals, perhaps the remaining Liberals would shift to the NDP, and maybe split the difference and form government. The rural areas would be left out again, but they're a bunch of racist homophobic dipshits so fuck em.

[haljackey]

Yes I'm very surprised London West went NDP. I assumed it would go PC since it is a federal Conservative riding. Either way I'm happy the Liberals didn't win.

I think all 3 main provincial parties suck. I decided which party sucked the least (voted NDP since I think the riding candidate and leader were the most sane of the bunch) and am happy to see them take the riding. I'd probably vote PC if they had more sane policies and a more sane leader lol.

Also I hope Ontario stays with a minority government for some time. More stuff gets done, and politicians are kept more honest since any big scandal could bring down the government and trigger an election.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

Someone like John Tory (minus any possible gaffes; we'll need the election to be as short as possible) would likely draw a lot of centrist Liberals, perhaps the remaining Liberals would shift to the NDP, and maybe split the difference and form government. The rural areas would be left out again, but they're a bunch of racist homophobic dipshits so fuck em.

Yes, that is true, but splitting the right-wing vote would guarantee Liberal majorities - likely enormous ones. It is an enormous pickle for conservative parties - managing both their hard-right base and moderate-leaning suburban areas. Look in the US with the battles with the Tea Party, who are absolutely dominant in rural areas and much of the South but have basically turned big cities into Democratic Party dictatorships.

[vid]

What I was wondering was, what if the centre and centre-right Liberals were to vote PC instead? The hard-right fringe would become just as relevant as the hard-left fringe is to Liberals today.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

What I was wondering was, what if the centre and centre-right Liberals were to vote PC instead? The hard-right fringe would become just as relevant as the hard-left fringe is to Liberals today.

Some on the centre-left might vote NDP in that case though. But if the right is split, it doesn't matter.

[SteelTown]

NDP’s Andrea Horwath won’t make new demands on Ontario Liberals

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/40...ario-liberals/

Ontario's NDP leader says she will not be making any new demands of Premier Kathleen Wynne when the two meet this afternoon.

Andrea Horwath and Wynne will be working on hammering out a deal on a fall legislative agenda that would help avoid a snap election in the province.

Horwath says she's keen to see the Liberals' fall agenda -- to make sure they keep their promises to cut auto insurance premiums, lower home care wait times and begin a youth jobs strategy.

Those promises were made in exchange for the NDP's support of the minority government's spring budget.

Horwath says she wants to see "real results" from the Liberals.

The provincial budget was the only legislation passed in the spring sitting of the legislature.

Wynne has warned she'll call an election if the Opposition prevents any legislation from being passed in the current session.

[bornagainbiking]

Prime time propaganda? $$$$$$ watching her run was so inspiring!

TORONTO - $21.2 million in three months. That's how much Kathleen Wynne's government has spent to advertise its agencies. In just 90 days.

Newmarket-Aurora MPP Frank Klees raised the alarm Wednesday about the amount the Wynne government has spent on feel-good TV ads.

It piqued my interest because several people have mentioned how much government advertising they noticed during the Olympics, the Oscars and the NFL conference finals.

[vid]

Wow she is like a mini-Harper.

[Innsertnamehere]

The only ads I see are Metrolinx and build ontario (or something like that) ads.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The only ads I see are Metrolinx and build ontario (or something like that) ads.

That new Ontario "in province tourism" ad is on all the time. The lyrics are definitely in the "feel good" category.

[Innsertnamehere]

What the one with the rapper? Tourism ads have been running for years and years though..