Queen's Park Politics - Page 6

haljackey · #**101** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 12:03 AM**

I consider myself to be more social on the federal side (so we have programs in place) but more progressive on the provincial side (to keep economy healthy and programs decently funded/within budget)

I am really undecided so far. The Libs have done an 'acceptable' job, but I think the progressive-conservatives can make government more efficient while attracting business.

In fact, I'm also considering a vote for the Greens as they want to abolish the Catholic School system. I agree with them that either all religious schools should receive public funding or none of them should.

So yeah, I'm pretty undecided. Someone's goona have to work hard for my vote.

vid · #**102** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 12:44 AM**

You should check out the Green's fiscal plans.

http://www.gpo.ca/issues

They're more balanced and less extreme than people give them credit for. I've been saying for years, the Greens have got to put a lot more effort into their fiscal policy, especially at this time. People don't care about saving trees when the unemployment rate is high. But tell them you'll cut taxes for the first $20,000 in income to 0%... you'll get votes.

sonysnob · #**103** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 1:08 AM**

The thing that I don't really understand with Hudak and the PC's is what I am voting for... They haven't really promised anything that's vastly different then McGuinty's platform, and I remember the years of labour unrest and the privatization of the 407 a little bit too well to blindly return the PC's to power.

It would be foolish in my opinion to elect a Conservative government in Ontario simply because we have tired of the McGuinty liberals. I've never voted liberal in provincial politics before, however I definitely think the liberals have their feces together more than any other party this time around.

SteelTown · #**104** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 1:56 PM**

So it's Day 1 of the campaign trail!

toaster · #**105** Posted **Sep 7, 2011, 7:30 PM**

There are a lot of people that don't know what the Green party stands for. Many of the people I know vote Green because they believe the Green party is more left-wing than the NDP, and I try to tell them they aren't. I really don't think the Green party will ever be that big of a threat, especially in Ontario politics.

vid · #**106** Posted **Sep 8, 2011, 12:30 AM**

A lot of people that I know confuse the Green Party with the Marijuana Party.

SteelTown · #**107** Posted **Sep 8, 2011, 1:23 PM**

Think NDP will gain any seats?

Horwath kicks off campaign with Steeltown boost

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath got a hometown send-off on her first day of the provincial election campaign.

About 250 people came out Wednesday night to cheer the Hamilton Centre MPP on as she headed out on the road for a 29-day campaign, her first as party leader.

The gathering at St. Naum Macedonian Church on the east Mountain included many well-known NDP supporters — such as MPs David Christopherson and Chris Charlton — as well as her 76-year-old mother Diane Horwath, who raised the NDP leader along with an older sister and two younger brothers.

Horwath, 48, had started her morning at Queen’s Park and had made one other stop in Toronto before bringing her campaign bus to Steeltown. She is set to head to Northern Ontario Thursday.

Kaz Novak/The Hamilton Spectator

SteelTown · #**108** Posted **Sep 8, 2011, 10:58 PM**

Looks like tomorrow the polls will show that the Liberals are now ahead of the PC.

vid · #**109** Posted **Sep 9, 2011, 12:07 AM**

I think the PCs will win Kenora. The NDP and Liberals are running very young, relatively unknown candidates while the PC candidate is older and works in the forestry sector, so he'll probably get votes from a lot of ex-forestry workers.

Thunder Bay's two ridings are a swing between the NDP or Liberal, and it's pretty unclear who will win. The Liberals have name recognition and a bad reputation. The NDPers have no name recognition in either riding. If the PCs run a really good campaign, they might win here, but it is a long shot.

I'll make a guess today and we'll see how right I am on election day.

Kenora - PC
Thunder Bay-Atikokan - Liberal
Thunder Bay-Superior North - NDP

Liberal government, either minority or very slight majority.

toaster · #**110** Posted **Sep 9, 2011, 1:42 AM**

People seem to forget that Fort Frances is part of Kenora provincially - it isn't Federally- and it votes NDP by large margins.

waterloowarrior · #**111** Posted **Sep 9, 2011, 2:23 AM**

Conservatives - Seem to have a lot of spin and not telling the full story (hydro debt retirement, being against HST/hydro increases but wouldn't really do much about them)

Liberals - Heavy on the nanny state factor but generally good intentions and have had some great accomplishments (Greenbelt, Places to Grow)

NDP - populist and some really strange non-progressive policies

Green - Against nuclear, questionable views on power infrastructure ownership, don't seem to support the anti-NIMBY parts of the Green Energy Act

Dr Nevergold · #**112** Posted **Sep 9, 2011, 3:54 PM**

Finally, some good news...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2159193/
karen howlett
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Friday, September 9, 2011 1:47AM EDT

Quote:

Why Dalton McGuinty is smiling: Poll has Liberals with 11-point lead

Now that the official race is on, Ontarians are paying attention and are coming back to senses.

eternallyme · #**113** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 12:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon716

Finally, some good news...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2159193/
karen howlett
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Friday, September 9, 2011 1:47AM EDT

Now that the official race is on, Ontarians are paying attention and are coming back to senses.

That would be because of another weak PC leader who cannot really show himself as a legitimate alternative in policy, just name calling.

vid · #**114** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 2:13 AM**

I love the photo in our paper the other day with Tim Hudak standing in front of an attack ad poster with a big smile on his face, as if that is something to be proud of.

Doady · #**115** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 5:10 AM**

Hudak and his party behind 11 points? Sad. It looks like abortions in Ontario won't be defunded after all.

Pimpmasterdac · #**116** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 10:18 AM**

I was worried for a second, but then I read the details...

A telephone survey of only 650 people!? WOWWW Something for Liberals to be real proud of, since there's not much else hahaha.

I know the the globe has a liberal slant but, who in their right mind would take this seriously? (other than liberals grasping at the straws) 650 people and by landline telephone, being taken as a serious litmus test of the Ontario electorate. Why not just pass out opinion surveys at an OPSEU or OSSTF meeting, at least they have more than 650 people!

When real poll numbers are our please post them, don't waste time with some partisan rag trying to saving a their dying brand

eternallyme · #**117** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 1:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

I was worried for a second, but then I read the details...

A telephone survey of only 650 people!? WOWWW Something for Liberals to be real proud of, since there's not much else hahaha.

I know the the globe has a liberal slant but, who in their right mind would take this seriously? (other than liberals grasping at the straws) 650 people and by landline telephone, being taken as a serious litmus test of the Ontario electorate. Why not just pass out opinion surveys at an OPSEU or OSSTF meeting, at least they have more than 650 people!

When real poll numbers are our please post them, don't waste time with some partisan rag trying to saving a their dying brand

OPSEU does not support the Liberals.

Dr Nevergold · #**118** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 3:30 PM**

Pimp, the Globe has a Conservative bias - not a Liberal one - in my view. This poll is telling, once people start paying attention, and now that the Conservatives are entrenched in Ottawa and city hall in Toronto, I don't think Ontarians are in the mood for a Conservative trifecta. Especially since McGuinty has done a lot of good for Ontario on improving health care, education (things like all day Kindergarten), and promoting green energy (McGuinty tore down coal powered plants, a pretty bold move). Transit is getting funded across the province, roads have been improved (the QEW has received tremendous improvements in the past several years), and McGuinty's Liberals have done what a province should do for it's people.

Ontarians are coming back to reality... Despite the hiccups any government would have over a long period - and yes McGuinty does have those - Ontario is in the right direction. It was in the wrong direction after Mike Harris and Ernie Eves' disastrous run.

Hudak can yak all he wants about taxes, he still hasn't pledged to get rid of the HST because the Ontario PC's support the HST. Hudak is just politicing and looking for votes, and its so clear it is beyond obvious that Hudak brings nothing more than cynicism and complaints to his campaign. He has no real ideas.

Since you're a hardcore Conservative I can't blame you for being mad, the Liberals have an 11 point lead now (and the Globe is obviously a Conservative leaning paper)... We shall see how things go into October.

eternallyme · #**119** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 3:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon716

Pimp, the Globe has a Conservative bias - not a Liberal one - in my view. This poll is telling, once people start paying attention, and now that the Conservatives are entrenched in Ottawa and city hall in Toronto, I don't think Ontarians are in the mood for a Conservative trifecta.

Could that lead to an NDP government perhaps if people decide they want change but can't stand Hudak? I wonder what the sound of Premier Andrea Horwath is like...

Dr Nevergold · #**120** Posted **Sep 10, 2011, 4:12 PM**

I highly doubt Horwath has a chance. Anything is possible in politics, but the likelihood is very low. Barring some huge NDP surge, voting for Horwath - just like federally - will only serve to assist the Ontario PC's and Hudak's plan to expand Ford Nation to the provincial level. Remember it was the Layton-Ignatieff split in Ontario that delivered a Harper majority. Within just Ontario itself the issue is pronounced just that much stronger... The Ontario Liberals are no where near where they were in the period before Bob Rae's election.

In regards to Hudak, the guy is a total quack. He hasn't provided any real plans during his entire campaign. His only message is random desperate attacks and tax cuts and cutting. I mean it was only a matter of time before he tanked... I just didn't expect it to happen so early. Hudak has taken the Ontario PC's down tea party lane, and it really isn't working for them.

No one will really know what is going to happen until Oct 6th. I'm most interested how no-plan Hudak will manage, and if Ontarians are stupid enough to vote for such an idiot. Despite the Liberal upswing, I'm well aware that it can go down equally as fast. So we'll see!