Like most Ontarians, I have been avoiding thinking to writing about the upcoming provincial election (October 10), aside from the referendum question. On that, follow the side-bar link and understand why I will be voting “no”.
Back to the election, which the pollsters have Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals leading in a too close to call race. When it comes to charisma, McGuinty is something of a vacuum. He has run a competent administration for the past four years and most Ontarians would agree the province is in better shape that it was four years ago. The provincial auditor has looked at the books before the election this time so we shouldn’t be faced with another Mike Harris/Ernie Eves cover-up. Teachers, school boards and government are at peace. Steady progress is being made on many of the healthcare issues against some of the entrenched self-interests of the healthcare establishment. But McGuinty has some embarrassments in his record, the health tax principle among them and also a bit of a black eye over cultural association grants.
So why have John Tory’s tactics and pronouncements been so downright stupid? I have known John since we were both college students and YPCs (Young Progressive Conservatives) and followed his career through Bill Davis’ premier’s office, Rogers, the CFL, etc. If I had lived in Toronto, I wold have voted for him for mayor. I’ve always considered him to be a good and man but I harbour some concerns that he might not be able to control some of the meaner power-brokers that remain in the Ontario PC party after the Harris years or co-associate with the federal manifestation of the once “progressive” conservative party.
In the past few weeks, Tory seemingly has gone out of his way to demonstrate that he and the Ontario PC party are as out-of-touch with Ontarians as are the federal neo-cons. The extremely negative ad campaign launched in August, presumably to soften up Liberal support – something like an artillery barrage before the infantry moves forward – probably offended more vacationing voters than it moved to the PC column. With no reason to go negative so early, Tory should have been telling voters about his aspirations for the province. Instead, in the most offensive ad, he told us McGuinty is responsible for children being shot in their schools. Nasty as that slur is, it ignores that fact that most voters know criminal law and sentencing are federal responsibilities. He is not going to win any swing-votes this way.
Then along came the bombshell of stupidity. Tory’s promise of funding for all religious schools reopened a debate that Ontario politicians have known it best to avoid since before Confederation. He gave the Liberals the opening to campaign in support of the public schools they have been working to improve and, ever so subtly, against giving tax dollars to every fundamentalist going. Now, as if to prove he wants to lose the election, Tory has promised to allow the fundamentalist schools to teach creationism. Moreover, he has retracted the promise – partially – within hours of making it. Tory has proven how out-of-touch with the 21st century he is AND that he’s not in command of his own platform or campaign. If it was merely a blunder, it may have been as fatal as John Turner’s support of Pierre Trudeau’s patronage appointments in 1984.
Ontario voters prefer to be safe than sorry. John Tory might have once been seen to be a low-risk alternate choice for premier. Of his own volition, he has shown he is very high risk indeed. Maybe a return to the corporate sector is looking more attractive than four years in the low-paying (by comparison) Premier’s Office. It does seem Tory’s heart is not in winning on October 10.
Back to the election, which the pollsters have Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals leading in a too close to call race. When it comes to charisma, McGuinty is something of a vacuum. He has run a competent administration for the past four years and most Ontarians would agree the province is in better shape that it was four years ago. The provincial auditor has looked at the books before the election this time so we shouldn’t be faced with another Mike Harris/Ernie Eves cover-up. Teachers, school boards and government are at peace. Steady progress is being made on many of the healthcare issues against some of the entrenched self-interests of the healthcare establishment. But McGuinty has some embarrassments in his record, the health tax principle among them and also a bit of a black eye over cultural association grants.
So why have John Tory’s tactics and pronouncements been so downright stupid? I have known John since we were both college students and YPCs (Young Progressive Conservatives) and followed his career through Bill Davis’ premier’s office, Rogers, the CFL, etc. If I had lived in Toronto, I wold have voted for him for mayor. I’ve always considered him to be a good and man but I harbour some concerns that he might not be able to control some of the meaner power-brokers that remain in the Ontario PC party after the Harris years or co-associate with the federal manifestation of the once “progressive” conservative party.
In the past few weeks, Tory seemingly has gone out of his way to demonstrate that he and the Ontario PC party are as out-of-touch with Ontarians as are the federal neo-cons. The extremely negative ad campaign launched in August, presumably to soften up Liberal support – something like an artillery barrage before the infantry moves forward – probably offended more vacationing voters than it moved to the PC column. With no reason to go negative so early, Tory should have been telling voters about his aspirations for the province. Instead, in the most offensive ad, he told us McGuinty is responsible for children being shot in their schools. Nasty as that slur is, it ignores that fact that most voters know criminal law and sentencing are federal responsibilities. He is not going to win any swing-votes this way.
Then along came the bombshell of stupidity. Tory’s promise of funding for all religious schools reopened a debate that Ontario politicians have known it best to avoid since before Confederation. He gave the Liberals the opening to campaign in support of the public schools they have been working to improve and, ever so subtly, against giving tax dollars to every fundamentalist going. Now, as if to prove he wants to lose the election, Tory has promised to allow the fundamentalist schools to teach creationism. Moreover, he has retracted the promise – partially – within hours of making it. Tory has proven how out-of-touch with the 21st century he is AND that he’s not in command of his own platform or campaign. If it was merely a blunder, it may have been as fatal as John Turner’s support of Pierre Trudeau’s patronage appointments in 1984.
Ontario voters prefer to be safe than sorry. John Tory might have once been seen to be a low-risk alternate choice for premier. Of his own volition, he has shown he is very high risk indeed. Maybe a return to the corporate sector is looking more attractive than four years in the low-paying (by comparison) Premier’s Office. It does seem Tory’s heart is not in winning on October 10.
