Ontario Byelections

Boges · July 2, 2013

FIVE! Count em Five! Liberal MPs have quit in the last year. Each election could cost upwards of half million dollars.

Is this a cost that the province just has to eat? Or should the fact that so many people are jumping the Liberal ship be evidence that we really do need an election?

Here's a column from the Sun that argues that elected officials should be held to a higher standard to serve their constituents for a full term.

Perhaps leaving office early (without a good reason) should come with a financial penalty.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/21/enough-with-the-byelections

Edited July 2, 2013 by Boges

Wild Bill · July 2, 2013

FIVE! Count em Five! Liberal MPs have quit in the last year. Each election could cost upwards of half million dollars.

Is this a cost that the province just has to eat? Or should the fact that so many people are jumping the Liberal ship be evidence that we really do need an election?

Here's a column from the Sun that argues that elected officials should be held to a higher standard to serve their constituents for a full term.

Perhaps leaving office early (without a good reason) should come with a financial penalty.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/06/21/enough-with-the-byelections

Interesting, Boges! Did not Andrea Horvath cite the cost of an election as one of the reasons she has been propping up the Liberals?

If that's the case and 5 byelections would cost 2.5 million dollars, perhaps she should bring down this government and force a general election!

She could then take credit for saving the taxpayer 2.5 million dollars.

Of course, she will do no such thing. Saving us money has nothing to do with why her party doesn't want an election.

Topaz · July 2, 2013

Would it be cheaper to get rid of the parties and just have people run for a certain job to run the province. Let's say you want to be Premier or CEO, so put your resume online and in the papers and when election day comes, we vote who we want for that job. The government is run like a corporations, with the same laws and rules and if anything goes wrong or any laws broken, that person goes to jail or heavily fined. The group can rule for 5 years before another election but the voters of the province, has the right to recall anyone who doesn't measure up. Thoughts?

scribblet · July 3, 2013

Pretty sneaking calling the by elections in August at the beginning of a long weekend. Wynne should just call a general election in October.

Boges · July 3, 2013

The only interesting part of this Byelection story is the potential that Doug Ford might run in the Etobicoke riding.

scribblet · July 3, 2013

Would he have to step down as a Councillor if he did that, or just take a leave of absence.

I just heard some commentary this morning about the timing of the by elections. Voter turnout is pretty low anyway, imagine how low it will in August.

Boges · July 3, 2013

Would he have to step down as a Councillor if he did that, or just take a leave of absence.

No he wouldn't. It's just a one-month campaign anyway.

In the column I linked to in the OP they talk about a mayor of a BC town that ran in the BC Provincial election that ended up winning a seat.

guyser · July 3, 2013

The only interesting part of this Byelection story is the potential that Doug Ford might run in the Etobicoke riding.

Who for? No one wants him and his baggage.

It would be nice that the ~~Mayor~~ Councillor gets out of city politics

Boges · July 3, 2013

Sorry I made a mistake. The PCs want Doug Holyday to run. The other Conservative Doug from Etobicoke.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2013/07/02/20947001.html

guyser · July 3, 2013

Ah yes....makes sense. Doug has sunk his ship for a few years, no one will touch him.

Topaz · July 4, 2013

I can't see any Liberals being elected this time around and it will be interesting to see who. I"m thinking that the NDP will take at least one.

Boges · July 4, 2013

I can't see any Liberals being elected this time around and it will be interesting to see who. I"m thinking that the NDP will take at least one.

The Windsor seat could go NDP. Dwight Duncan was behind shutting down the Racetrack there.

London and Etobicoke should/could go PC. I'm not sure about Scarborough.

As for Ottawa-South, Can't see that going anything but Liberal, that's McGuinty's seat. BUT! It would be a fantastic rejection of him if that seat goes PC.

DFCaper · July 4, 2013

I hope all 5 seats go NDP. Then maybe the PCs will see it as a sign that they need to get rid of Hudak and put in someone who is a little more electable.

Or are we stuck with him no matter what happens? I have been at the point that I don't care who wins, besides the liberials, for a long time now.

Boges · July 4, 2013

I hope all 5 seats go NDP. Then maybe the PCs will see it as a sign that they need to get rid of Hudak and put in someone who is a little more electable.

Or are we stuck with him no matter what happens? I have been at the point that I don't care who wins, besides the liberials, for a long time now.

Remember Dalton lost his first election.

What is Hudak doing that's so horrible? Who's a candidate that'll be better. The PCs went with the soft centrist with John Tory and that didn't work.

Hudak lost because his platform didn't differentiate itself enough from what Dalton was promising.

Since then Hudak has come out with several policy statements to identify him as a stark alternative to the Liberals.

Boges · July 4, 2013

So Doug Holyday is running for the Etobicoke-Lakeshore seat. I'd say he's a lock.

Boges · July 4, 2013

Ken Coran, the head of the Public Secondary teachers, is running for the Liberals in London-West.

Same guy who was campaigning for the NDP last year because of Bill 115.

What an (expletive) hypocrite. I pray this guy doesn't win.

WWWTT · July 7, 2013

Not going to support the ONDP candidate for Windsor/Tecumseth!

I believe Hibert is his name?

He was a very popular city councillor,but he voted to privatize the garbage collection and put out union jobs!

How this guy passed the candidate search committee is beyond me!!!!

I hope the ONDP losses in Windsor!

WWWTT

Boges · July 8, 2013

The Windsor seat is the one where the NDP are considered a lock. The Liberals shunned Windsor's favourite daughter Sandra Pupatello at the leadership convention and Dwight Duncan proved to be a pretty abysmal Finance Minister.

Another interesting race now is in Scarborough-Guildwood. Adam Giambrone is said to be attempting a comeback for the NDP there. He was the Mayoralty candidate/City Councillor that had to bow out because it was found out that he was having "relations" with a girl that wasn't his girlfriend in his office. He's considered a transit expert. The Liberals are putting up a lady named Mitzy Hunter. She's one of those Metrolinx Big Move/New Revenue Tools advocates.

It'll be interesting to hear Giambrone tow the party line opposing these revenue tools. He's also fighting in a riding where the Subway/LRT debate is raging.

WWWTT · July 8, 2013

Adam is/was on the candidate search committee!

Bunch of ONDP hypocricy!!!!

It's unethical for him to be a candidate!

Adam is very arogant and I hope he learns a lesson in how to be humble.

WWWTT

Boges · July 8, 2013

What the sex scandal wasn't a sufficient humbling?

WWWTT · July 8, 2013

Not within the NDP ranks

WWWTT

WWWTT · July 8, 2013

Here's the link about Adam

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/07/07/giambrone_returns_to_politics_running_for_ndp_in_scarboroughguildwood_byelection.html

I'm going to find out who else was on the candidate list for this riding.

It's going to hit the fan at the next ONDP provincial council meeting!

WWWTT

Nino · July 14, 2013

QUOTING a comment:

"...many people are jumping the Liberal ship be evidence that we really do need an election?"

The cost for by-election is about $2 million. The cost for a provincial election is estimated about $250 million.

The question is, "is it worth it?" I will tell you, "Not." Why? Because the track record of the opposition parties screams that they are only less bad. In other words, the same shit in different package.

What we need is to find a way to make our elected politicians accountable to those who pay their salary and benefits.

QUOTING a comment:

"Here's a column from the Sun that argues that elected officials should be held to a higher standard to serve their constituents for a full term."

MY RESPONSE to "should be held to a higher standard to serve their constituents for a full term"

We all know it full well. We have been hearing this obvious need for decades.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND those who really want to held their politicians to higher standards to exploit the website of the non-profit, non-partisan organization

Canadians For Integrity

www.CanadiansForIntegrity.org

The changes we do need requires actins, not grousing.

WWWTT · July 18, 2013

What the sex scandal wasn't a sufficient humbling?

Here's more on your buddy Adam.

Looks like this guy doesn't pass the sniff test!

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/07/18/ndp_fights_for_its_soul_in_scarborough_civil_war_cohn.html

WWWTT

Boges · July 18, 2013

Here's more on your buddy Adam.

Looks like this guy doesn't pass the sniff test!

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2013/07/18/ndp_fights_for_its_soul_in_scarborough_civil_war_cohn.html

WWWTT

He's not my buddy. I've seen him on multiple media outlets and he seems quite affable. But he's also done some pretty bone-headed things.

But clearly you have insider info.

I'm not a fan of the reason Mitzi Hunter is running and I hope she loses.

Edited July 18, 2013 by Boges