Ontario election of PC leader

[Topaz]

Anyone want to debate who they think will win... Brown or Elliot ? If Brown wins, he may not win the Premiership in the next election because his association to the Harper party and Prentice and jean didn't win in Alberta. I hope Elliot wins.

[Michael Hardner]

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/next-ontario-pc-leader-needs-to-move-the-party-closer-to-the-centre-to-beat-liberals-pollsters

He suggested that if Elliott won — which would mark a historic first where all three party leaders in the country’s largest province are women — could better position the party to beat Wynne.

“Apples to apples, Christine Elliott is more likely to win (in a general election) because she is a left-of-centre Tory and it fits…. Three women leaders…. not Hudak,” he said.

Ontario has seen the light and it's... the centre ! The awful Liberals still managed to stay in power because the alternative was too scary for them. John Tory's loss was the only miss by a centrist candidate, and people hadn't really settled in on their dislike for McGuinty yet at that time.

[Big Guy]

I agree. There are still many people who remember and were unhappy with the Harris leadership. John Tory had my vote but that private school funding gaff buried him. If Elliott is the nest leader she will be the next Premier. If Brown gets in with the Harris rock still around his neck then Kathleen has a chance for another 4 years.

[Topaz]

So just heard Brown won and he was saying he wants to work with business and unions but I can't see that happening, its like east is east and west is west.... Reporter said rumours of Elliot may cross the floor to were???

[Shady]

Ontario would be so lucky to have a 4 year Harris-like run. Balanced and surplus budgets. Job creation. Paying down large amounts of the debt. Lower taxes. Lower energy costs. Higher debt rating, a AAA, which also lowered the cost of financing the existing debt. Yeah, who wants any of that. Lol.

[On Guard for Thee]

Ontario would be so lucky to have a 4 year Harris-like run. Balanced and surplus budgets. Job creation. Paying down large amounts of the debt. Lower taxes. Lower energy costs. Higher debt rating, a AAA, which also lowered the cost of financing the existing debt. Yeah, who wants any of that. Lol.

Harris helped get the province where it is now by cutting taxes and downloading to municipalities, and then borrowing huge money to pay for it all. Not unlike the way Harper blew the surplus he was handed.

[Big Guy]

To Shady - The Harris battle has been fought. The majority of Ontarians elected him to a majority and then tossed him out after 7 years. He and his policies were popular enough to keep him in power and then rejected overwhelmingly 7 years later.

You may want to refight those battles but they are over. It is not disputed that after Harris, the Liberals will be in power now for at least 15 years. Most people believe that to be the result of Harris legacy since the Liberals have been using that in their campaigns successfully for the last 4 elections.

With the teachers ready to go out again, some people may be pining for Harris - but most were not during the last election.

[Argus]

Don't know much about Brown, but I think Elliot would have been a much easier sell. Many Ontarions are looking for an alternative to the incompetent Liberals, and a reasonable, unscary leader would have been much more palatable. Brown is another right winger in the mold of Hudak. That will make it way easier for the Liberals and NDP to portray him as the scary guy who's going to take away all their wonderful social services and create labour chaos like Harris did. Mind you, I think Ontario needs someone like him at this point in time, and that Elliot's softer PC focus wouldn't have been as much different from the Liberals as is needed. Still, she would have been an improvement on Wynn and would have had the route to power greased for her. Brown's election seems largely based on him organizing lots and lots of new members (mostly ethnic members) to join the party and vote for him. That doesn't in any way suggest he's going to be more appealing to the public than Elliot (or Hudak) was.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Argus

[Freddy]

Anything anti Union will fail in Ontario. i'd vote for a pro-Union Conservative Leader.

Anything else will fail.

[John]

The way he came out of nowhere to win the leadership was quite impressive.He now has 3+ years to work on showing Ontario what he's all about and prove he's not scary. I think he can do it. It's going to be very interesting to watch things unfold.

[Big Guy]

I agree with John. I find it refreshing that young blood is entering the political theatre for any political party. The current crop does not seem to have done a very good job so I trust that the next generation will do better. Lots of luck Mr. Brown, I really do wish you well.

But - You need a seat. Who is going to give up their future for you?

I would suggest Toby Barrett from our riding. It is almost a guaranteed Conservative seat and Toby is having trouble staying awake during legislative periods.

[MiddleClassCentrist]

He should run in Barrie the next election. Hudak scared enough voters to Liberal because the wives of union members are often the breadwinners up this way, and the incumbent Rod Jackson was an ass.

He has held on to Barrie for a long time as an MP, and I think Barrie is smart enough to try and elect a party leader to get the kickback cashflow that always comes with it.

I'll see what his plans are before making judgement. It's been a long time since I've been able to support a conservative party. All of the current ones are seem to be corporate toys through and through. Let's see money going to small business innovation, technology innnovation, and technology education for modern careers to build Ontario into the future, please.

Edited May 10, 2015 by MiddleClassCentrist

[Topaz]

He had the support of the PM's wife, she gave him advice I read, so a good chance the PM too, which may not be a good thing for many Ontarians if he hits the social programs and really deep cuts and really hurts workers and sends up unemployment, but it a long time until the next provincial election and any thing can happen.

[WWWTT]

Ontario would be so lucky to have a 4 year Harris-like run. Balanced and surplus budgets. Job creation. Paying down large amounts of the debt. Lower taxes. Lower energy costs. Higher debt rating, a AAA, which also lowered the cost of financing the existing debt. Yeah, who wants any of that. Lol.

Canada ranks #16 in world economies!

Think of that for a while, think about who is to blame!

Own it conservatives and liberals! Own the garbage that you created and sweep under the rug while pointing your finger at a picture of Mohammed yelling "Look, free speech!" Like as if that picture of Mohammed is somehow going to create a thriving economy?

Keep running and hiding from the hard facts conservatives/liberals.

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

I agree. There are still many people who remember and were unhappy with the Harris leadership. John Tory had my vote but that private school funding gaff buried him. If Elliott is the nest leader she will be the next Premier. If Brown gets in with the Harris rock still around his neck then Kathleen has a chance for another 4 years.

I agree with John. I find it refreshing that young blood is entering the political theatre for any political party. The current crop does not seem to have done a very good job so I trust that the next generation will do better. Lots of luck Mr. Brown, I really do wish you well.

But - You need a seat. Who is going to give up their future for you?

I would suggest Toby Barrett from our riding. It is almost a guaranteed Conservative seat and Toby is having trouble staying awake during legislative periods.

He should run in Barrie the next election. Hudak scared enough voters to Liberal because the wives of union members are often the breadwinners up this way, and the incumbent Rod Jackson was an ass.

He has held on to Barrie for a long time as an MP, and I think Barrie is smart enough to try and elect a party leader to get the kickback cashflow that always comes with it.

I'll see what his plans are before making judgement. It's been a long time since I've been able to support a conservative party. All of the current ones are seem to be corporate toys through and through. Let's see money going to small business innovation, technology innnovation, and technology education for modern careers to build Ontario into the future, please.

These three comments are perfect examples of why this province and this country are ranked #16 in the world!

Total lack of reality of what Asian countries among others are doing to propel themselves beyond Canada's reach. Forget about the lack of vision.

It's going to take a lot more than new blood. It's going to take a lot of purging of the old blood would be more like it!

WWWTT

[Shady]

Canada ranks #16 in world economies!

Think of that for a while, think about who is to blame!

Own it conservatives and liberals! Own the garbage that you created and sweep under the rug while pointing your finger at a picture of Mohammed yelling "Look, free speech!" Like as if that picture of Mohammed is somehow going to create a thriving economy?

Keep running and hiding from the hard facts conservatives/liberals.

WWWTT

You seem to be obsessed with these rankings when size of economies is largely based on population. Norway's economy is ranked 28th, but is one of the most prosperous countries in the world, topping the best nation to live in list. Unfortunately for you, China doesn't fare very well. So there's nothing for anybody to "own". And the cartoon issue is a completely separate issue. But you're a big China fan, so free speech wouldn't rank very high with you anyways.

[WWWTT]

You seem to be obsessed with these rankings when size of economies is largely based on population.

According to conservatives/liberals it is now. Wasn't the case a few years ago. But hey, those goal posts have to keep moving around so conservative/liberals can keep the corporate economy rapers in power!

And then you use the socialist country Norway as an example!

Thanks for throwing mud on your face!

WWWTT

[Shady]

According to conservatives/liberals it is now. Wasn't the case a few years ago. But hey, those goal posts have to keep moving around so conservative/liberals can keep the corporate economy rapers in power!

And then you use the socialist country Norway as an example!

Thanks for throwing mud on your face!

WWWTT

What was it a few years ago? Norway has a capitalist free-market economy last I checked. Also a democracy, something China wouldn't know much about.

[Keepitsimple]

Following in the tradition of Federal Conservatives being elected when Liberals are in power in the Province, Kathleen Wynne and the Provincial Liberals will prove to be a boat anchor around the neck of Trudeau. The Wynne government has fallen to 24% in popularity through its sheer incompetence and disdain for taxpayers. Federal Tories will rightly say "Do you want more of the same from Justin Trudeau?". Don't be surprised to see the Tories hold steady in their Ontario seat total while the NDP pick off some urban ridings. Wynne will be toxic for Trudeau but looking through a Liberal lens, they won't see it.

[Michael Hardner]

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/04/new-poll-shows-wynnes-approval-numbers-drop

Better to post the link then to just quote numbers.

If an election were held now, 36% of voters would support the Progressive Conservatives, 29% would cast ballots for the Liberals, 24% would back the NDP. Another 9% would vote for the Green Party.

[Keepitsimple]

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/04/new-poll-shows-wynnes-approval-numbers-drop

Better to post the link then to just quote numbers.

Yes - sorry - had to get back to my REAL job....here it is:

The NDP was at 36 per cent compared to 33 per cent for Brown’s ‎Tories, while Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals were down to 24 per cent and Mike Schreiner’s Greens were at 5 per cent.

That’s a change from a similar poll two weeks ago that had the Tories at 36 per cent, the Liberals at 29 per cent, the NDP at 24 per cent, and the Greens at 9 per cent.

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/05/13/patrick-browns-leadership-win-boosts-ndp-numbers-poll-shows.html?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fr.search.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DA0LEV2W7rVNV8SkAfYjrFAx.%3B_ylu%3DX3oDMTEzZ2JwNXNjBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM1BHZ0aWQDQ0FDMDAxXzEEc2VjA3Ny%2FRV%3D2%2FRE%3D1431576124%2FRO%3D10%2FRU%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.thestar.com%252fnews%252fqueenspark%252f2015%252f05%252f13%252fpatrick-browns-leadership-win-boosts-ndp-numbers-poll-shows.html%2FRK%3D0%2FRS%3DBUoqQ9vMwmJBLUQ8oa1tcoWoyqU-

[Argus]

Yes - sorry - had to get back to my REAL job....here it is:

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/05/13/patrick-browns-leadership-win-boosts-ndp-numbers-poll-shows.html?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fr.search.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DA0LEV2W7rVNV8SkAfYjrFAx.%3B_ylu%3DX3oDMTEzZ2JwNXNjBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM1BHZ0aWQDQ0FDMDAxXzEEc2VjA3Ny%2FRV%3D2%2FRE%3D1431576124%2FRO%3D10%2FRU%3Dhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.thestar.com%2fnews%2fqueenspark%2f2015%2f05%2f13%2fpatrick-browns-leadership-win-boosts-ndp-numbers-poll-shows.html%2FRK%3D0%2FRS%3DBUoqQ9vMwmJBLUQ8oa1tcoWoyqU-

Pardon me for questioning any poll which has a party increasing it's popularity by 50% in a week when nothing much has happened.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Argus

[WWWTT]

What was it a few years ago? Norway has a capitalist free-market economy last I checked. Also a democracy, something China wouldn't know much about.

Sorry I must have been rushing when making the comment.

The population excuse is now being used from the right on this forum now that I have made it clear that Canada's world economic rankings are far less than luster.

Norway is a very socialist country with very high taxes.

The second time I was in China, My in-laws were voting at the time.

If you don't understand how the system works in China, that simply is not my fault.

Furthermore, the Chinese model is surging ahead year after year!

At this rate, in less than 10 years, their economy will surpass DOUBLE of the US!

Tell you what, go to China and tell people there that they're screwed because they can't vote in a political system that you think that they should have.

But take my advise, don't tell them what to do on payday, when they're on one of many vacations or when they are enjoying leisure time.

Funny how countries that do the exact opposite of right wing governments always seem to be surging ahead hey?

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

Pardon me for questioning any poll which has a party increasing it's popularity by 50% in a week when nothing much has happened.

Here's some more in your face I don't like polls so says the right wingers!

http://poll.forumresearch.com/post/287/liberals-in-3rd-place

WWWTT