Kathleen Wynne v Kevin O'Leary

[Boges]

This weekend Ontario Premiere Kathleen Wynne and her 14% Approval rating decided to go after the newest addition to CPC Leadership Race and TV Personality Kevin O'Leary by writing an Open Letter. 

Quote

 

Dear Mr. O’Leary

I wanted to write to congratulate you on your decision to enter politics and offer a reply to some of the comments you have made recently in reference to Ontario.

For example, I noticed that you told one media outlet that our province trails Michigan when it comes to auto sector investment because, in your words, business there enjoys, “30% less in tax, no regulations and no carbon tax.”

In fact, that’s inaccurate on just about every count. As it turns out, Ontario has attracted roughly $2 billion worth of new auto sector investment in the last few months alone — far outpacing Michigan. Indeed, over the past five years, Ontario has accounted for 14.6% of all the auto production in North America, surpassing the share enjoyed by any other jurisdiction on either side of the border including — you guessed it — Michigan.

It’s true that there is no carbon tax in Michigan but our program to cap the emissions of industry is far less expensive and much more effective than the new carbon tax your fellow Conservatives have promised to introduce. It costs families less. Our plan will also produce $8.3 billion — every dollar of which will be reinvested into clean energy and new job creation. This kind of investment has enabled Ontario to become a leading destination for electric car assembly and production. That’s another category in which we lead our friends from Michigan. As for taxes, businesses in Ontario pay a combined federal and provincial rate of 28.5%. That’s significantly below the 38.9% they pay in Michigan.

Incidentally, Michigan does have regulations. Lots of them. Just like any other jurisdiction — to protect consumers from abusive business practices, protect clean water and breathable air and ensure basic standards of health and safety.

I know that responding to you with such facts runs the risk of missing the point. On American game shows and reality TV, no one expects their words to be taken literally — or even seriously. But for the millions of working families in Ontario who rely upon the auto sector to put bread on their table, I thought it was worth pointing out that your statements have been quite incorrect.

On a more general note, I will be curious to see how your ideas are received. Your policies so far suggest that serving society’s most well-off should be the sole role of government. I see things differently. I want an economy that keeps growing, creating and attracting good jobs. But I want an Ontario that rewards as many people as possible — where everyone who works hard can benefit and where opportunity is shared widely. In this respect, it’s exciting to see that Ontario is leading the country in both economic growth and job creation.

In closing, I want to welcome you to politics once again. I mean that sincerely. I respect anyone who is willing to enter the den.

Kathleen Wynne

 

Perhaps she should have just kept her mouth shut because it gave O'Leary to opportunity to destroy her and her record with his own Open Letter. 

Quote

 

Dear Premier Wynne,

Thank you for your letter. I have been writing you for a while now and was getting worried you were never going to write back.

I’m getting involved in the Conservative leadership race because I can’t stand watching incompetent politicians destroy my country. You and Justin Trudeau are two of them. Rachel Notley would be the third.

Look at Ontario, if this province were a company it would have been forced to declare bankruptcy ages ago. Because of your neglectful actions, Ontario is the world’s most in debt jurisdiction. Do you understand how bad that is? You and your policies have all but bankrupted a province that was once an economic powerhouse in Canada. If you were the CEO of one of my companies I would have fired you long ago.

Your complete disregard for the people of Ontario has caused hydro prices to become completely unaffordable for families, sometimes forcing them to choose between groceries and heat. I am sure you saw the video where one homeowner recently broke down in tears as she tried to explain the current situation to Justin Trudeau. His response was to pass the buck and to say this is an Ontario problem.

Premier, when you publicly took the blame and were forced to apologize to Ontarians because hydro prices have risen out of control, you admitted to “not paying close enough attention to some of the daily stresses facing Ontarians’ lives.”

What were you paying attention to? What exactly do you think your job is, if not to protect and support the people who elected you? How could you have let this happen?

Do you really think Ontario is going to be competitive with Michigan, and other northern states after Trump eliminates regulations and lowers taxes? You’re dreaming. Admit it, you did not see him coming and now you are totally caught off guard. Your answer to everything is to raise taxes, take money from businesses that employ Ontarians and then try and re-invest it yourself. I’m sorry, but you are a terrible investor of taxpayers’ money, that's why Ontario is $308 billion in debt. Harsh words? Sure but it’s the truth. Maybe you should consider leaving some money in the hands of Ontario business owners and entrepreneurs who can use it to grow our economy instead of taxing it all away.

Premier, you are clearly out of touch. But if you really think you are doing a good job, then prove it, and call an election tomorrow. Unfortunately, we both know you won’t do that though when you are sitting with a 16% approval rating in the polls. But I promise, it would be a very popular decision if you did.

Sincerely.

Kevin O’Leary

Conservative Party of Canada Leadership Candidate, Ontario taxpayer and your employer until the next election.

If you agree, tell me at https://olearyforcanada.ca and buy your Conservative Party of Canada membership so you can vote this May.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Boges

[H10]

If the Canadian liberals are smart, they'd simply ignore O'Leary, half the reason Trump won was because he got $3 billion in free advertising from the largelycentrist media which made everyone know who he was and gave him huge name recognition.

If they give O'Leary attention his chances of winning increase infinitely.

[?Impact]

That sounds like O'Leary going after Wynne, not the other way mourned. O'Leary just proved he is nothing more than an angry populist with zero credibility. He is sucking up to Trump in his letter, sounds like he is following in the wasteland.

[The_Squid]

O'Learey was sucking at the public teat for years on the CBC.  He, and his supporters, are a bunch of hypocrites.

[Boges]

2 minutes ago, ?Impact said:

That sounds like O'Leary going after Wynne, not the other way mourned. O'Leary just proved he is nothing more than an angry populist with zero credibility. He is sucking up to Trump in his letter, sounds like he is following in the wasteland.

The Wynne letter came first. 

O'Leary tore up Wynne pretty good. None of what he said is new though. Just reminded her how much she sucks. 

[Boges]

2 minutes ago, The_Squid said:

O'Learey was sucking at the public teat for years on the CBC.  He, and his supporters, are a bunch of hypocrites.

What if they support him for his Business accomplishments? Is defunding the CBC part of his platform? 

[?Impact]

3 minutes ago, Boges said:

The Wynne letter came first. 

O'Leary tore up Wynne pretty good.

Wynne letter was congratulatory, and correcting O'Leary statements. O'Leary letter started out calling Wynne & Trudeau incompetent, that is not tearing up that is childish ranting like Trump. O'Leary clearly showed his cards, he intends to be nothing more than populist trash.

[?Impact]

5 minutes ago, Boges said:

What if they support him for his Business accomplishments?

What business accomplishments? He overhyped his company and found a sucker to buy it at grossly inflated price. That is not accomplishment, that is being a lying used car salesman.

[Smallc]

Isn't the Ontario economy improving under Wynne?  

[Boges]

It seems Alberta and Ontario can't be successful at the same time. Ontario is being helped by the low dollar. 

But Wynne is unpopular because of her botched Hydro policy and the Province's mounting debt. 

[?Impact]

7 minutes ago, Boges said:

But Wynne is unpopular because of her botched Hydro policy and the Province's mounting debt. 

Yes, they need to get the debt down. That being said, they have been making significant progress in reducing the deficit which is the first step.

I agree that privatizing hydro was a big mistake, but let us not forget that is the Mike Harris policy. Wynne failed big time in not reversing that, but continuing a failed policy is different than creating one.

I think we are getting off topic here however.

Edited January 23, 2017 by ?Impact

[Smallc]

I don't know if we are.  I think that Wynne is probably not the first person that O'Leary should be attacking.

[Boges]

1 hour ago, ?Impact said:

Yes, they need to get the debt down. That being said, they have been making significant progress in reducing the deficit which is the first step.

I agree that privatizing hydro was a big mistake, but let us not forget that is the Mike Harris policy. Wynne failed big time in not reversing that, but continuing a failed policy is different than creating one.

I think we are getting off topic here however.

No we aren't, Wynne's popularity is directly linked to the fact that people are finding it hard to afford Hydro. And she's even apologized for it, not blamed Harris like you just did. 

Wynne's not going to win a slap fight with O'Leary. 

Edited January 23, 2017 by Boges

[betsy]

3 hours ago, Boges said:

This weekend Ontario Premiere Kathleen Wynne and her 14% Approval rating decided to go after the newest addition to CPC Leadership Race and TV Personality Kevin O'Leary by writing an Open Letter. 

Perhaps she should have just kept her mouth shut because it gave O'Leary to opportunity to destroy her and her record with his own Open Letter. 

hahahahaha!  O'Leary is something to watch!  He'll mop the floor with Trudeau and Wynne, at the same time! 

[H10]

3 hours ago, Smallc said:

Isn't the Ontario economy improving under Wynne?  

yes, it is, growth has done well in the last quarter.

3 hours ago, Boges said:

It seems Alberta and Ontario can't be successful at the same time. Ontario is being helped by the low dollar. 

But Wynne is unpopular because of her botched Hydro policy and the Province's mounting debt. 

Alberta exports resources and imports machines, Ontario imports resources and exports machines and manufactured goods.  They are two sides of a coin.  For Alberta, the ideal government was Harper, high oil, high dollar.  For Ontario and Quebec, it is liberal government, low dollar, low oil.

[Ash74]

3 hours ago, ?Impact said:

I agree that privatizing hydro was a big mistake, but let us not forget that is the Mike Harris policy. Wynne failed big time in not reversing that, but continuing a failed policy is different than creating one

Actually Ernie Eves cancelled that. 

Wynne is making this Her policy but deflect away if it makes you feel better. 

 

I can't imagine a bigger gift from Wynne than for her than to criticize O'Leary. He likely doubled his Ontario support with that letter she sent him. 

[Moonlight Graham]

I don't really care about anything Wynne or O'Leary say.  I don't like either of them.

[?Impact]

3 hours ago, Ash74 said:

Actually Ernie Eves cancelled that. 

I can't imagine a bigger gift from Wynne than for her than to criticize O'Leary. He likely doubled his Ontario support with that letter she sent him. 

What legislation are you talking about, Eves didn't do anything w.r.t. privatization. He did shut down the coal plants, except for Lakeshore as that was Harris.

Wynne was not criticizing O'Leary, she was correcting mistakes he made in his criticism of her. How can you interpret her letter as criticism, it is a response to him. His open letter however is a childish rant.

[Ash74]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/wynnes-quest-for-full-valuethe-long-road-to-privatization/article23461789/

 

Mike Harris started the ball rolling. Ernie Eves cancelled it. This is fact. Mcguinty looked into it but it is Wynne that is selling Hydro One. Not Harris not Eves not even Mcguinty. This is a full on Ontario Liberals plan now. After 13 years you think there would be a new spin

[?Impact]

15 hours ago, Ash74 said:

Mike Harris started the ball rolling. Ernie Eves cancelled it. This is fact. Mcguinty looked into it but it is Wynne that is selling Hydro One. Not Harris not Eves not even Mcguinty. This is a full on Ontario Liberals plan now. After 13 years you think there would be a new spin

Yes, if you laser focus on Hydro One as a single entity then you have a point, but then Hydro One didn`t exist prior to Harris. He broke up the hydro resources into many smaller units so he could sell them off. Much of the rest has already been sold off, or investment stopped so that private corporations took over the market opportunity and left the government holding the bag on old assets. You can`t however ignore all the rest and pretend it never happened.

[Boges]

8 minutes ago, ?Impact said:

Yes, if you laser focus on Hydro One as a single entity then you have a point, but then Hydro One didn`t exist prior to Harris. He broke up the hydro resources into many smaller units so he could sell them off. Much of the rest has already been sold off, or investment stopped so that private corporations took over the market opportunity and left the government holding the bag on old assets. You can`t however ignore all the rest and pretend it never happened.

I think you should stop trying to blame Harris on Hyrdo rates. The Ontario Liberals have to own this and are owning this. When you've been in power for 13 years, all attempts to blame the previous administration sound juvenile. 

This also doesn't explain the Green Energy Act and the extremely high Feed Inn Tariffs which have increased prices.

[?Impact]

Just now, Boges said:

I think you should stop trying to blame Harris on Hyrdo rates. The Ontario Liberals have to own this and are owning this. When you've been in power for 13 years, all attempts to blame the previous administration sound juvenile. 

This also doesn't explain the Green Energy Act and the extremely high Feed Inn Tariffs which have increased prices.

I think you should stop trying to put words in my mouth. I am blaming Harris of the Electricity Act that lead to privatization. Yes the feed in tariffs have increased prices, but they are a very minor part of the hydro rates (around 6%). Pretending they are the reason we have high hydro costs is misleading.

[Boges]

And Wynne is the one that sold off a majority share of Hydro One. That's not something that's on the current PC Party platform AFAIK. 

The Harris Tories were ousted over a decade ago, It's time for change in Ontario, it's been time for change for at least 5 years now actually. 

[?Impact]

23 minutes ago, Boges said:

It's time for change in Ontario, it's been time for change for at least 5 years now actually. 

I agree it is time for change, we need a credible party to step up an offer that change.

[Rue]

On 1/23/2017 at 2:42 PM, Smallc said:

Isn't the Ontario economy improving under Wynne?  

ahahaahahahahahahaahahaahahaahahaahahaahahaahahaahah

I just coughed out my kidney and prostate stop that was funny

ahahahahahaahaahhashasahahah