Ontario Election 2007

[jdobbin]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

Could Tory lose his own riding?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

It might otherwise be just another all-candidates gabfest in a province with 107 ridings, except Sunday's debate in the flashpoint riding of Don Valley West has taken on the trappings of a Goliath versus Goliath battle emblematic of Ontario's larger election campaign.

For Liberal Kathleen Wynne, the province's popular education minister, the debate affords an opportunity to do some direct damage to her chief nemesis, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, a man many voters believe would make a fine premier, according to opinion polls.

"(The debate) could have a major role in the way people make up their minds there," Liberal party spokesman Ben Chin said on Saturday.

"All indications are this is a knock 'em down, drag 'em out fight right till the last minute, up till one minute before the polls close."

Tory was in fighting form during a taping for a television interview that was to air Saturday night, appearing confident of the race's outcome.

"I'm going to win my riding. I've lived there for 48 years. They know me, I know them. I'm going to win the election and I'm going to be sitting here four years from now discussing my re-election campaign, defending my record with you," he told Focus Ontario host Sean Mallen.

Choosing among the two strong candidates is a dilemma keenly felt by voters in this mostly affluent, tree-lined constituency.

The one nasty fly in Tory's ointment is his unwavering pledge to have taxpayers spend $400 million to fund religious schools, a widely panned idea that has left many brows furrowed on even the party's strongest supporters.

"The schools policy was one that was obviously thought about very carefully about before the election," Tory said Saturday during a campaign stop in Thunder Bay, Ont.

[kengs333]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

Could Tory lose his own riding?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

I hope so. Interesting how he's changing gears and focusing on the tride-and-true Conservative issue of crime.

[capricorn]

I hope so. Interesting how he's changing gears and focusing on the tride-and-true Conservative issue of crime.

kengs, parties do it all the time when they dive in opinion polls. Paul Martin played the "scary Harper" card in the last 2 elections and was half successful. Dion is now trying to revive this mantra to boost his numbers. A perilous move IMO.

Tory's just doing what he has to do is all. He is, after all, hanging from his fingertips.

I say it's time all the parties find new strategies (and strategists?).

http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost...ttle-stale.aspx

Edited September 30, 2007 by capricorn

[capricorn]

John Tory and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne squared off in a debate today in their Don Valley West riding.

Ms. Wynne, who had earlier in the week accused the Conservative leader of running away from the discussion about religious school funding, pulled no punches in her assessment of Mr. Tory's plan, suggesting it could throw the province into a constitutional debate that would “open wounds and pitch neighbour against neighbour.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ection2007/home

Add to this the fact that McGuinty ripped 2 million dollars from the public education system to fund the Penetanguishene Protestant School Board in 2006 and one can see that Wynne is right. The present funding of Catholic and Protestant schools reinforces the case for those who want fairness in education funding.

http://www.pssb.ca/financial.html

(financial statements links on the right of page, see page 4 of the PDF doc)

By all reports, the debate was quite animated.

[daniel]

I hope so. Interesting how he's changing gears and focusing on the tride-and-true Conservative issue of crime.

Eight straight years of a Conservative government (and 40yrs before that) and we still have crime.

[Higgly]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

Could Tory lose his own riding?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070929/...l/elxn_ont_main

It's not his riding. It's Wynne's riding. Tory's riding is out in Orangeville.

[Higgly]

Eight straight years of a Conservative government (and 40yrs before that) and we still have crime.

Good point!

[kengs333]

kengs, parties do it all the time when they dive in opinion polls. Paul Martin played the "scary Harper" card in the last 2 elections and was half successful. Dion is now trying to revive this mantra to boost his numbers. A perilous move IMO.

Tory's just doing what he has to do is all. He is, after all, hanging from his fingertips.

I say it's time all the parties find new strategies (and strategists?).

http://communities.canada.com/nationalpost...ttle-stale.aspx

Thanks. I'm well aware of what parties do. Nonetheless, I still find it interesting.

[kengs333]

It's not his riding. It's Wynne's riding. Tory's riding is out in Orangeville.

He simply looked like a fool today and I think he's basically proven himself to be unsuited for Premier. McGuinty may be a little fruity, but at least he knows what he's doing. Looks like another Liberal majority. Shold be interesting to see how badly the PC implodes.

[mikedavid00]

He simply looked like a fool today and I think he's basically proven himself to be unsuited for Premier. McGuinty may be a little fruity, but at least he knows what he's doing. Looks like another Liberal majority. Shold be interesting to see how badly the PC implodes.

Yeah I think that was so damaging to Tory that no one even wants to talk about it. I've cringed so many times during this election and today was the biggest cringe.

I think everyone politician in Canada learned a big lesson from what happened tonight.

I've been saying over and over, the modern Canadian does not want a visionary, they do not want an idealist, they do not want a daddy, and they do not want a leader.

They want a manger. Nothing less, nothing more. Just a manager who works for the people. Tory is not that. McGuinty is.

BTW, sources cited from a news anchor on a local radio station said that this happened over pressure within his own party and lots of in fighting. He was supposedly in phone confrences last night with concerned members threatening to go public and turn their back on Tory if he didn't abide. After all this, he still refused to back down and then the poll released showing he was 15 points below in his own riding. A pundant on the CBC said that Ontario voters won't go for even a 'chance' of this and it's simply not enough with what he proposed. A couple people said that he wasn't cut out for public life. I just cringed all day long.

Believe this or not, they did a chinese/indian debate (all three leaders) and now the tone with the chinese 'community' is that they don't trust his *judgment* (not leadership) in important affairs and most immigrants in the Chinese community were against private funding for religioius schools. (note that Chinese in Toronto are largely athiest or christian). The lady said that Chinese get very wary of people who make poor judgement and will outcast them as not being able to be trusted. Not for promises, but for judgement.

And I agreed with her.

Tory would have been a great Permier. Our Ralph Klien even. But he fell victim to mass immigration. The Immigrants interfered with our political structure once again and look what happened. Tory misjudged Ontarians becuase he is an elite. He's not grass roots. He doesn't know how its like to stare out your window and see 8 minivans with women in Hijabs grabbing big green garbage bags of 'who knows what' into and out of their house. He doesn't relate to the common person in Ontario. He has probably never had to even speak to a Samolian in Ottawa or even knows they exist. He's completely out of touch.

(God.. imagine a Somali private school... wow..)

Time to change my signature I guess becuase the election is pretty much over.

[jennie]

They want a manger. Nothing less, nothing more. Just a manager who works for the people. Tory is not that. McGuinty is.

I think this is a very true statement: Canadians just keep looking for a manager they can trust.

But he fell victim to mass immigration. The Immigrants interfered with our political structure once again and look what happened. Tory misjudged Ontarians becuase he is an elite. He's not grass roots.

Agreed. He's deck fluff.

He doesn't know how its like to stare out your window and see 8 minivans with women in Hijabs grabbing big green garbage bags of 'who knows what' into and out of their house. He doesn't relate to the common person in Ontario. He has probably never had to even speak to a Samolian in Ottawa or even knows they exist. He's completely out of touch.

(God.. imagine a Somali private school... wow..)

There may well be one now, or several. Do you know?

I am curious what is the implication of minivans, Hijabs and garbage bags?

Are these people simply moving by any chance?

[capricorn]

Dan Gardner likens Dalton McGuinty, Jim Watson, Greg Sorbara and Howard Hampton to the good ole' boys down south defending the status quo on education.

Who are the white guys who are sitting at the front of the bus? Dalton McGuinty is one. Howard Hampton is another. So are the millions of Ontarians who oppose Tory's proposal but do not see any need to change the status quo. They are the white guys who, for the last couple of months, as Tory's proposal stirred up a debate about funding, couldn't understand why that negro lady wouldn't just be quiet and take her seat at the back of the bus.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/column...d3-1f155f35398b

When you peel away the layers, a not-so-pleasant odour makes it to the surface.

[M.Dancer]

Dan Gardner likens Dalton McGuinty, Jim Watson, Greg Sorbara and Howard Hampton to the good ole' boys down south defending the status quo on education.

I thought the analogy was over the top. Apparetly I ain't alone.

I normally find Dan Gardner one of the more interesting columnists out there, in large part because he's provocative. But there's being provocative, and there's just being ludicrous. With what has to be the most strained - not to mention offensive - analogy ever applied to Ontario politics, I think it's fair to say that today he veered wildly into the latter.

To compare the 65% of Ontarians who can't send their kids to state-funded religious schools (the legacy of a reasonable compromise on which Confederation was built) to the suffering of blacks in the segregated south (the product of centuries of abhorrent racism) is a new low for a debate that's already seen a few.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/wbradwanski

[capricorn]

I thought the analogy was over the top. Apparetly I ain't alone.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/wbradwanski

Very over the top. In fact, I'm surprised the Citizen printed that article.