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Archive of posts filed under the Toronto category.

ABP gaining traction?

Is the ‘Anyone But’ Party going to be the big winner at the Ontario municipal and provincial level?  And if so, how would that impact the next Federal election?

While driving home yesterday afternoon we happened to tune into AM 640 and Arlene Bynon’s program was centering on these questions – especially the first.

Lorrie Goldstein was interviewed on the subject and has a column in this morning’s Sun outlining the effect of the arrogant lefties’ assaults on Rob Ford – it is causing support to increase for Ford’s more fiscally conservative stance.  The tax and spend mentality of the NDPers in Toronto may have finally hit the wall of voters’ tolerance, especially in the outlying ‘burbs.

Christina Blizzard picks up this theme and extrapolates it to the Ontario Liberal government which is now the status quo and becoming increasingly arrogant and out-of-touch with the taxpayer.  The 2011 election may see a backlash there.  In fact it has already started:

…For the first time since he was re-elected in 2007, Dalton McGuinty is trailing the PC leader in the polls.

Ipsos figures show the PCs at 36%, have a narrow lead over the Liberals, at 35%.

The NDP is at 18% and Greens are at 11%.

Sure, a slim 1% margin hardly makes Tory Tim Hudak a shoo-in for the premier, but it gives the Tories a needed boost.

That figure isn’t the most important one. On every question, the Tories were ahead. A whopping 64% of those polled want a change in government.

What’s most surprising about the figures is that Hudak is largely unknown. It’s not so much Hudak they’re voting for as it is McGuinty they’re voting against.

They want anyone but him…

So if voter intention is moving against the status quo in Toronto and Ontario, what about the federal scene? Are the incumbent Tories in trouble?

My guess is not, because of the minority situation where the Government’s hands are bound by the 3 opposition parties and the constant threat of an election. So federally the fact is that the status quo is still the tax & spend mentality because a more fiscally-responsible position would be trashed by the left.

Therefore I think that if the Harper Conservatives could put forth a vision of Canada that would safeguard our economy, our communities and our borders, and restore respect to the taxpayer, then a majority is a realistic possibility – especially if it builds on the anyone-but-lefties momentum.

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Related

Iggy to Harper: “We make the rules!”David Akin (Great truth-ad fodder for the next election!)

And how about this from the same source?

The Conservatives, for the last three years, have raised twice as much money from twice as many people as all the other parties, including the Liberals, combined.

“Politics is not a spectator sport,” Ignatieff told the crowd here. “We need your help. We are up against the toughest political machine, the nastiest political machine in the history of Canadian politics.”

So any grass root supporters donating to the Conservative Party are enabling the nastiest political machine in the history of Canadian politics, according to Michael Ignatieff. Don’t you feel ashamed of yourselves?

I’m sure that Maria Augimeri would not be impressed with your progress on the ‘learning curve’ either.

Grumblings and rumblings from the underlings

Dalton McGuinty now admits that the Ontario Government should have clarified the exact range of temporary police powers during the G20 in Toronto.

But it sounds as if some backbenchers are still unhappy, according to a Star report by Robert Benzie:

“There’s a pattern of incompetence. Think about Andre Marin and the handling of that, think about the sex ed thing, think about the SuperCorp,” said one member.

And as I predicted, the G20 blowback is hitting those MPPs harder than the HST:

Another Grit said incredulously that some Ontarians seem more put out by the “sweeping powers they think we gave police” than by the 13 per cent harmonized sales tax that came into effect last Thursday and raised gasoline prices by 8 cents a litre.

That’s right.  Ontario Lemmings will take as many taxes as anyone cares to throw at them but just don’t try to fence them in.

Oh, and there was ‘tremendous psychological scarring’ – because Premier Dad’s glow is starting to tarnish.

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Update

Green Blackout
Tom Adams, Financial Post (this is a must-read!!):

...As far back as 2007, then Energy Minister Dwight Duncan took the environmentalists’ bait hook, line and sinker, opposing a relief transmission line as an option to help secure Toronto’s electricity supply…

Also please check out #justpaidmore on Twitter – re: HST

Eco fees latest McGuinty green grab: Editorial – Sun

And this is interesting - The green bulbs now have eco-fees whereas the old ones don’t. Who knew?

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Thursday Update

Anti-G20 group marches in Waterloo – Record:

The police response in Toronto “demonstrates that the powers that be cannot tolerate dissent,” said Wilfrid Laurier University psychology professor Richard Walsh-Bowers. The former NDP candidate said he plans to run as an independent candidate in Kitchener-Waterloo in the next federal election.

“If you don’t like the public policies, move the politicians out,” he told the crowd. “Overturn the state. It sucks.”

Wonderful. And this from a WLU prof. Figures.

Blair and McGuinty both lose cred

Kelly McParland and Lorne Gunter have just posted articles on Full Comment that essentially say the same thing – even if you don’t directly tell a lie you can still lose credibility by deliberately not correcting a misunderstanding in a public manner.

Perhaps the ends justified the means but the fallout could be costly for the Toronto Police chief and the Ontario Premier.

McGuinty on the hot seat post G-20

The pressure is building on Dalton McGuinty to explain why the expanded police powers were granted in secret at the request of Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.  Premier Dad refuses to comment. Perhaps it was just more tough medicine that he felt was necessary.

Now don’t get me wrong.  Personally I feel that extraordinary measures may have been necessary to keep everyone safe.  However one does wonder why the temporary expanded police powers weren’t broadcast to the public. And why won’t Dalton McGuinty explain his decision now that the event is over? Perhaps there was some strategic reason to keep it all quiet at the onset but surely he can explain himself now.

As Tim Hudak remarked, “I’d have a lot more respect for Premier McGuinty if he had the courage to let the public know that the law had changed.”

However, Tim Hudak doesn’t think this is all worth an inquiry:

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said there’s no need for a potentially costly public inquiry.

“Let’s put the finger of blame where it belongs. These are professional thugs and hooligans. It wasn’t about protest, it wasn’t about making any kind of political statement. It was about creating violence and property destruction and getting a thrill out of it,” Hudak told reporters at Queen’s Park.

“I fully expect that the police and the federal government will review how the G20 went, and look into it for hosting again, to make improvements.”

But this issue may hurt Dalton McGuinty more than the HST among some of his one-time supporters.

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Update

G20 weapons on display – Sun

Toronto Police seize machetes, sledgehammers, hot sauce from G20 protesters – National Post

Police given no special powers during G20: province – National Post

Mmmmm… Now the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together as to why the Ontario Government was so quiet up until now.

Bill Blair finds out it’s tough to straddle both sides of the fence – Gay activists challenge Blair – Sun.

Demonstrators storm police pride event – Star

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Wednesday Update

G20: Dalton’s Fake Law - The Iceman. (Also check out Wilson’s comments!)

I will give away cash, Lisa Laflamme, and some other very strange G20 goings on.Alberta Ardvark.  Awesome post and a summary of Fake Law links.

And from Twitter: Breaking: ONT gov to propose law legalizing fake laws, replace “Rule of Law” with “Rule of BS. (Wingnuterer)

We’re all in this together

If there was one message that I think Prime Minister Harper was trying to get out to Canadians this weekend, it’s that we can’t rest on our economic laurels. Canada has done very well in the recent economic crisis versus many other nations but we can’t afford to be smug. We must work together with other nations and try to forge a cohesive and integrated plan.

As we have seen with Greece, one country’s downfall can cause ripple effects across the globe.

Secondly, there currently exists no technology that can replace human contact and the affinity and understanding that comes with looking someone straight in the eye and greeting them with a firm handshake and a few jokes. And that human contact can generate some pressure to get results.

Beverly Thomson’s interview with Prime Minister Harper covers both of these points and more.

My fellow Canadians, there are still so many of you who don’t fully realize what a wonderful Prime Minister we have.  He is world class. But that’s o.k.

Someday you’ll get it.

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Tuesday Update

Summit a win for Stephen Harper: Editorial – Sun

Harper’s hour to shine
- Conrad Black, Financial Post (H/T Richco)

Rob Ford slightly ahead: Nanos

It seems that Torontonians are finally realizing that sound fiscal management is vital to the future of a healthy, world class city.

On the other hand I find myself cheering for George Smitherman because I’m afraid he’d go back to Ontario politics if he lost the mayoralty race.

And we sure don’t need that.

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Update

Kelly McParland: David Miller’s legacy could be Rob Ford - Full Comment

The Liberal Party of Toronto is broken

When even the Globe and Mail is railing against the Liberal party’s decision to back out of badly-needed refugee improvements, Michael Ignatieff and his Liberal colleagues had better pay attention (Liberal refugee policy: if it’s broke, don’t fix it).

It seems at every turn Mr. Iffy is demonstrating weak leadership. He waffles on the coalition prospects among other things, but we could write that off as game-playing.

However  Canada’s refugee system needs some serious tweaking. Jason Kenny and Maurizio Bevilacqua were quietly working together on a bi-partisan basis as Canadians expect MPs to do, and then along comes Gerard Kennedy, Denis Coderre and a few others throwing their weight around and then Mr. Iffy suddenly retreats.

As the Globe editorial asks, this is leadership?

I’m not sure if the problem is with Michael Ignatieff himself or if there is some kind of systemic issue within the party itself but Liberals are showing themselves to be increasingly weak and irrelevant in today’s political arena. They pander to their political base at the expense of principle. Of course all parties do that to a certain extent but this particular refugee problem needs to be fixed and there now appears to be no political will to do so on the part of the opposition.

We Conservatives can delight at the prospect of the once-mighty Liberal Party of Canada disintegrating before our very eyes, but in the long run it bodes very badly for the health of our country.

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Related

Liberal woes begin to add upDon Martin, Post

Bring on a two-party systemMatt Gurney, Post

Warren Kinsella on the Liberal/NDP Coalition – Christian Conservative

Half favour Liberal-NDP co-operation: poll – CTV

And PLEASE check out Bubba Brown’s 50 Ways to Lose Your Party in comments.