August 15, 2011 / 17:26
Fred:
Can't agree more with your statement "Ontario has a long and rich history of voting with their butts not their brains" which is why we have a federal tory gov and that the Ford idiots in Toronto.
Cheers !
David
August 15, 2011 / 17:39
you're a liar
August 15, 2011 / 18:18
This isn't a failure of Hudak. It's the Rob Ford effect.
Ontario will accept fiscal conservatism. But that has to be attached to a leader who is articulate & respects other people. Harper won in Ontario because his message was no longer anti gay/abortion. It was about solid economics. When Calgary's mayor, Naheed Nenshi came to Toronto they rolled out the red carpet. Even the CBC hoisted him on a pedestal. Mr Nenshi is (by Ontario standards) quite right wing. Just he is an articulate man who wants to work with others. Rob Ford is all about galvanizing opinion.
And Rob Ford is a reminder of the Harris days. Just like Harris he is all about confrontation & division. And that reflects on Hudak because...well Hudak is part of that right wing.
Ontario Conservatives are nothing but bitter, bigoted old men. They are all about being divisive & about galvanizing opinions. And if someone presents an idea they don't agree with? They are labelled as the "loonie left". They come across as sanctimonious & arrogant. Rob Ford IS just that.
And before you start replying that I'm some leftist whatever, I'm not. If you're not familiar with the Wildrose Party they are to the RIGHT of the Conservatives in Alberta.
As long as the poster boy for the "right" in Ontario is some redneck blowhard the Conservatives won't get much traction. If McGuinty plays his cards right (and the NDP stays whacko) he will indeed win a 3rd term.
August 15, 2011 / 19:11
I'm wondering if Hudak's drop in the polls could have something to do with his promise to cancel McGuinty's sweetheart windmill deal with Samsung. All the general public knows is that this is "green", therefore, sacred. They have no idea how impractical and expensive this "green initiative" actually is and that we taxpayers would be subsidizing Samsung an enormous amount.
August 15, 2011 / 19:14
Hudak's problem is that he was part of Mike Harris' government and that will come back to hunt him.
Both, the teachers and the health care workers (especially the nurses)are already stepping up their campaign against Hudak.
This election is by far a slam dunk.
August 15, 2011 / 20:54
@Irvine...your actually right. Rob Ford is in the process of fulfilling the promises that he campaigned on. His mandate was fiscal responsibility, and ending the gravy train.
Getting that done create headlines of cuts, and is not pretty. Good timing for Ford to do the dirty work now as he has years left on his term. Bad timing for any right wing party unfortunately.
August 15, 2011 / 20:56
Hudak would win by a landslide if he campaigned on one item alone... removing the HST on gasoline sales.
August 15, 2011 / 21:03
Sorry Freddie, but could it be perhaps Hudak's extreme right-wing reglious affiliations and his willingness to be a avid teabagger north?
Get real Freddie, you need to wake up Freddie......harper and ford alone will do enough damage to Canada. We don't need 3 right-wing religious warlocks in our political scene.
You are merely a little harper fanboy and I have boycotted my local radio station ever since they began having you as part of their weekly morning show entertainment.
McGuinty is taking leadership in green renewable energy and most educated and intelligent people admire that leadership, although, the big oil and coal supporters don't seem to agree....why is that Freddie?
Perhaps we can tie your losers hudak and harper along with ford on one of the wind turbines...just to show them the pleaures of green energy.
August 15, 2011 / 21:38
I agree with Murph.
Also I don't think I've actually heard Hudak's voice.. or seen him in an interview... maybe they're holding off until after labour day.
August 15, 2011 / 21:50
Hudak has made alot of enemies in the rural lands. Flamboro, Carlisle, Campbellville, Kilbride, Lowville all have rejected the provinces plans to cut a swath through these areas for a new super highway! All of these areas have a populous that supports.....the right and in this case the PC's. Hudak has already said publicly that no matter what the people say, if he is elected the highway WILL be built. He just committed political suicide in those areas. Sara Harmer will be singing 'till the cows come home!
August 15, 2011 / 22:01
http://youtu.be/52vXPZAkDug
August 15, 2011 / 22:34
it'd early yet, sometimes Polls are commisioned to sway other polls. no campaigning yet---no debates---lets not jump the gun
August 16, 2011 / 10:33
Fred - your blind devotion to a liar like Rob Ford makes this an extremely hypocritical piece.
August 16, 2011 / 11:01
@Murph:
Outside certain areas of Toronto, I don't think Ontario is left wing. What Ontario is not is SOCIALLY Conservative (think Reform Party).
Rob Ford is the epitome of the stereotype of a social conservative. He's a loud, bellicose redneck. He blatantly lied about no service cuts. He uses catchy phrases like "cut the gravy train" akin to Mike Harris' "Common Sense Revolution". In short, he comes across as mean spirited & petty. He doesn't seem to understand that people in Toronto pride themselves on their reputation as a "world class city".
Rob Ford reminds them of Mike Harris and Hudak was part of that Mike Harris team. It would be like hiring Guy LaFleur to coach the Leafs. Ford may well be Dalton's ally.
Ontario Conservatives are lost. They are much like the Liberals in Ottawa. Is anyone old enough to remember the "Big Blue Machine?".
@Rob S: Re: green windmills. Wind farms are quite viable and cost effective. They seem to work in Texas. They also work in Alberta. My "subway" system in Calgary is wind powered. My own house is wind powered. I pay maybe another penny on the cost of a KWH. How come it's not cost effective in Ontario but it is in Texas, Alberta, etc.
Ontario has long subsidized power generation. How much debt does Hydro 1 have now? Last I heard it was around $20 billion dollars. I remember the "debt retirement charge" on my power bills. If you actually paid the REAL cost of power you'd find out that wind power is pretty competitive. Least it is in places where power isn't subsidized. Using wind power adds about 5 bucks a month to my power bill. And, I think it was TransAlta that did a study. Using ONLY off shore wind turbines, the Great Lakes region has the potential to power ALL of North America. You'll find the article buried in theoildrum.com. Imagine if you added that to your economy?
August 16, 2011 / 13:01
Agree with Irvine. Twice. Ont. Conservatives really need to drop their attitudes. Toronto and Hamilton and Ottawa and Kitchener are all cities with Universities and vibrant populations. I have no educated business experienced open-minded yet firm Conservatives to vote for in central T.O.
August 16, 2011 / 18:10
Not a surprise. People are smart. Conservatives try to make it out that they are there for the people. They are not. They are for corporations, and the top 5% of earners. Do you think the top 5% have ever had their kids use a public pool? They don't give a shit. But they pretend they do, and they get most of their supporters to vote against their own self interest.
August 16, 2011 / 19:36
Believe it, Freddie.
Ontario: There's one born every minute -- and they all moved here. Let's just all turn our backs to QP and just bend over. What's another 4 years, eh?
August 17, 2011 / 09:01
Agreed that Ontario voters must be a special brand of stupid to even consider re-electing the worst premier ever, BUT, Hudak had better get busy thinking up ways to kill, or, at least change some of the programs brought in by Dad, or he will lose in Oct. Just vaguely promising to do things differently won't be enough. McLiar has nickled and dimed us to death for 8 years, but if Hudak doesn't come forward with some concrete plans to put a few bucks back in our pockets, he'll just be seen as more of the same, and the idiots in Ontario will bring back the devil they know, unbelievable as that may be.
August 17, 2011 / 09:39
The problem with Hudak is he looks like the dummy in the movie Magic. And everyone know that ventriloquist dummies are empty headed puppets who spew nothing but the thoughts of others. You know like Ford or Harper. Ontario needs Hudak like it needs Michelle Bachmann. No Thanks.
August 17, 2011 / 12:43
@ Jeff, it sure must be nice in that lala land that you live in. The entire western world is trying to duplicate what Harper has don to keep Canada in such great shape since the recession of 2008 and Ford has done more for Toronto in just basic savings than Miller could ever dream of. If you could come up with any truths that Premier Dad has told in the last eight years, I would love to hear them.
August 17, 2011 / 14:51
@Steve " Ontario voters must be a special brand of stupid to even consider re-electing the worst premier ever"
McGuinty is a liar, and has raised Ontarians taxes consistantly over 8 years, but I would still say Bob Rae has been the worst Premier ever.
August 17, 2011 / 15:43
@dave. Canada was financially successful cuz of oil not becuz of Harper. Take away the natural resource factor and u have....a bunch of broke provinces
August 17, 2011 / 20:04
@Irvine I would not give all the credit to oil but, its certainly nothing that Harper has done. What has he done exactly Dave?
August 17, 2011 / 21:44
to "dave"
All I can say is:
Thank goodness we had the responsible liberal party of Canada at the helm in 2005 to vote against proposed easy mortgage and deregulation of banking in Canada.
While harper and his reformers pushed for banking deregulation as did GW Bush in the US (which led to the US housing and banking collapse in 2008 and still continues on today)
Thank goodness we had the responsible liberal party to accumulate a $14 billion dollar surplus which was passed on to harper and his reformers when a change in government occured in 2006
While harper and his reformers have now racked up a $60+ billion deficit and they now want to spend more money on jails and jets adding another $40+ billion dollars to Canada’s deficit. Don’t forget they spent $1.4 billion on a 3 day photo op party and locked down Toronto last June . . .
harper will bankrupt Canada and then he and his reformers will want to strip the middle class of their entitlements and pensions so that they can pay for all this and give away the money to their rich corporate friends.
dave, tooting your CON reformer bullhorn will not fix all the government and banking system corruption and the shattered and broken economy.
Yes, now I can clearly see harper and his reformers as a steady hand on the wheel alright, most certainly taking us straight into a nosedive off a steep cliff.
Not sure who's in "la la land" dave?
August 17, 2011 / 21:46
dave . . . . . . please do tell us what harper has done for the Canadian economy in 5 years, other than put Canada in the largest structural deficit in our country's history.....go ahead, do tell.....
August 17, 2011 / 22:21
"...I have boycotted my local radio station ever since they began having you as part of their weekly morning show entertainment."
So what are you doing on this site Rob S.? Aren't you afraid the opposing views will upset your delicate sensibilities? Typical lefty - try to shut out any opinion that challenges your own.
August 17, 2011 / 22:32
eltropedoo
I am on this wacky right-wing trash site aren't I? Guess my delicate sensibilities are not that delicate afterall, especially knowing that harper fanboy bullies such as yourself are ready to pounce and attack all the time.
Do tell us eltorpedo....what has harper done for Canada in the 6 years he has been PM? Other than put us in a $60+ Billion deficit....the largest in Canadian history....so do go ahead, we're waiting . . . .
August 18, 2011 / 05:49
I really really want Hudak to win. He needs to get out there and start saying something. The election is not far off!
August 18, 2011 / 09:31
Rob, you seem to blame Stephen Harper for bringing Canada, into a $60 Billion Dollar deficit? Maybe you did not realize that the world was in its deepest recession since the 1930's and the stimulus that was issued by the tories was the remedy for Canada at the time. If I recollect correctly, The Liberals and NDP wanted massive, needless spending to buy our way out, with Harper leading the charge Canada rebounded better than any other country in the free world. As well you ask what has Harper done, here are a few points that you may want to dwell on. 1) Child Care Tax Credit - And subsequently killing any debate toward a national daycare system.
2) Purchasing the C-17s, Hercules J-series, and other important military equipment.
3) The Income Trust Taxation - Which in the context oh large business converting their holding into income trusts, would have delivered a serious shortfall in tax revenue. Although controversial it was the better move. And as I believe those private citizens who held onto their income trusts, have made up their initial shortfall.
4) Resisting any serious cap-and-trade or carbon tax scheme, and so far keeping Obama at bay from killing the Oil Sands. Not killing our economy.
5) Has kept Western Canada in Canada. This is probably the most important achievement to get a Western centric party in power for the first time in Canadian history. Sure NL makes threats, but has no realistic means to do so. If the Liberals held onto power I suspect there would be more inclination for western separation, especially if they proceeded forward with more revenue stealing policies.
August 18, 2011 / 12:49
right now according to the Polls we are looking at a minority Prov Gov't. Hudak rode the 'change' menu for a long time and kept quiet. Now that's he's been unfairly linked to Ford he needs to step up.
August 18, 2011 / 15:20
@ Rob, I have sent a rebuttal to your inqusitions. It is quite long and Freddie must approve prior to it being posted. I don't expect you to get someone to read it to you until atleast 24 hours after posting though. With that said, every negative point that you can muster up about Mr. Harper was fully approved by the other political parties? I suppose that you think deregulation is a huge negative only as you need some government to control your life. Atleast this government has kept you employed assuming that you even have a job.
August 18, 2011 / 15:43
@Rob S, don't worry, you have a few allies on this blog. Not all are brainwashed. Hey and I like how you won't capitalize harper. He doesn't deserve it.
August 18, 2011 / 16:23
@Mike from Lowville and Rob S.
It must drive you guys nuts that Harper hasn't revealed a "hidden agenda" or "screwed up the economy" or "ate any babies" since getting a majority.
All he's done is brilliantly represented this country both at home and abroad and risen in the popularity polls.
Mike, you refer to the brainwashed. That's exactly what you and the loonie left are guilty.
Even when "your" Prime Minister represents you well, steers you through a recession and promotes the country in fine fashion on the world stage, you still can't give the guy any credit.
Cause you got brainwashed in the land of entitlement.
August 18, 2011 / 18:26
Rob S., I have to assume that you're intelligent enough to know how to use Google, so you aren't actually waiting for me to supply you with a list of this government's achievements because you don't know them. You really want me to supply a list so that then you can attempt to discredit them with the usual bullshit of, "Paul Martin put yada yada in place, and the CONS took the credit." and then we get into a meaningless back and forth. I know how that game is played, and it doesn't interest me. I'm kind of sorry anyone bothered to take your bait. The only thing that needs to be said was already said by Freddie in the post above.
August 19, 2011 / 13:42
Funny though Fred commends harper on spending into a deficit during the recession, but discredits McGuinty on the same thing. Double standard?
August 21, 2011 / 19:09
El torpedo....didn't think you could provide any concrete evidence of harpers supposed accomplishments...as usual....its all smoke and mirrors praise coming from the harper bootlickers.....he is the most embarrassing thing to represent Canada in our history...but taxpayers are continuing to pay for the propaganda machinery that attempts to pump up the harper inflatable parade doll.
Just wait and see what is coming down the pipe in the "tough on crime" omnibus bill" that harper and his cons are going to punch through our parliament.
Sick and perverse
You all would make Sara Palin, Michelle Bauchmann, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh proud....keep up the good work because the right wing christian fundamentalists really appreciate it!
You are all destroying the Canada that once was . . . . and will be held accountable in due course.
August 23, 2011 / 20:36
What's really disturbing about the Tories (so they say) not knowing that Andy Coulson was still being paid by News International (read; spy for Murdoch) when he was hired by David Cameron to work at No 10 Downing Street is that he could have been being paid by anybody, Iran, Russia, um, Labour, anyone at all! Aren't these people supposed to be securely vetted before they can work adjacent to a high-level security environment? It would be nice to see that absurd stuffed shirt Cameron get some serious criticism over this but beyond that it's just not funny...
Holy fuck, who's been handling Tim Hudak's campaign? Talk about the ultimate insult!
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