The voters of the PC Party of Alberta have just made a terrible mistake in electing Alison Leftie Redford as their new leader. Admittedly this was a tiny subset of the province’s voters using an insane voting system, but still, her presence as the head of a once great political party is nothing short of a bad joke. On the bright side, voters now have a clear distinction between the leftist policies of the PCs and the centre-right policies of the Wildrose Alliance. I have faith that they’ll make the right decision come election time.
A more pressing issue faces the voters of Ontario. Will they give Tim Hudak a chance or stick with Dalton McGuinty? If you are in Ontario, please explain what issues you’ll be thinking about this Thursday.
They are all fools. My riding is NDP no matter what and there is no Libertarian candidate running. I guess my Thursday is free…
Hudak has been an utter disaster. A non-photogenic, creepy-smiling empty suit capable of little more than generating tired talking points and providing a conservative-lite platform that stands for nothing.
McGuinty has been an abysmal premier but is swatting Hudak away like a fly now. At this point I’m just praying McGuinty is kept to a minority and the Conservatives can find someone…anyone… to lead them out of this wilderness. Wouldn’t mind seeing Baird take a run at it.
Have to disagree with you john g @ 1:08 PM. Don’t blame Hudak, blame the media and the unions and the stupid voters who continue to believe Dalton’s lies. We can also add the pollsters as well, they keep putting out polling results which really do little else but meddle in the process.
Ontario is infested with a large element of people with a what’s in it for me syndrome, that incluede the unions. Only a very dumb electorate would reward McGuinty with a third term of any sort given the mess we are now in.
I’m frightened for the future of Alberta. It seems with every premier elected under the PC banner they drift ever further to the leftwing.
I hope Danielle Smith can lead the Wildrose to victory, but the PC’s are a hugely intimidating opponent.
john g is right. i already cast an advance ballot for the Tories but there’s so little difference between him and the Libs that it’s hard to care.
I voted at the advanced polls. Per Publius’ suggestion, I held my nose and voted for the Freedom Party, although mostly because the CRO got upset at me when I tried to add “A Fence Post” to the bottom of the ballot and vote for that.
I’ve given up on this election. Tim Hudak and the PC’s non-campaign isn’t addressing any of the things that matter to me (broadly, less government interference everywhere, and concomitant lesser taxation). If the Liberals get in again I’ll probably have to seriously look at leaving the province. In the mean time, I’m hoping a vote for the FP will send a signal to the status quo.
I disagree with all comments so far. The problem with conservatives in Canada, is that they always allow their handlers and so called experts to convince them that they have to imitate Liberals and socialists to get votes. This is exactly what the people do not want. Ralph Klein was his best when he ignored his handlers and backroom experts and used his own brain and instincts. It is too late for Hudak I think. But a great lesson for Harper and Danielle Smith. If the bear has the choice between real honey and diet sweetner he goes for the honey. If a meat eater is offered a TBone or a soya burger he goes for the TBone. If everyone is offering soya burgers and the people are hungry they have no clear choices. If Hudak had been a man and stood up and told Ontario people that they are hopelessly in debt and backed it up with the facts, he would have won them over. Even if it was fear. Never underestimate the power of fear to motivate. Ontario 320B in debt, the unions are eating everybodies lunch. Tell the truth no matter what and let the people decide, fire the back room experts and spinners…..
One other point, Albertan’s have not made a mistake yet, regarding Redford. They haven’t voted for her yet. Only 50% of the PC Party voted for her. She might take them down the tubes when Albertans fianlly get to vote on her in an election….
Ontario will turn the knife in their guts another turn and re-elected Dolton.
Mark my words.
There is no hope for Ontario.
I’m sorry Liz J, but I do blame Hudak. Harper’s majority in the last federal election showed how little the media and the pollsters actually matter in election campaigns today. Most people are on to them now, thanks to the good work being done at sites like this.
Dalton’s approval rating 6 months ago was 16 percent. Everyone knows what he is. Hudak is losing because of Hudak; because people look at him and see that there’s nothing behind the curtain.
Agree 100% with RFB.
The Ontario choices are Liberals and Liberals-lite (= Hudak), so what kind of choice is it?
Hate to disagree with you Robert but Albertans did not make a mistake with the selection of Redford as Premier. They made a mistake several elections ago when Ralf lost his sense of direction. Everything after that was simply a confirmation of that earlier mistake. All that being said Redford now has an opportunity to turn this bureaucratized province/government around. If she can do it then she will get my support next election. If not then my vote remains with WRA.
I’m from the east end of the GTA and my incumbent is Christine Elliott (Jim Flaherty’s wife). I gather she will get in but I agree with NME @ 1:40. McGuinty will likely get another shot.
I simply can’t vote NDP for obvious fiscal reasons and I’ve never voted for McGuinty yet (and I ain’t starting now) which leaves Hudak. An aggressive PC agenda of waste reduction and government downsizing, HST removal (not tweaking) and a sell-off of green technology would have interested me. I don’t see any of that happening.
This is a lost election for me. I don’t see anything positive resulting no matter who wins.
Joe_Calgary:
Think Bloc Quebecois. They like the ABPC party hardly had any competition in winning their seats – they are fatand lazy and lack the skills and technology to fight a campaign. They do have money, but so does the WRPArty. Nothing is a sure thing 0 especially in politics but there is a very good chance that the WR can win and you and i can help.
The people of Ontario are stupid, illinformed buttholes. The province is all but bankrupt ($230 Billion in debt and counting) yet the voter wants more government handouts, more money for uneconomical, unaffordable ‘green’ electricity, money for daycare, money for cops, money for bureacrats, money for . . . well just about everything. The sad fact is the average person of Ontario is so out of touch with financial reality, they think money grows on trees. Only when the economy hits the wall – which it soon will – and the provincial debt implodes, and there is massive unemployment (because the next recession will make the last one look like childs play) will the people of Ontario wake up and realize just what a horrible mess this province is in. And all because they are so stupid they keep reelecting Canada’s worst politician ever – Dalton Scumbag McGuinty. I loathe the people of Ontario. I wish I didn’t live here.
Hudak is a born loser. He looks like his nuts haven’t dropped yet, let alone got any hair on them yet…
I have to agree with Liz J @ 1:25
Dont blame Hudak for a dismal campaign When the left media & likes of family Coaliton(liberal,union shill) have had the demonize knives out for hudak since & just before the getgo.
Look this is just a repeat of when stephen harper was untested, the Liberals & Liberal media demonized him with tanks in the streets, hidden adgenda, etc.. And it worked until he got more exposure & an organized ground team.
And besides the Liberals are famous for the demonizing when they are most threatened.
Will the current polls stick? who knows Because all of the same pollsters did not pick a majority in federal, Unforntanly i would not be surprised if mcguinty got in again.
threehundredeight.com has a mcguinty minority win & i cant remember what they predicted up to the federal election.
I voted for my candidate in the advanced polls even I knew it was a useless exercise . However I couldn’t bare to think that i just might get hit by a falling satellite that prevented me from voting against that lying pos , he’s so fricking evil I betcha he glows in the dark Dalton McGiunty.
The silver-lining in ONT is that it will very likely be a minority which means that there will be proper inquiries into the green tech mess and the e-health debacle. So in the aftermath we can expect the mcginty regime to be devastated by these issues even more than they are now. After a brief interval there should be another election and it will likely be between the ND and ONPCP.
The great misfortune in Ontario is that the PC party wasn’t demolished like it has been in SK and nationally and is in the throes of happening in AB – and thus has not been replaced by a grassroots party that is conservative at its core.
In some ways I hope that the minority status will cause them to re-engineer internally – to only get a minority is a failure and that failure will have been due to a muddled red tory top-down platform.
Joe: “turn this bureaucratized province/government around”
From Redford’s site: “Key among them is the need to shore up our bureaucracy[emphasis hers].”
The only turning will be to more bureaucracy. But who knows – a huge bureaucracy just might help bring about economic prosperity this time. /s
After Caledonia, McGuinty and the Fiberals deserve the boot. His lies, his taxes, his broken promises are nothing compared to abandoning the people of Caledonia to lawlessness. Hudak is as bland as vanilla ice cream, but right now he’s looking like superman compared to Dalton, the hero of Caledonia.
Couple of corrections: Alberta did not have an election and the Wildrose Party dropped the “Alliance” some time ago. As for the PC party, the backroom boys have been far left of center for some time now so the new leader will just carry right along with the same policies.
I’ll be thinking about the little hope there is in the Leafs upcoming season and preparing for a weekend out of town.
I’m in Hudak’s riding, so I voted for the Freedom Party. As another conservative person said to be about Hudak: “All he had to do was shut the fark up”. He should have done that, I would have voted for him.
Hudak has been playing not to lose. The former philosopher behind the bench of the Tamp Bay Lightning, John Tortorella, once said “safe is death”. Hudak is about to prove him right. The man has no fire in his belly and seems afraid to be a conservative. If ever a leader was a candidate for destruction it is Dalton the Liar. The bungles, waste and broken promises under his regime are too numerous to list. Yet Hudak can’t finish him off.
I hope the Tories can get it right the next time. They cannot keep fronting their party with vanilla characters such as Hudak and John Tory and expect to win. How about Lisa McLeod? She has passion and seems to understand what being conservative means.
The biggest problem it seems with all conservatives in Canada is their parents all used the same sperm bank and turkey baster as Joe Clark’s parents. They all get Joed. Even when they have clear majority’s like Harper they still think like Joe Clark. Baby steps, careful, easy now, easy back off, they have the Joe Clark disease in reverse. Joe thought he had a majority and Harper thinks he has a minority. And he jumps and spills his Latte every time he hears the NDP or Bob Rae growl….
The biggest problem we have in Ontario is Toronto. The biggest problem Toronto has is not immigrants, its the STUPID WHITE PEOPLE. The likes of Marianne Meed Ward who we saw in the video a few threads down, http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/017977.html
She’s a very common and numerous type in Ontario, who all feel they are capable of controlling every aspect of everybody else’s life, and entitled to do so. They LOVE regulation, so they vote for it. As long as it doesn’t regulate -them- of course.
And interestingly, if your preferences tend toward a medium sized suburban house, nice yard and quiet lifestyle, there aren’t any odious regulations coming down on you.
“Conservative” electioneering is geared to appeal to… Marianne Meed Ward!
But they just got overruled with the Rob Ford election, as he didn’t run that way. He ran on actual issues. And, lets not forget that the previous Dave Miller idiots REGULATED a bunch of stuff that p1ssed off the suburban Marianne Meed Ward house dwellers, like banning weed spray and screwing up the garbage collection service.
So it will be interesting to see what happens in the 416/905 area code, because McGuinty has done plenty to hack off suburbanites as well. With Downtown 416 being solid moonbat, the Liberal scan be getting squeezed. Or not.
Agree with everyone up above, Hudak is either a hopeless, inarticulate tool or he’s let his election advisers turn him into one. If they lose to Duhlton “Dead Man Walking” McGuinty its all on Hudak.
Voting PC anyway, any other course is complete insanity.
It works like this.
Redford promised the teachers 100 million, now if you do the math, she could get elected hands down if she got only the teachers vote.
Then she promised nurses millions.
If you think that the teachers and nurses are conservative, you are dreaming in technicolor. There are not, anywhere, more socialist socialits than these two groups. So now if you can bend over your principles, on both sides, you have a winning combination.
Some may call it pragmatic, others may say that it is a corrupt practice, either way, what it is, is rotting underbelly in both cases.
Fulll honor to those teachers and nurses that don’t succumb to an ideology.
The next thing to watch for is, the behaviour and rhetoric of the Wild Rose. They have been tripping over their feet every so often.
Unfortunately there are few and none, choices left for those that expect a decent political organization.
I’m in Ontario and some of the issues of concern: a government that introduces mandatory kindergarten (indoctrination anyone?), cannot stand up to Native thugs (Caledonia), lies (tax increases), deceit (eco-tax) to name a few.
Interesting how the NP is endorsing the PCs in today’s Op-ed and the G&M the Liberals. David Frum raises an interesting point on American political culture in his column also in today’s NP: in 1976 when Ford narrowly lost to Carter the preponderance of counties’ vote tallies were close. In other words, Dems and Reps lived close to one another. In 2004, half of Americans lived in counties where the swing for Kerry or Bush was >20 points. It seems like the left/right divide is growing even in this country.
McGuinty isn’t winning so much as Hudak has been losing in recent weeks. He’s run a complete yawner of a campaign. I am rabidly conservative and voted Conservative already in our advanced poll … but Big Labour will get their vote out for the NDP, and Big Govt Unions (teachers, etc.) will get their vote out for McGuinty, but we have been TOTALLY IGNORED AND NEGLECTED by the Conservatives. There is NO enthusiasm whatsoever for ANY of them, but one of these bums HAS to win.
I am a member of the PC Party of Ontario.
However, I will be voting for the Freedom Party of Ontario as a protest.
Hudak has failed to enunciate any conservative principles. He has run a very weak campaign that gives me NO confidence he will do any better as premier.
I figure Hudak does not have the will to do what needs to be done with government spending, so Ontario is going into the toilet regardless of who is the boss. So, in that case, let’s let McGuinty take full blame after 12 years of governance, and hopefully by the the PC Party will come to their senses and have the will, and public support, to actually run on and implement a fiscally responsible platform.
Hudak’s abject grovelling on the Mosqueteria issue also troubled me, and I remember him as being one of the main proponents of the religious schooling issue that killed Tory.
Finally, he lied about his committment to get rid of the Human Rights Commissions.
For all these reasons, I will not vote for Hudak.
When people in Ontario open up their Hydro bills and see the amount has doubled, they can look in the mirror and realize it was a self-inflicted economic wound.
I’m holding my nose and voting Conservative. Have to agree with many on this thread that there is little to choose between McGuinty and Hudak.
Conservatives put an idiot in our riding because of delays in the nomination process…the good candidates got waited out. The Liberals put an incompetent lawyer in as their candidate…he screwed up our house closing and cost us several extra thousand dollars. Just can’t bring myself to vote for the NDP, however.
I don’t believe either party on the issues. McGuinty has proven himself a liar over taxes and Hudak refuses to get pinned down to specifics to avoid being called a liar.
Both parties say they are going to cancel a badly needed gas power plant in Mississauga…why? We need to get power generation costs in line. We’ve spent billions on nuclear, millions on wind and we’ve closed coal plants without having a replacement on line.
McGuinty promises cap and trade. We should all be very afraid. Why he’s following this path when Harper has shown you don’t have to makes no sense.
As I say, I’m going to hold my nose and vote.
One wonders if the bureaucracy in Alberta could get any worse now, even with Redford. They run the province, and now run the streets as well. We have provincial bureaucrats wearing uniforms now and calling themselves peace officers and sheriffs, and their only job is to collect fines for various municipalities. I doubt you can drive anywhere in Alberta now without either, a radar gun in your face, a photo radar or red light camera staring at you, some moron jumping out of the woods at you for not wearing a seat belt, or someone taking a photo of your license plate to send u a parking ticket in the mail. And Redford will make it worse you say?
“Dont blame Hudak for a dismal campaign” Agreed. Can’t blame him for something doesn’t exist. Like John Tory, this was Hudak’s to lose, and lose it he will. I wouldn’t even bank on a minority. If its a minority Liberal govt, nothing will change. McGuinty doesn’t have to pass another bill to f*ck the Ont middle class over yet one more time – he’s just spent 8 years building that famous Liberal coalition of NGOs and ex parte foundations to continue his work of destroying the province. He makes all the executive decisions and his cabinet is mostly a facade. The opposition will continue to be ineffectual because they’ll have literally nothing to do but wail in the legislature.
The PCs are completely absent from the province. Last we heard from Randy Hillier he was lookig for his balls over the HRC and my candidate hasn’t been seen in public since she took a leave of absence form her news job.
The Ontario PCs are run by a backroom team who I think are just as comfortable sucking on a Liberal teat as a PC one. Ontario politics is not that big and once you step back from the spotlight, its all the same to the players.
For other provinces, understand that, except for Nova Scotia, this is the last stand of the Progressive Conservatives, not the Conservative party. There never was much difference between the PCs and the Liberals, just tha the Liberals for years were stupider. Roles have reversed.
Redford may have won the leadership to replace Stelmach but she still has to face an Alberta election next year. So it is not over yet.
The huge influx of population into the highly successful Albertan economy brings with it a large number of people who are left-leaning and therefore too stupid to see that it was their ideas that screwed things up back where they came from. So, blind to reality, they will vote for more and more left wingers in Alberta until they achieve the end of that Golden Goose as well.
People – ya gotta love’em.
Even though I’ve already voted PC in the advance poll, I don’t hold out much hope for Hudak. What a dismal campaign – the stupid, endlessly repetitive “taxman” ads, while there hasn’t been a single substantive word on the insane “green” energy plans. No comparison between Solyndra and the similar Ontario solar plants. Not one word about the stupidity of the FIT windmills situated where the rural hydro lines can’t handle the power generated. Not one meaningful word about the secret union deals. The list goes on….
I agree with everyone who said this election was Hudak’s to lose, and lose it he has. I think the Tories will squeak out a win in popular vote (37-35 is my prediction), but it won’t translate into enough seats for even a strong minority, let alone a majority.
We’ll get the worst of all possible worlds – a Liberal minority propped up by the know-nothing NDP. The only possible hope is another miracle orange surge splitting the left wing vote, and I’m more likely to win the $50 million on Lotto Max than that is to happen.
McSquinty’s first term was a result of civil service/teachers union support especially financial….those teacher union pension funds are an 800 lb gorilla…
Hydro bills, HST and the 8 cent tax increase on gasoline do not win friends for McSquinty….the wind mills and lawn spraying ban are not popular either….
I don’t put any credibility on any of the polls, except for the election results….
I can recall Boob Rae’s election catching everybody totally by surprise….even those who voted for him….couldn’t find anybody who would admit to it…
We will find out Friday morning…..
I’ve already voted and I voted for the PCs. But, for the first time in years of voting in Canada, I had doubts when voting. Hudak did not make us believe that there is a clear choice between the Liberals and his party. Therefore, I do not sense any voter enthusiasm for the PCs. Hudak should have learned from Harper and he should have made specific promises. In Ontario a very popular one would be to make alcoholic beverages available for sale in convenience stores, grocery stores and supermarkets. Another one would be to increase the speed limit on the big highways. Or, at least, increase the speed limit on car pool lanes. McGuinty introduced so many bans that it is making very easy for Hudak to promise their elimination: the ban on pesticides, the coming ban on incandescent light bulbs, etc. These are not major conservative issues, but they win votes. All these promises were made by the Freedom Party (which has no chance to win a seat). There is hope that the hatred against the Liberals will prevail, but I think Hudak missed an opportunity here.
Mike Harris was the greatest!
Even if Hudak won, who could tell the difference?
After the Ontario election I will be making my plans for moving to Alberta. Seriously. This province is way too expensive to live in and I don’t think it will change if Hudak gets in as premier.
Personally I’d like to know who’s running Hudak’s Campaign, why because who ever it is should be fired. Talk about running a campaign with absolutely no fire, energy or moxie.
For me the vote is down to one thing: Anybody But McGuinty. Hudak is an empty suit who doesn’t seem to have any ideas of his own, but surely he can’t be worse than what we’ve got now. Maybe he’ll stumble into doing the right thing from time to time.
Speaking of Redford, I knew her a bit when she was a project manager at an international development firm. Not a particularly good manager, alas; she seemed so dedicated to her political ambitions that all else came second.
Reading some comments it’s clear some so-called Conservatives are their own worst enemies. The bottom line in this election in Ontario is McGuinty does not deserve to be re-elected.
Even if Hudak does nothing but janitorial work,he’d be an improvement given the mess we are in. No province with a huge deficit in uncertain times would want to elect an NDP or give them any power in a coalition.
Kakola:
New arrivals into AB are usually fleeing left-wing juristictions in search of work and a future. Upon seeing the way things are done here and that they work, the vast vast majority of them become rabid conservatives in very short or
Sorry for the broken post, my iPhone twigged out.
Here’s the rest: …der. The province has had a heavy influx of new arrivals for decades now yet it still remains the most conservative minded province in the country.
The way things in Ontario are breaking we may see a PC minority or a LIEberal minority. It’s a shame that the Hudak central campaign got stuck the way it did and that the LIEberals some how managed to regain traction as they have. October 6 will tell if the message got through the media filters.
In my very core I can’t beleive that Ontarians are actually dumb enough to beleive that McGuinty would deliver anything different than he has for the last eight years with another shot at government.
Either way, don’t scrap your election signs just yet. If I’m right we will be back on the election trail within 18 months.
exactly liz, Just what the liberals want a divided conervative vote.
Ya dont like Hudak so you vote freedom party! you might as well vote green because all you have done is what happened federaly for yrs., Split the vote.
You want McGuinty again? thats what you will have, So stop judging a book by its cover & give the guy a chance, stick together & break the Liberal Back just like we did federaly.
What will happen with all this, is McGuinty may not pull off a majority, He will however pulloff a minority with Horwath pulling up the rear to form a Pact with McGuinty just like Bob Rae did with Peterson, A 2yr deal then down comes the hammer & it wont be the PC’s picking up the pieces it will be NDP sweeping to power.
Want that scenario again? No!
so suck it up & stick together show the Liberals the Door or their wont be a door to show him.
You call yourselves conservatives for gawds sake, Stand UP put an end to Union rule in Ontario You dont like the leader Tough vote him out at the next convention, Because right now he’s all we got to get Mcguinty out. Were down to the wire and the liberals are running smear campaigns again They dont want the books revealed of how bad it really is & lets not give him the chance to bury us further.
Geeeezzz conservatives in ontario pisss me off sometimes & YA Iam in ontario as some of you know. And finaly even if Hudak does form a minority You better get ready to make a deal with NDP cause garanteed to shit NDP & Liberals will cook something up to keep conservatives out. Even if its a deal similar to The brit’s Keep the Pinochio’s out.
“When people in Ontario open up their Hydro bills and see the amount has doubled, they can look in the mirror and realize it was a self-inflicted economic wound”
That my friends is Sooo True..!!
I made the cardinal mistake of leaving Alberta in 2008 to take a position in Barrie. Nice town, but indifferent population. Seeing and watching the lurch into Green Energy by Dahlton..and the ensuing insanity (TOU meters – Solar over Nat Gas – Oakville), Property taxes more than dbl Calgary, Home/Car Insurance more than Dbl Calgary..it only took two years and we left. Damned glad we did. Pay is better by a long shot, costs are less by a long shot, an economy that will likely just carry on regardless of what happens in the Eu/US for that matter..(there’s 3 billion Asians that all want to drive their Buick..they need gasoline now dont they.?), and the bonus is, we have two winning Hockey Teams – so there.!!
I was floored when Dalton won his 2nd term given his outright BS and Lies on Taxes. Had that happened here in Ab, someone would likely have taken out a contract on him.!
Ontarians are a dozy, ill-informed, politically unaware, selfish bunch of mindless morons wearing sideshields. They will get what they deserve.
As for Alberta. Allsion.? Allison who.? Its adios PC’s – Hello Danielle.!!
cheers