Ontario PC's win right to appeal - Working Families

The Ontario court of appeals are allowing the Ontario PC party to appeal a decision that the court made on May 18th regarding the group called "Working Families Coalition"

For years the PC party has claimed that this group has direct ties to the Provincial Liberals because they are backed by several Pro-Liberal unions like the Teachers Federation, and the Ontario's Nurses Association. This past election the PC's claim that millions were spent on negative ads against the PC party, and the same was true in the 2003 and 2007 elections. In both 2003 and 2007 the courts found that no such connection takes place between Working Families and the Ontario Liberal Party.

In this past election this group was promoting candidates from either the Liberals or NDP. The PC's claim it a front for the Liberals as a way to get around election spending limits, and the Liberals claim it's just sour grapes by the PC's because of what they did to the Teachers and Nurses in Ontario when they were in power. Even Elections Ontario has investigated this group and found no connection between them and the Liberal Party.

My take on all this is that the PC's are a bunch of cry babies and are wasting their time and money looking for a smoking gun in this matter. It's common place for groups like Working Families to throw their support behind a party or candidates who are in-line with their views. I'm quite sure that if a certain group supported the PC party like this group supports the Liberal party they would not be crying foul. Yes the Unions have been strong supporters of the Liberals and the NDP because the Liberals have maintained the peace for the past 8 years with no major strikes or lockouts which were common during the Harris/Eves years at Queens Park.

Now I know my Conservative friends will say that's because they have given the Unions pay increases over the years to shut them up. While that is true and I won't disagree with that, you have to look at the other end of the coin. Had the Liberals continued the destructive actions of the PC's when we had strikes, lock-outs, Nurses and Doctors leaving Ontario to work elsewhere, how much would that have cost us in the long run? Parents would have been forced to find daycare for their kids, our medical system would be worse off as who would want to work in our health care system when you can work elsewhere and earn more money.The list goes on and on, and I would rather know that our kids are getting the best education possible because our educators are paid well and are happy. I would rather know that when I go into see my doctor, or have to go into a hospital that the staff are paid well, and also enjoy their jobs.

The Ontario PC party needs to take a page out of the Federal Conservative playbook and focus their attention on how to win over voters. I know that the Unions will never vote Conservative, so why can't Hudak see that as well? Here's some free advise to Tim Hudak, polish your image, listen to what the people want, and maybe for the next election you might just become Premier. Voters don't like a party full of sour grapes, they want a party and a leader who can actually lead and offer solutions.

What a crazy week!

It was back to work for Ontario's 107 MPP's last week with the election of a Speaker and the Throne Speech, and then the NDP introduced a private members bill which would remove the HST on our home heating bills. As we are dealing with a minority government the bill got both first and second reading, and the last vote was 54 in favour and 50 against. 2 Liberal MPP's were not in the house for the vote and the Speaker only votes if there's a tie. So are we going to get the relief on our gas bills? The answer is no as the bill won't reach 3rd and final reading as it's the government who controls the agenda, and as this is a private members bill they very rarely make it to a 3rd reading even in a Majority government.

Premier McGuinty seems to still think he's running the Province as a Majority government, but he's slowly waking up to the fact that he's not. Both the PC's and NDP are holding him to the fire, but I suspect they won't force an election anytime soon as it would take both the NDP and PC's to force an election, and NDP leader Andrea Horwath has indicated that she's not prepared to bring down the government in the near future.

Also this past week the Liberals held their convention and the word on the street is that McGuinty might seek the leadership of the Federal Liberals. While McGunity was quick to say no way, I still suspect that he will. The Leadership race is scheduled for 2013 and I feel we will have another Provincial election before that date. McGuinty has already made history by winning 3 elections in a row, and he won't win a 4th unless either Hudak or Horwath screw up big time.

Now some say that Dalton would be the final nail in the coffin for the Federal Liberals if he was to become leader and take the party into the 2015 Federal election. Just think for a second, he's won 2 Majority governments for the Liberals and one minority government. He and his team know how to campaign and win elections, and this past election in Ontario everyone counted him out, yet he won again.

So let's see what week 2 brings to Queens Park.