My Thoughts on Provincial Politics
I'm just going to throw out some of my random rantings on the state of Provincial politics, and see if anyone is listening.
To start off, I must say that I was really disappointed with John Tory. Not just on the Faith Based Funding idea, but overall. I expected him to gain more traction on the months preceeding the election, but he was pretty low on the horizon the whole time. I was getting disillusioned with him a long time before October 10th, and if it hadn't been for the fact that the local PC candidate was a friend, I likely wouldn't have voted PC this time around.
Most of the grassroots I've spoken too have said the same thing... "John Tory is finished", I have heard over and over again. He may have gotten the support of the caucus the other day, but there's no way he can hold the grassroots of the Party together. The way I see it, he'd be best advised to find a nice quiet exit, and get a new leadership race underway.
Finally, I'll go on record with this last point... if John Tory is still at the helm in 2011, (unless he undergoes a major transformation, which I highly doubt), I will be lending my vote and my organizational support to the local Green Party canadidate, if the one who ran in my riding this year runs again. I was greatly impressed by the local Green candidate, and they have the next best chance of knocking off the Liberal incumbant. Though much in their platform was questionable, there's no way they could form government, so I feel that giving them my vote is a minimal risk. (besides... my wife gave them her vote on Oct. 10... partially BECAUSE of John Tory) Also, I like the idea of working for the underdog, and seeking to change the status quo of politics here in Ontario. And when I say working for the underdog, I mean it... I'll be right there in the office next time around, if major changes are not made within the Ontario PC Party.
Well, that's my two cents, and my warning. My message to the Ontario PC's... the status quo will not do any longer. Get the process of renewal going, or risk losing more of us to the Greens.
To start off, I must say that I was really disappointed with John Tory. Not just on the Faith Based Funding idea, but overall. I expected him to gain more traction on the months preceeding the election, but he was pretty low on the horizon the whole time. I was getting disillusioned with him a long time before October 10th, and if it hadn't been for the fact that the local PC candidate was a friend, I likely wouldn't have voted PC this time around.
Most of the grassroots I've spoken too have said the same thing... "John Tory is finished", I have heard over and over again. He may have gotten the support of the caucus the other day, but there's no way he can hold the grassroots of the Party together. The way I see it, he'd be best advised to find a nice quiet exit, and get a new leadership race underway.
Finally, I'll go on record with this last point... if John Tory is still at the helm in 2011, (unless he undergoes a major transformation, which I highly doubt), I will be lending my vote and my organizational support to the local Green Party canadidate, if the one who ran in my riding this year runs again. I was greatly impressed by the local Green candidate, and they have the next best chance of knocking off the Liberal incumbant. Though much in their platform was questionable, there's no way they could form government, so I feel that giving them my vote is a minimal risk. (besides... my wife gave them her vote on Oct. 10... partially BECAUSE of John Tory) Also, I like the idea of working for the underdog, and seeking to change the status quo of politics here in Ontario. And when I say working for the underdog, I mean it... I'll be right there in the office next time around, if major changes are not made within the Ontario PC Party.
Well, that's my two cents, and my warning. My message to the Ontario PC's... the status quo will not do any longer. Get the process of renewal going, or risk losing more of us to the Greens.
Labels: election, Greens, Queen's Park
posted by Christian Conservative @ 12:00 p.m.
14 Comments:
At Tue Oct 30, 01:04:00 p.m. EDT,
Suzanne said…
Christian, you should think of joining the Family Coalition Party. I am virtually certain the party is much more in line with your values. The party itself is very hostile to your own values.
Just a thought.
At Tue Oct 30, 01:14:00 p.m. EDT,
Joanne (True Blue) said…
I really don't understand Conservatives who see the Green Party as a reasonable choice.
Weren't they the party for no public faith-based funding at all? Even Catholic?
Even if you're o.k. with that, their fiscal policies are crazy. A month's vacation for everyone? In this economy?
At Tue Oct 30, 01:17:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Suzanne, I agree that they're more in line with what I think, but they don't have a chance of ever electing an MPP. My reasons for supporting the local Greens is in the hopes that the PC's will wake up, and reinvent themselves from the dead carcass they currently are.
Joanne, you're also right... again, my hope is to assist in beginning realistic realignment, and the local Greens are the best vehicle via which to do that.
At Tue Oct 30, 01:20:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
"A month's vacation for everyone? In this economy?"
Think about it this way though... it will open up more jobs, because they'll need people to cover for those who are on vacation. ;-)
(again, I don't necessarily agree with all their ideas...)
At Tue Oct 30, 01:21:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Besides... hopefully, the powers that be in the PC Party will actually listen to the grassroots and make the necessary changes... which will render this post of mine moot.
At Tue Oct 30, 02:11:00 p.m. EDT,
Suzanne said…
Open up more jobs?
It's not the government's role to do that. Heck, I'd say even the unions are better placed to get a month's salary than the government.
I think that a Green party platform would be far more socialist than a PC platform, and that's saying a lot. You'd be cutting your nose to spite your face.
At Tue Oct 30, 04:05:00 p.m. EDT,
Joanne (True Blue) said…
Besides... hopefully, the powers that be in the PC Party will actually listen to the grassroots and make the necessary changes... which will render this post of mine moot.
I know you're frustrated. I am too.
I just don't think that jumping ship is the way to achieve change.
At Tue Oct 30, 05:22:00 p.m. EDT,
Rileysowner said…
This was the first provincial election in a long time where I very nearly voted for someone other than the local PC candidate. That was because I was not really happy with Tory, but also because I did like the local PC candidate who had been mayor of our town for years and seemed very ineffective. However, when I considered the other choices, I either had to spoil my ballot or vote PC, so I voted PC as he was the candidate I least disliked.
At Tue Oct 30, 05:56:00 p.m. EDT,
Christian Conservative said…
Not jumping ship completely... think of it more like a constructive mutiny. ;-)
(Think of the movie "Crimson Tide")
At Tue Oct 30, 09:20:00 p.m. EDT,
Livingsword said…
This is great BC is looking better all the time!
At Tue Oct 30, 10:47:00 p.m. EDT,
Shawn Cuthill said…
Sorry Andrew could you help me out with what your problem with Tory is?
As you know, he ran in our riding of Don Valley West so I've had the chance to talk to him on a number of occasions. I think he would make an outstanding Premier because he is not really a politician, he's a businessman.
So what exactly don't you like about him?
At Wed Oct 31, 04:45:00 p.m. EDT,
Drew Costen said…
Weren't they the party for no public faith-based funding at all? Even Catholic?
Even if you're o.k. with that, their fiscal policies are crazy. A month's vacation for everyone?
Two very positive policies. North Americans don't get anywhere near enough vacation time, we're way behind Europe on this (remember, the more vacation time a person gets the more productive they'll be), and funding the Catholic school system is ridiculous in my opinion (and I went to a Catholic school for a couple years but I still don't believe the government should be funding them).
At Wed Oct 31, 04:57:00 p.m. EDT,
Suzanne said…
A month's vacation is a drain on the economy.
At Wed Oct 31, 05:04:00 p.m. EDT,
Drew Costen said…
I'm sure our economy could survive it. Rest and good mental health are more important anyway. I suspect we'd be better off in the long run, having happier employees who will work harder.
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