WE’VE just come through a feisty federal election and municipal councils are still relatively fresh in their chairs. The prospect of another trip to the polls might not sound appealing. We’re heading into our beloved summer holiday season when politics usually holds little interest. Yet Ontario’s next election, still four months away, is gaining a lot of attention.
The Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty is seeking a third term amid severe conditions and challenges. Ontario was particularly hard hit by the recession which decimated major industries north and south. A tottering electricity system faces long-term upgrades with fast-rising hydro bills to pay for it. The government seeks to position Ontario as a global green energy leader with ultra-generous incentives for developers. Imposition of the harmonized sales tax hasn’t helped endear the Grits to many people in an economy seemingly stuck in neutral. The Liberals have become comfortable in office during which time a series of preventable scandals and dumb decisions sapped some of their political strength. A new Angus Reid poll shows McGuinty has the lowest support of all but one of the premiers across the country. At 19 per cent, he is just two points ahead of Quebec’s Jean Charest.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives lead the provincial party polls despite the fact their new leader, Tim Hudak, remains relatively unknown. Hudak has been revealing election policy that often preys more on Liberal policy than extending new visions.
The NDP’s rookie leader Andrea Horwath is still preparing her party’s platform, or perhaps holding it back for fear of thievery by her opponents.
Northern Ontario is firmly on all parties’ radar as they seek to carve out positions relative to the challenges of forestry, mining and hydro in particular. The Liberals’ Far North and Mining acts have proven to be divisive as a variety of vested interests seeks favour. Balancing economic and environmental interests is essential, but difficult at the best of times. Hydro costs big money when its infrastructure has been neglected. Green energy should not cost as much as it does right now in Ontario, but pursuing it is good environmental policy and good economics.
Locally, most party’s candidates are already in place and beginning to jockey for position. Veteran Liberal cabinet minister Michael Gravelle who lost some of his traditional electoral margin last time is up against Progressive Conservative Anthony LeBlanc, a former Research in Motion executive and current CEO of Ice Edge Holdings which recently lost its bid to purchase the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and now is concentrating on its minor league hockey initiative in Thunder Bay.
Two men are seeking the NDP nomination at a meeting June 30. Steve Mantis helped start the Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group after losing an arm in an industrial accident and experiencing the bureaucracy of the workers’ compensation system. Jay Stapleton is an organic vegetable farmer who works as a program officer with the Ministry of the Environment.
In Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Liberal incumbent Bill Mauro never stops campaigning, with ads outlining his success at funding for a variety of causes regularly appearing in print and online. Mauro nearly lost the riding last time and this time he’s got former LU president Fred Gilbert to contend with. The Progressive Conservative candidate is counting on his name and experience to capitalize on what he calls discontent with Liberal policies in the North.
The NDP is sending Mary Kozorys, long-time assistant to MP John Rafferty, against Mauro and Gilbert. Kozorys is counting on her close association with a wide variety of interests through her constituency work to carry her campaign.
One might have expected the parties to wait until August to start gearing up for October’s campaign. But there is a sense that this election will be a humdinger and no one wants to be left behind.