Hugh Mackenzie
Huntsville Doppler
Decision Time …
Most people with even a mild interest in public affairs are aware that the Ontario Progressive Conservatives are in the middle of a leadership race. It really doesn’t matter what your politics are, it is an important race to follow because there is at least an even chance that the winner will be the next premier of Ontario. Even though he is now back in the race, polling shows that since the departure of Patrick Brown, Conservatives have improved their chances of forming a majority government after the provincial election in June.
This election campaign will be anything but a shoo-in, however. Kathleen Wynne may be one of the least popular premiers in Ontario’s history, but she is a fierce and an effective campaigner. She has a basket full of goodies to give away, many of them popular with the younger generation. She is not intimidated by the cost involved or the debt incurred and she is gambling that most voters won’t care either.
There are now four strong contenders to lead the Conservatives into the next provincial election: Christine Elliott, Doug Ford, Caroline Mulroney and, to the surprise of many, Patrick Brown himself. There is a fifth candidate for the Tory Leadership, Tanya Granic Allen, but I don’t consider her a strong one. She is a Toronto activist and pretty much a one-issue candidate. It is possible, however, that she will hold on to some second-round votes for Doug Ford. All voters in Ontario, not just those voting in the leadership race, have an opportunity to see what makes these people tick and to decide if they would be better at the helm in Ontario than Kathleen Wynne.
This leadership race is an opportunity to define what the Tory party really stands for in Ontario. Is it really a Progressive Conservative party or is it moving toward the more populist, hard right and evangelical positions seen most prevalently in the United States? While I have never been shy about being a Conservative, I consider myself more of a Red Tory, to the right of centre, but not an extremist. As I did recently, I am not afraid to criticize my party when they need it and, on occasion, I have not voted for them. For me, therefore, who becomes the next leader of the Conservatives in Ontario is important.
In my view, either Christine Elliott or Caroline Mulroney would not only lead the PC’s to a victory in June, but once in government, they would serve the province well. Norm Miller and Tony Clement have both endorsed Caroline Mulroney. My vote will go to Christine Elliott and since it is a preferential ballot, my second choice will be Mulroney.
Stepping in to run a government is no easy task. The path to success is riddled with pitfalls. Christine Elliott has been there. She is a lawyer and a community advocate who believes in strong fiscal policies. She knows how the system works and she knows how to get things done in an often bloody and political world. The downside for her is that she has lost two leadership races. She is going to have to demonstrate that she can win. If she does, she will hit the ground running.
Caroline Mulroney is no slouch either. She too is a lawyer with a strong business background. The downside for her is that she has no elected experience, which is more important than some people believe. However, she comes from a political family and is pretty well versed on the ins and outs of politics. The Mulroney name will not hurt her either when it comes to attracting the Conservative “establishment.”
The real unknown factor in this race is Patrick Brown. When it all began just a few weeks ago, most people thought he was history, banned to the back pages of Ontario politics, never to be heard from again. Not so fast! Brown has tapped into a part of the party base that believe he was treated unfairly, punished too harshly and bounced too quickly. Much of that base was created by him. It is difficult to guage how deep that support is now, but there is little doubt that his entry into the race is a game changer.
How ironic it will be if, after all the posturing, he wins the leadership race which came about solely because of his resignation! I, for one, hope that Patrick Brown does not succeed. I give him full marks for fighting back and I am on record as saying I believe his ouster was political shenanigans. However, as one leadership candidate said, that ship has sailed. I did not see him as a strong leader before his resignation and I do not see him as one now. I do admire his courage but I simply believe we have better candidates, more capable of providing strong and effective leadership as premier of Ontario.
The candidate I will not support, under any circumstances, is Doug Ford. I do believe, however, that he will be a force in the leadership race. He could win. I know that some believe his style of leadership is what the PC Party needs now. I respect that, but I cannot agree with it. I also think the Liberals are praying for it.
Doug Ford was the power behind his brother Rob Ford when he was Mayor of Toronto. He enabled him and he supported him through all of his embarrassing and troublesome antics. We should not forget that. Ford is clearly the populist candidate. He is a ‘my way or the highway’ type of guy. I know of people who have found him to be a bully, a loudmouth, determined to get his own way and intolerant of opposing points of view. There is a hard and a mean edge to Doug Ford that reminds me of Donald Trump. We just do not need that in Ontario.
This leadership race and the subsequent election should not be about what is best for the self-stylized Ford Nation or, for that matter, for the rehabilitation of Patrick Brown. It should be about what is best for Ontario. I just do not believe that either one of them fits that bill. Certainly, if Ford wins the leadership I will be unable to vote for the Conservatives. I cannot vote to extend Kathleen Wynne’s mandate and I have never voted socialist. I guess for me that would leave the Green Party!
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No matter who gets in as head of the party we all loose.
Once elected they represent themselves and the party, not the people.
Same story for any political party.
Pizza with Doug & talk about Caroline! ?
Obviously, you did not watch the first leadership debate!
How fast the political scene changed yesterday. Time for another column Hugh.
You nailed it Hugh, although I think The Party needs the non politician and then perhaps the shenanigans will cease. Can see the Ford/ Trump connection in that they enabled poor performance instead of intervening when that would have been the right thing to do !
Totally disagree with you Hugh. Christine Elliott has had 2 kicks at the Leadership and lost both, then quit the party as a MPP and got appointed by Wynne to a nice $220,000 a year job, which she just resigned to run for the leadership She is perhaps more like Wynne than we care for or need. You it appears do not know Doug Ford. Doug is a seasonal resident of Huntsville and knows our area and issues very well. Doug is well liked in the GTA and a successful business man. Come out Tuesday the 27th to Boston Pizza at noon and meet Doug Ford. Then decide what he is like with first hand knowledge.
As a former constituent of Christine Eliot unfortunately many found Christine and her office ignored her constituents once she was in office. IF YOU CALLED WITH A CONCERN THERE WAS NEVER A PHONE CALL OR EMAIL RETURNED. Unlike her late husband who would callback himself even when Minister of Finance. Personally in my experience as a former constituent felt she was riding on the coat tails of her husbands popularity. This does not bode well for her responsiveness to northern issues.
I like your column a lot. You like myself are in a pickle if one of the two gentlemen get in. I too am a Conservative but at this point i just want Wynne and Trudeau out before we have no money, big deficit and can’t afford to live. Neither one of these two politicians are doing anything to help Canadians.