04.07.2011 08:11 AM

Ontario PC stalwart to back Ontario Liberal?

“Dislodged Conservative MPP Norm Sterling says he would support a Liberal candidate in the Ottawa area riding he’s represented for 34 years, as long as the candidate was the right Liberal.

Sterling said Wednesday he would likely back Ottawa Councillor Eli El-Chantiry, who is considering seeking the Liberal nomination in the riding, over Conservative Jack Mac Laren in the next Ontario election. Last week, MacLaren, a rural libertarian, triumphed over Sterling in a brazen and unusual challenge for the party’s nomination in the upcoming Oct. 6 vote.

The challenge has exposed a deep rift within the party and prompted questions over its treatment of Sterling, the longest-serving legislator in Ontario.”

As I told a group of Ontario Liberal staffers last night, it all strikingly resembles the Manning-Mulroney divide – which led, in the end, to the Conservative Party dividing in two, and more than a decade of Liberal rule.

The next few months are going to be interesting.

8 Comments

  1. Chris says:

    What about a meeting of Sterling and Dalton to see about Sterling running as a Liberal? My impression from the couple articles I’ve read is that he’s a Red Tory.

  2. well says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwslfi8NMQ&feature=fvwrel

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ignatieff

    One thing can see in Ignatieff that can be boost up more
    is human right and more sensetive to what must say more or less than what should not say to make people not angry and more respect
    to each other
    I met more Russian people has very kind I mean family Russian background kind of educated are very kind and polite
    and care of what mostly can say some mistake is posible

    second good thing about Ignatieff is his FATHER and his experince in politic is very large number of years background

    his grand father involve with politic right or wrong now commonist replaced his grandfather back to become ortodox christina not comonist any more old fashion

    HIS Father caused Mr. Michael ignatiff involve politic early age

    Harper family father was not in politic but may son of Mr. Harper or grand son in future understand what feet Mr. Michael Igngatiff put his shoes on is experince of do and do not can lead some talent to stay in politic too

    some emotion may be his father was too dicipline he likes to stay away from him to find his way and left to live in differnt country and back of where he come from Canada and he may bleieve his children need to left alone to find their way may be that is not good ideas unless some parents are too tough to children to force them out to find independent way out but not necessary

    weakness can seen is lack of right direction and understand emotion of majority of Canadian is different than more russian since Canadian are more english but Mr. Ignaitiff has nany who she was English and has grow up in Canada and work in London and USA
    he has less link with Russia as may fear of his grand father and father keep him away from Russian and more close to English culture

    Harper ads is more childish and less man with manner Igniatieff is mature man in politic I guess
    gap is link emotion with people culture in Canada
    how to link with public is key concern to understand their needs and their wishes of public to have HOPE for better future

  3. Michael S says:

    You picked this and other stuff off of the comments. So now I get it. >Weyour< free war room. Even the trolls, that free froot loop focus groop.

  4. Michael S says:

    (oops, found a little bug in your commenting software there, it doesn’t like certain characters.)

    You picked this and other stuff off of the comments. So now I get it. We are your free war room.

    Even the trolls, that free froot loop focus groop.

  5. Patrick Hamilton says:

    Re: Manning/Mulroney divide…..I wish we had stayed divorced…….

    Being from the Left Coast, I dont know much about Ontario politics….but is Hudak Harris redux?…..if so, I feel for Ontario…….and it would explain why Mr. Sterling was hung out to dry….sad indeed……

    • TofKW says:

      Patrick, yes Hudak is very much a Mike Harris clone wanting to bring Ontario back to the good ‘ol days of the Common Sense Revolution. And he’s got no problems with guys like Hillier and MacLaren and the Ont Landowners Ass driving the Ont PCs to the lunatic fringe of the right. Hillier wanted the ‘Progressive’ taken out of the party name, to just the the Conservative Party of Ontario. MacLaren has been on record saying the Red Tories need to be driven out of the party.

      BTW – I am an Ont PC supporter and a Red Tory. There is very much a schism in the party, and I sensed it way back when Hillier and his crowd were screwing over John Tory’s leadership.

      If this party becomes the Ont version of the federal Reformatories, I’m done with them too …and I hope they enjoy the next 50 years of unbroken Liberal government in Queens Park.

      • Patrick Hamilton says:

        Thank-you for the very informative post……I just cant believe that after the pig in a poke “Common Sense Revolution”(Walkerton, the debt and deficit, problems with the schools, etc)….that people of Ontario would consider going back to that form of govt. Mind you, here in BC we are not averse to re-electing the NDP when weve had enough of our coalition govt. Guess I always remember reading the days of the good govts of Bill Davis…but I suspect those days are gone forever…..

        I was a Red Tory as well, and as I have mentioned on here before, I rue the day I had anything to do with the Reformers/Harris neocons…..sadly, I and many others were seduced by the siren song of merger, something that I will have to live with for the rest of my days…..

  6. Michael S says:

    I wonder what Bill Davis thinks of all this?

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