01.15.2013 11:30 AM

Power at all costs?

A lot of Ontario Liberal minds are being blown over this story – which confirms what many of us have been hearing about the “Operation Snowball” stuff.

As a principle, I favour working with other progressives, as many folks know, to serve the greater good.  Out in the open, with everyone participating.

I don’t favour it to serve one person’s personal ambition, and one person’s craving for power.  And particularly not when it’s being done in the shadows, in a sneaky backroom deal.

16 Comments

  1. Reuben says:

    Either Horwath is prostituting herself and the NDP for the sake of power, or she is giving Wynne the baccio dela morte with her support. If Wynne doesn’t rebuff Horwath, then Pupatello will be next OLP leader. Interesting, no?

  2. DT says:

    Operation Snowball?

    Please explain.

  3. Michael says:

    I don’t see this as power-hunger. I see this as leaving the door to whatever after an election – which is the way it should be, on everyone’s part. That’s how a Parliament is supposed to work.

    I don’t see the word ‘coalition’ in any of the Horwath quotes… just in the Star exposition. “Refused to rule it out”, not actively proposed it. Why -wouldn’t- she jump on board if Wynne offered and the LG accepted?

    But that doesn’t mean she’s scheming to become Deputy Premier and Finance Minister behind the backs of the voters.

  4. Billy Boy says:

    Did any of you read past the headline? Horwath is not particularly concerned with the structure of compromise, she is willing to negotiate with whoever is elected the next leader of the OLP. While she and the NDP has more affinity with Kathleen Wynne, one of the very few progressives in the Lib caucus, under a minority gov’t she says she is open to negotiating with whoever is elected.

    Coming from a party that has elevated wanton opportunism and self-entitlement to that status of an ideology, calling it pragmatism, it’s a little rich to characterize negotiation as prostitution.

  5. Steven says:

    Dwight Duncan and others ( e.g. WK) openly lambasted Horvath’s apparent duplicity in the last round of budget negotiations in contemplation of a vote of last year’s vote of confidence.

    Contrary to her comments in the Star article, more than once, she indicated her willingness to have another election sooner than later.

    Horvath has been silent on the teachers’ unions actions, whose support she entlisted in the last by-elections.

    Unless Horvath has had an epiphany since then, I see no reason to offer any confidence in her and the NDP.

    It reminds me of Jack Layton’s / Federal NDP duplicity with Paul Martin and Harper, referred to in WK’s Fight the Right book. Among other results, we are still living the fallout of the killing of the Kelowna Accord as a result of Layton NDP crass opportunism.

  6. I don’t see how the NDP’s leader repeating the same “Ra! Ra! Cooperation” talking points she has been saying since the election is news.

  7. Nothing is worse for sneaky backroom deals to serve one person’s personal ambition then a ol’ fashion delegated leadership convention.

    Enjoy this one pundits. We’ll probably never see the like, again.

  8. Brendan says:

    “Don’t need to win over Horvath. All it takes is one NDP (or PC) MPP deciding to become an independent, or deciding that its time to retire, and its a whole new ballgame.”

    Well the Liberals already tried to win a by-election after a PC MPP retired and that didn`t work out.

    “I don’t see this as power-hunger. I see this as leaving the door to whatever after an election – which is the way it should be, on everyone’s part. That’s how a Parliament is supposed to work.

    I don’t see the word ‘coalition’ in any of the Horwath quotes… just in the Star exposition. “Refused to rule it out”, not actively proposed it. Why -wouldn’t- she jump on board if Wynne offered and the LG accepted? ”

    I think this is more about a coalition or agreement within the present Parliament.

  9. reformatory says:

    Hmm.. interesting that so many who profess to see the liberals and NDP cooperate all have their knickers in a knot over this. Hahahaha.. OUCH.. when it isn’t your candidate bringing it up.

    I don’t see a problem with it. Good for Wynn to put it out their. I’m sure any delegates who don’t want to see a snap election and who favour NDP Liberal cooperation will like it and possibly move to her camp.

    I think Pupatello and all others should be jumping at the chance to also say they would cooperate with the NDP for a chance to offer some really good progressive policies for Ontarion’s after the disasters of this last year.

    • Warren says:

      Wynne has now denied the story.

      • Cath says:

        reformatory’s shooting blanks IMO.
        The story for me in all of this is the optics of the closeness between the NDP and Wynne. I believe you said it somewhere earlier this week WK that if the NDP supporters want to support the NDP they’ll go with the real deal and not Liberal Wynne. Remember too that in her days as heading up Metro Parent Network she worked arm-in-arm with the NDP’s favoured parent organization. Wynne was a HUGE force to be reckoned with at the TDSB as the loudest trustee at that time. Not exactly a great drawing card considering the current snags at that school board. Parents and voters in the GTA will have LONG memories I’m sure.
        Whether a coalition based on NDP opportunism is in the offing or not a picture is being drawn on Wynne whether she likes it or not.
        Big winner in this optics game?
        Pupatello, who when she visited my region two Saturdays ago saw many Torys in attendance amongst the intimate Lib. crowd.
        She appeals to those outside of the centre of the universe. That should cause a fluff in both the NDP and PC war rooms.
        Hey but I’m just a lowly rural Ontario political couch potato.

        • reformatory says:

          yah okay dude- I’m shooting at blanks!

          for those Liberals saying we should cooperate with the NDP… now is your chance. Don’t just profess to want to cooperate when it suits you. Say it, Do it, and embrace it when it becomes an option. Whether Wynne said it or not, we should be celebrating it.

  10. reformatory says:

    Ya like that worked so well in kitchener.

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