10.16.2012 07:16 AM

The morning after the night before

I was with a ton of Dalton McGuinty folks at a pub near Queen’s Park last night. There was much laughter – and no tears that I could see.

That’s because, as I’ve written in the Sun – and as no less than a generous Tim Hudak said – he’s the most successful Liberal Premier in a Century. His integrity is unquestioned. And he brought about changes that made Ontario a much better place than it was before.

As I’ve also written, if he enters the federal Liberal Party leadership race, the folks I was with last night will follow him. And he will win.

At Queen’s Park, his successor will take over an Ontario Liberal Party that is better-funded, and better-organized, than the Ontario PCs and the Ontario NDP put together. We have a ton of highly-qualified candidates. And I fully expect the new leader will repeat what happened in Alberta and Manitoba – a return to the privilege of governing, with a healthy majority, too.

For Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath – the Gridlock Twins – they are left complaining about a situation which they themselves created: they paralyzed the Legislature, and did their utmost to ensure no meaningful work could be done there. They’ll pay a price for that.

Count on it.

32 Comments

  1. duncan says:

    My two sons and I are not Justin fans( not Beiber) either. One lives in Victoria and the other Montreal. I would help organize for Dalton in Manitoba and I will talk to my sons to see if they will help.
    Bonne chance Dalton. Il parle francais, oui?

  2. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Can’t help but wonder whether luggage is on sale in the National Capital Region.

  3. Tim Sullivan says:

    Assuming the premier is accurate in his statement that he wants to run the province until a new leader is chosen (and there is no reason to believe otherwise), that will take 3-6 mos, more like 4 or 5. That brings us to February or March. The federal leadership is in April. If he needs to negotiate with the public servants. I presume there are other duties to attend to as premier of the largest province even wtihout the legislature sitting, how will he mount a leadership in time to win and place the provincial party is a spot able to hand over to the next one, in a minority position, and win the next? he has a legacy to preserve.

    Trudeau has been running since before his announcement. You’ve said before he does not lose if he decides to play.

    IMHO, I just don’t see the premier’s timing working on the federal run. He’s built one party up from nothing and has done a great job. Does he even want to build a new one?

  4. DJ says:

    I am not sure what you call intergity. Signing a document promising not to increase taxes and then changing your mind within months is NOT intergtrity. The handling of personnel (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Energy) has been less than stellar.

    Yet, I do not like Trudeau.

    • Gpeter says:

      Politics, like anything is shades of grey.

      He didn’t conceal a 6 billion dollar deficit in the hopes of winning an election and covering it up. So which is worse? Making a pledge and breaking it after finding out about such a deficit? Or concealing the deficit in the first place?

      Obviously by the tenor of my message you know on which side of the fence I lie.

      • Larry says:

        The following year he had a surplus, which gave him the opportunity to demonstrate good faith by, if not removing the health tax, at least reducing it. He did not.

        I support Trudeau, and don’t think McGuinty can come close.

  5. Matt says:

    I have nothing but goodwill towards Dalton. A fine Premier and a good man. Should he decide to seek the federal leadership I have no issue there as well. Two very strong candidates can make everyone better as long as the people surrounding both keep their eyes on the bigger prize and it doesn’t cripple either during the race and afterwards. I would still be for Justin as I think the new blood is needed.

  6. Michael Reintjes says:

    I’m just not hearing the same accolades …just a collective “thank god” from people I know. In fairness I do not live in Toronto though.

  7. Lance says:

    TRIPLED the provincial debt?

    Wow.

  8. nic coivert says:

    I see the resignation as a bold strategic move, but not for gaining Federal power, its to retain provincial power. It will be difficult for the opposition to use him as a lightening rod of criticism when he is in fact moving on, this gives the Libs time to renew, it also gives the Cons a chance to dump Hudak, an opportunity they shouldn’t miss.

    Does anyone think John Tory would run for leader of the Provincial Libs?

    • Michael says:

      John Tory is not going to give up his cushy radio gig.

      Besides, the guy has a hard time getting elected.

      • Gpeter says:

        To be fair “cushy” doesn’t really matter to John Tory; what matters is that he likes doing it.

        Money doesn’t matter to him. Let’s not forget he comes from (and has developed his own) wealth far exceeding that of ordinary mortals. If he wants to run, he’ll run. And if he doesn’t it won’t be because of any cushy job.

  9. Dan says:

    I see a lot of happy teachers and students this morning. The Liberals get to try again, with a more balanced and collaborative approach to solving the fiscal gap. Austerity doesn’t work.

  10. I would support Dalton’s federal aspirations, if he has any, and provided he ran a War Room/Gangnam Style campaign.

  11. james curran says:

    I would gladly take your bet on him winning the leadership. You see, for as great as they are up there in Queen’s Park, team Dalton burned just as many dedicated Liberals as much as the Martinites. And the rock star would beat him hands down.

    Fotunately for both of us Dalton will not be running for the fed job anytime in the forseeable future.

  12. GPAlta says:

    I think he could win the federal leadership, but I think the same of Trudeau and Garneau as well. The key is deciding what the goal is and going for it. It sounds like the federal Liberal factions are all aiming for the leadership, but not necessarily for 24 Sussex. I think that is backwards. It is absolutely urgent that Stephen Harper be defeated in the next federal election, and the right leader is the one who can get all of the factions working as hard as they can on that one goal starting now. Every leadership candidate should be working on a general election platform and strategy, in addition to a leadership campaign, and they should all be making (honest) public statements that they will fight the next election with everything they have, regardless of who wins the leadership, and they should all be hiring staff now who can win the general election for them. We can’t have a climate change denying, government revenue killing, regulation undermining, anti-woman, anti-child, anti-health, anti-immigration, anti-first nations “government” for a minute longer than we need to, and all proud liberals need to realize that and get moving.

  13. Brad says:

    The Ontario Liberals will be massacared in the next election, regardless who is leader, ask Kim Campbell.

    I wish it weren’t so, but people are not in a good mood. We are losing a lots of good jobs in Ontario.

  14. Greg from Calgary says:

    People shit on Dalton. He lead a province that is manufacturing based during a huge downturn in the economy. Could anyone have run smaller deficits? I doubt it. But, I don’t agree with prorogeing the legislature. The gov’t is answerable to the people via the elected body. To shut it down because they might be defeated is anti democratic.

    • reformatory says:

      ya buddy? where were you circa Harper when the separatists and the socialists were storming the gates?

      • Greg from Calgary says:

        yah buddy, I was against Harper progogeing too. Since we’re buddies what is your opinion on both situations? I am against the gov’t shutting down parliment/the legislature when it is inconveient for them because they risk loosing power no matter who the party. I feel it is an abuse of power. It was wrong for Harper and I don’t agree with this situation. How about you?

        • Warren says:

          Harper’s motivations were different. In this case, the Legislature has effectively not functioned for a year due to the Opposition’s gamesmanship and gridlock. That is precisely the situation when prorogation must be used.

          • Greg from Calgary says:

            I’m going to disagree. This buys the liberals breathing room given the gas plants, lack of support for budget, negotiations with unions and leadership vaccum. The gov’t is answerable to the people via the elected body. If the parties cannot make it work it is undemocratic to shut down the parliment/legislature. It was wrong for Harper and wrong for the Liberals.

  15. Bob Shank says:

    Oh yeah, the Liberal Party might be in good shape but the province is a mess. Hydro rates going through the roof, wait times are longer not shorter and Dalton has lied about just about everything.
    For you to come up with,”He left the party in good shape” means to me that you or Dalton do not care about much except political power.
    You’re just a partisan political hack, sir.
    And that’s probably all you’ll ever amount to other than a Liberal attack dog.

    • MCBellecourt says:

      That has become a characteristic of all the parties. With all the blather about how good the parties are doing, there’s nothing about what is good for CA_NA_DA.

      Meanwhile, Harper is chomping at the bit to sell Canada wholesale to the Chinese. Has anyone in the Liberal or NDP party actually taken the time to research the upcoming agreement between Canada and China? When is somebody going to start giving a shit about that? Besides the Tyee and the (gasp) Toronto Sun?

      http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/16/why-rush-canada-china-investment-deal

      We in BC have the most at stake. With this agreement, if we try to block that goddamned pipeline, the Chinese can sue us, and they don’t even have to do it in our courts. Last time I looked, BC is still a part of Canada, so it concerns everybody, even if you don’t like us. Too full of hippies and socialists. Give me hippies and socialists over the treasonous son-of-a-bitch that’s in the PM’s chair now.

      The Chinese government-owned interests will have free reign to bring in their own workers and their own materials, employment and safety standards be damned. We will have no say over our own territoy. Even the Toronto Sun has this article, which means that even they are waking up to the utter seriousness of this issue.

      Do any of you even give a shit? Anyone? Wake up, all of you, and cut the bull. NOW, DAMMIT.

      …s’funny…if Harper did this at any other time, even in the last generation, he’d be charged with treason.

      And nobody cares, because we’ve got our stupid parties to worry about.

  16. Stephanie Powers says:

    Good riddance. A Liberal Premier of Ontario not through any virtues of his own, but because the opposition was such utter shite. Eves, Tory and Hudak are not exactly poster boys for charismatic and convincing conservatives; Hampton and Horvath poor excuses for socialists in the back pocket of organized labour. Bring in Dwight, Gerrard, Sandra… whomever. Election apocalypse is awaiting these corrupt Liberals here in Ontario. Trouble is we’re going to wake up with Andrea Horvath as Premier-elect, because Timmy ain’t got the chops. And if that happens I’m leaving.

    Here’s a grenade – Mike Harris would have wiped the mat with Dalton if he’d stuck around. People hated him, but respected him. We miss that. We’re deluged with “leaders” concerned about being loved.

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