Friday, October 05, 2007

National Post endorses John Tory for Ontario Premier

Update: John Tory's week in review.

"Tory may have stolen the week from Dalton McGuinty."

* * * *

I love the National Post!

The lead editorial today (John Tory for Ontario Premier) explains that "on health, crime, education and taxes, he has the better approach":

Most notably, Mr. Tory has said that, as premier, he would be open to contracting with private companies that serve patients within the single-payer public health system. Since Ontario already follows this practice in a number of areas, we do not see Mr. Tory's position as controversial. Indeed, champions of the government health care monopoly should be welcoming every effort to wring more efficiency from the current system. But you would not know this from the hysterical attacks Mr. Tory's sensible views on this subject have attracted from Mr. McGuinty and his media cheerleaders.


Yes, the fear-mongers have been very good at their job.

The Post continues to explain why they support John Tory's policy in the areas of taxation, health care, crime, the economy and education.


Then they shine a spotlight on the duplicity and hypocrisy of the McGuinty campaign:

We should also note that, for all the furor surrounding Mr. Tory's allegedly radical plan, the over-the-top response from Mr. McGuinty's camp should be seen as more off-putting than the proposal itself. Beginning last month, the Premier, posturing earnestly as a champion of diversity, has suggested that Mr. Tory's plan would somehow lead to the sociological balkanization of the province -- all the while hypocritically ignoring the fact that he himself attended a publicly funded Catholic school as a child.

I totally agree. If overblown rhetoric and apocalyptic scenarios win this election, then I think then Ontario voters have only themselves to blame for the kind of leader we end up with.


The Post suggests that John Tory has the kind of personality that could make us proud:
Indeed, it is arguable that the entire country, not just Ontario, has a stake in the Oct. 10 election. As one Canadian writer put it in a very fine column about Mr. Tory this week, Mr. Tory's archetype is former Ontario premier Bill Davis, "the ultimate consensus politician, who presided at a time when Ontario had more stature in Confederation than it does now." Given the manner in which premiers' meetings have descended into unsightly orgies of interprovincial money-grubbing in recent years, it would be nice to see Canada's largest province put forward a leader who could draw these squabbling men into something like common purpose. It is hard to imagine anyone in this country better able to do that than John Tory.


If Ontario voters get sucked in to the vicious, demonizing lies of the McGuinty campaign and choose four more years of this arrogant, unaccountable regime, I will at least derive a small amount of comfort from rereading this editorial - and the knowledge that just as Torontonians are beginning to realize the cost of electing David Miller over John Tory in 2003, Ontario too will likely wake up from this Neverland Nanny State dream and see that it was just that - a dream.

Or more likely a nightmare.

22 comments:

bluetech said...

I'm glad you didn't really 'give up ' last week Joanne.
For the sake of your health and sanity repeat after me:
"The only poll that counts is on election day"
Just curious...do you know if McGuinty's rude behaviour towards Mr. Brady was ever on TV news?

Anonymous said...

Dalton doesn't deserve re-election but neither, based on his campaign does John Tory.

I wasted my vote in an advance poll before Tory's flip-flop because I did not agree on how he and his team rolled out the faith-based school plan.

I also didn't like that after months of submitting ideas, and contacting his policy wonks raising many, many other education issues and trying to help Tory who was so badly prepared, too many of us were ignored.

I think the Post is wrong. Neither of the two deserve to be premier.

As far as I'm concerned this has been one lame election and one huge waste of money.

Ontarians can't expect anything else unless they start demanding more from their politicians.

McGuinty's tainted politics forever in this province.

I have two kids approaching university age. We're encouraging them to leave the province for their post-secondary.

There's also no way I want to spend my empty nest years in Lemming Land.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about your wasted vote anon. and I'm thinking that there are more like you out there.

I actually think that Tory could pull off a minority, and I too like bluetech think that the polls have been wrong before....lot of times.

I'm not in favour of faith-based schools but you know what? Four more years of the Kinsella/Dalton kicking Ontario taxpayer's asses while continuing to bungle public education, healthcare and our finances, is WAY worse than entering into discussions about how to make our public schools more inclusive to those who want to join in.

If McGuinty wins Ontarians have been had by the MSM,and the prince of darkness.

Suzanne said...

What in the heck is the difference between Tory and McGuinty?

Anonymous said...

I couldn't vote Tory either. So I parked my vote with the Family Coalition Party, which made income-splitting a key part of its local campaign. I'm hoping that under a new leader the Tories will pick up on this idea.

Anonymous said...

Like the other couple of anons. here Joanne, it's too late for me to support Tory too.

I was pissed off enough that I threw my vote to the NDP only because he was the only candidate talking about the crappy EQAO scores, funding formula and the mess of education under the education premier.

Anonymous said...

give your head a shake - the National Post is so totally conservative, right wing they wouldn't see anything any other way.

You can't go by what newspapers say - you should know better.

Matt said...

What in the heck is the difference between Tory and McGuinty?

You'd think that a candidate for the Family Coalition Party, a party that prides itself on being moral and ethical, would be able to point to at least one moral and ethical difference between the two leaders.

As long as FCP candidates are "unable" to distinguish a man like John Tory and a man like Dalton McGuinty by character cements the reasons that I, as a social conservative, would never vote for them.

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

Remember this all you vote witholders and vote parkers.

1976. Quebec.Vote witholding and vote parking = Levesque.

Thank goodness for John Tory's FB Funding schlemozzle. We'll probably get stuck with Pinnochio in a bubble for a few more years. I mean -- this guy is a wizard in solving issues.

I happen to have a number of issues which are considered by some, but not by those who really matter, to be the result of events in "jump-school" back in the early sixties.

Now -- if only I were an RC francophonic former prome minister who golfs -- but I'm not, so - - - after three weeks of waiting for the confirmation, as of October 5, 10:50 am, I finally have an appointment for a couple of much neede MRI's for both my knees.

Here's the deal though. One is for Dec 19 at 10:15 pm [that's in the "late evening" to most of us] if the machine isn't shut down for a few days like it was the last time. Now - this turns out to be for my Right knee ONLY.

My appointment for the MRI of the LEFT knee isn't until Sunday morning, Dec. 23, 9:30 am.

This probably means that the results won't be "read" until the new year, then the report to GP, followed by "referral to specialist."

So yeah, Dolton has really brought wait times down. glad to see that he's still fighting Tory on the School fornt.

Oh, and BTW - 5 weeks and STILL waiting for a "referral" to a surgeon for other complications with one's back.

I can hardly wait to find myself in a liberal-government funded senior citizens facility. yeah...

tj


t.e.&.o.e.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

"The only poll that counts is on election day".

Exactly. Unfortunately after reading some of the comments here it seems that pre-election vote may have some bad implications for John Tory. I wish he had made that announcement weeks ago about the free vote, but it's water under the bridge now.

Just curious...do you know if McGuinty's rude behaviour towards Mr. Brady was ever on TV news?

It was on several stations that evening, but of course they wouldn't repeat it.

Anonymous said...

National Post endorses Tory, Star endorses McGuinty...big shocker!!!

Any real news out there today?

Anonymous said...

Anon about your knees. That just makes perfect sense. Unbelievable. This is exactly what the Ombudmsman talks about with rulitis and obviously, lack of common sense. What a waste.

Keep us posted with how you make out and best of luck.

Lord Kitchener's Own said...

It's nice for Tory and all, but I have to say "National Post endorses PC for Premier" is pretty much akin to "Sun comes up in the morning" or "Grass still green".

Joanne (True Blue) said...

LKO - I'll take any crumb thrown my way at this point.

Anonymous said...

consider yourself lucky, tj.

i had to wait 7 months for my MRI in 2006

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

re: Rude Fibber McGuinty vs Mr. Brady.

McGuinty, at a recent press-conference, cites having "...chatted with a 'Mr.Brady'..." about various items.

Seems that none of the reporters in attendance were sharp enough, or perhaps not impartial enought, to have trapped the liar live and on air.

quelle domage. nous n'avons pas largent pour le fromage.

tj

t.e.&o.e.

anon 4:45 thnx.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

i had to wait 7 months for my MRI in 2006

A couple of years ago, a family member needed an MRI to be able to qualify to get her license back. The wait was 6 months. She decided to get it done in Detroit so that she would be able to drive again. She paid for it herself.

Now can someone tell me how going out of the country is better than getting it done in your own province and using your health card?????

Anonymous said...

TangoJuliette sez:

tori, et al. does this mean McGoo is "geting the job done?" It sure doesn't look and feel like it.

I'm lucky enough to have been able to finally switch MDs, from a dolt, to a great one, who actually listens to this old codger.

tj

t.e.&o.e.

Anonymous said...

joanne,

I seriously needed that mri and we actually considered going to quebec or buffalo to get it. but, since I could not sit, stand, or walk, a long car trip was out of the question for me.

it happened on april fool's day (go figure!), and my appt for an MRI (which i had to wait a week for them to call me back) was for november 13, 2006.

no way is our healthcare "fixed"

Anonymous said...

oh! and to add insult to injury, the only things that helped were physio and chiropractic treatments!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

oh! and to add insult to injury, the only things that helped were physio and chiropractic treatments!

Ouch!

I meant to say that my relative went to Buffalo; not Detroit.

Same difference though.

Möbius said...

The NP can go screw themselves as far as I'm concerned.

They stopped home delivery in my area, and didn't respond to my relatively friendly email asking why.

I refuse to buy it in the local Hasty Market, but instead go out of my way to buy the G & M, no matter how much it injures my soul. I may even get a subscription!

They are, however, correct to endorse the PC's in this election.