Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Teflon Premier

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's battle with the Ontario Liberal Government seems to have produced two unpleasant results (from my POV) - Support for the CPC in Ontario is going down, while numbers for both federal and provincial Liberals are going up in this province.

While Flaherty may be responsible for the federal polling results, the Ontario picture is likely due more to an extremely weak opposition. As the Ottawa Sun's Antonella Artuso reports, nothing seems to be sticking to Dalton McGuinty:

...Pollster Nik Nanos said the Liberals now enjoy a 15-point advantage over the Tories, up from 11 points in the October election.

Supporting the McGuinty government is a "default" position for voters who don't see the opposition as proactive on important issues, such as the province's economic slowdown, Nanos said.

"They're not wearing anything as a government," he said. "It's classic ... free ride politics."

The Nanos Research poll finds the Liberals have the support of 45% of decided voters, followed by the Conservatives at 30%, the NDP at 14% and the Green Party at 10%....

Strangely, even the media seems outraged today by Dalton's arrogance. Joe Warmington is especially angered the way Dalton dodged the media surrounding his closed-door session with Chinese business people:

...Somebody has to call out the premier and remind him he's in that job at our pleasure in an open, democratic society where the press is entitled to cover his every public move. This means his meeting with a business delegation from Jiangsu, China, and its Vice-Governor Zhang Weiguo, should have some reasonable media opportunities. As premier, he's on our clock -- as were cabinet ministers Michael Chan and John Wilkinson...

Well, Joe. I don't know about that. With polls like the one that just came out, I think you can be assured that Dalton's actions will become even more arrogant and secretive. Don't look for any transparency from this guy in the near future. He has the Ontario Lemmings eating out of his hand.



But I do wonder if any of that Teflon the premier wears was made in China?

* * * *


Update
: Aww... Doesn't this warm the cockles of your plebeian heart? - I talked rights: Preem. Chinese VIP 'listened intently':

...McGuinty said he made it clear to Zhang that he would be attending question period following the meeting and would give opposition MPPs an opportunity to hold him to account.

"He was surprised at that process," McGuinty said. "But I embrace that process."

Yeah, right.






15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, the provincial conservatives have been all but invisible in the media,except for the flurry of activity around the attempt to replace Mr. Tory.

Usually poll numbers relate to visibility at least in part. Ontarians can be forgiven for forgetting that the PC party even exists here.

Regardless, I am not optimistic about the PC party in Ontario at all. Too many bridges were burned in the last campaign.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Regardless, I am not optimistic about the PC party in Ontario at all.

Neither am I. At least not in the near future. The party needs to do some serious soul-searching.

The NDP has big problems though too.
To have a healthy province we need an effective opposition. Right now Ontario is being run more like a dictatorship.

Anonymous said...

What is Nannos hidden agenda here.Why all these polls and what gives him the right to interpret the results of these polls and give the scary reasons that the Conservatives are stagnent.Ontario is no more than a joke to the rest of the country anyway since they re elected the liar McGuinty.

Anonymous said...

"an extremely weak opposition"

THAT'S RIGHT!!!!

Ontario's Tory bench pretty much bites.

Has anyone else received a survey from John Tory re: riding associations and improvements?

Johnathon said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

anon @ 8:09 ..agreed!The media are continually interviewing Nannos, and last week he was 'advising' Harper on how to handle the Lukiski tape 'story'(media call it a scandal...)
Thankfully PMSH does not take pointers from Nannos, who has delusions of grandeur...which is a typical Lib trait. Nannos has Lib connections/history. I don't have time to Google it now.It's out there.

Do you notice more Winfrey-Obamesque words floating around?
"embrace"
"faith"
"hope"
Yesterday the anti-poverty group in Toronto was "welcomed" by a flowery speech from the provincial Lib minister...it was full of Obamesque words.(CBC radio)

It's purple piffle IMHO.

bluetech

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Johnathon, I felt I had to delete your comment due to a possible racial slur. Perhaps you could try again. Thanks.

Johnathon said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joanne (True Blue) said...

Johnathon, due to recent events such as many high-profile bloggers being sued, and charged by HRCs, I can't afford to take any chances. Sorry.

There is no freedom of speech in Canada anymore.

And that is the sad truth.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Johnathon, you're focussing your anger at the wrong place. Try supporting Ezra Levant, SDA, Mark Steyn and others if you want free speech to come back to Canada.

Reid said...

Let's just get on with the election so Ontario can force it's will on the RoC. Then the west can dump everything east of Manitoba dragging us down and get on with a prosperous future.

OMMAG said...

McWeasle's rule .... "
Whatever I say is the only truth you need."

Möbius said...

Tory is doing nothing to oppose anything DMcG says. He's about as productive as Paul Martin right now. The Sandra P. China trip should have been postponed indefinitely to make a point.

Do we need more Dollar Store crap?

Ontario conservatives need to make it clear to their local PC reps that Tory is done.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Ontario conservatives need to make it clear to their local PC reps that Tory is done.

It's pretty hard for Tory to have any kind of credibility when he doesn't even have a seat.

Möbius said...

It's pretty hard for Tory to have any kind of credibility when he doesn't even have a seat.

Yes, but those in a riding with a PC seat holder can make their views known clearly.