Tough Times

Viewing from the distance of federal as opposed to provincial, the sad dissolution of the Liberal Party of Canada, Ontario's Liberals have no wish to follow suit.  Whenever political fortunes become tight there is always a close look at the leader of the party, to determine whether he/she is deserving of remaining as leader, whether the policies they have extolled and acted upon have been good for the party or not so good. 

In the game of musical chairs that the federal Liberal party played, their desperation was only too evident.  Whereas it was necessary to gut and reform party policies and present the electorate with a fresh new slate of priorities and appealing candidates, the party faithful looked to their party leaders to begin a new selection process for a promising new leader, one after another, until finally there was a coronation resembling a real democratic deficit.

None of the revolving party leaders nor their platforms, nor their bold new initiatives formed to appeal to the electorate was capable of electrifying voters who would in turn reward the party be re-installing them to government.  But in Ontario the Liberals are the government, they have been elected and re-elected three times; the third pretty close to a majority, but too slender to become one, which hasn't stopped them from enacting majority-status legislation.

This provincial government has been responsible for leading Ontarians into a dire situation with an impossibly worrisome debt.  It has made shoddy decisions, many of them revolving around the environment and energy sources which have been costly and wasteful.  In addition to which, cancelling a gas plant scheduled to be built in Mississauga to preserve yet another slippery seat in the Legislature was horrendously costly.

But the waste that has taken place in the health care segment of government operations continues to rankle.  From the scandalous waste of eHealth that resulted in a cancellation of the program, a reinvention and still stalled.  And generous parting hand-outs to former CEOS.  That Premier Dalton McGuinty was re-elected in the last election that brought him victory for the third time is really quite amazing; the election was there, as was the one before, for the provincial Conservatives to win, not lose. 

Now, with a spring election possibly around the corner, the Ontario Liberals have conferred huge trust once again on their leader with a 85.8 percent approval rating because they rationally have chosen to dance with the one that brought them to power.  This is the man who was first elected promising no new taxes, and people liked that promise.  Since then he re-instituted a health tax with the 2004 Health Premium, representing quite a shock as the future moved backward.

And then came the progressive harmonized sales tax which was supposed to be very good fiscal medicine for everyone, government, business and taxpayers for a happy future together.  The comfortable liaison between government and public sector workers, and their unions, with those in the professional health care field, teachers and others enjoying hefty new wage packages came to a thudding halt. 

During the last election, teachers were among Dalton McGuinty's most enthusiastic supporters. Now they and all the others are looking at a legislated wage freeze.  The premier theorized that in gratitude for previous generosity, public sector workers and civil servants would be only too willing to 'give back', sacrifice a little, in consideration of all those Ontarians without those guaranteed incomes and reliable holidays and anticipated cushy retirement benefits.

"We've been through tough times before.  This is but one more.  Now is not the time for stopping.  We're going to get that goodwill back.  I'm convinced that, deep in their heart of hearts, people understand", the premier said confidently in an interview.  He may believe it or he may simply believe in the power of positive thinking.