The Ontario PCs have released a new video with finance critic Peter Shurman suggesting the Liberals cannot balance their budget on schedule by restraining health care to 2 per cent and education to 1 per cent. The timing appears a bit off. … Continue reading →
Continue readingTag: Tim Hudak
Politics and its Discontents: More Reflections on Leadership
The other day, in my post on political leadership, I chose Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as the figure to contrast what I consider to be the much more mature and thoughtful approach of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. My exclusion of the more obvious figure of comparison, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pondering Pandeering Political Parties
I am long past the age where I expect very much from politicians of any stripe. While it is easy to target (and I frequently do!) the Harper-led Conservative Party as the party of the corporate agenda, it is also sadly true that both the Liberal Party and the NDP
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Two Messages For Tim Hudak
I have a bit of a busy morning ahead, so just a brief post for now. I have written many times about young Tim Hudak, the lad who aspires to become Premier of Ontario through rhetoric that demonizes the public sector, public sector pensions, and unions. Apparently, constructive policy and
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: No Free Ride
I do hope young Tim Hudak enjoys this brief video, directed by Bruce McDonald: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pining For A Non-Existent Past
It occurs to me that perhaps the limited appeal of young Tim Hudak, the increasingly out-of-touch leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, might be related to the retro mentality that periodically pops up in North America. You know, that nostalgic pining for a non-existent past where everyone lived harmoniously in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Thoughts on ‘Tea Party Tim’
I wish I could take credit for the title sobriquet describing Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, but that distinction lies with Val Patrick of Hamilton whose letter, along with several others that appear in today’s Star, I am taking the liberty of reproducing below. Enjoy! Tea Party Tim Hudak
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Premier Wynne – Important memo re public health care
Memo: To the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier, Province of Ontario From: Your new pals at OPSEU Diablogue Dear Premier Wynne – Imagine our surprise when we discovered in today’s newspaper that the public sector unions are in fact running government. We have to give thanks … Continue reading →
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Could be just me…
….but Tim Hudak seems like an angry guy these days. The modus operandi of the Ontario PC leader seems to be to “attack” everyone and everything these days as a way to try to get himself elected – an angrier version of ex-Premier Mike Harris, if you will. Polls seem
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: ‘Master of the Universe’ Tim Speaks Again
And, as usual, has nothing to say to anyone with the capacity to think. H/t Kev Recommend this Post
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – The Star’s editorial board highlights why our elected representatives should be countering the effect of precarious employment (rather than exacerbating them as the Cons have done): Simply put, programs like Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan were created back in the days
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Villagers With Pitchforks
Looks like these folks need some direction: I suspect young Tim Hudak would like to provide it for them. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tim Speaketh Again
The only trouble is, everytime he does, he affirms his incompetence. Yes, young Tim Hudak, the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, has weighed in on yet another ‘obstruction’ that he believes can be remediated through his simplistic prism. This time it is that pesky perennial problem of those
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Tim Hudak says Ontario is protecting too many endangered species?
Bit of an odd priority for a leader looking to be taken more seriously, but here we are. Hudak’s already on the record as wanting to eliminate full day kindergarten and put 10,000 education workers out of a job, but I guess we can add endangered species to Hudak’s chopping block.
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Elephant in the room: Hudak continues to flip-flop on power plants
The literal elephant in that picture is from a PC photo op stunt done in Mississauga on September 28th, in an attempt to attack the Liberals over the power plant issue. The bigger elephant though, are the numerous statements made by Hudak and local Mississauga Conservatives in favour of scrapping
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Hudak wants a $300 million election, vows to vote against a budget that hasn’t been written yet
Yesterday, Finance Minister Charles Sousa started his first round of pre-Budget consultations in Mississauga, listening to the concerns of everyday Ontario families as he works to prepare a budget focused on creating jobs, lowering youth unemployment, and fostering growth and opportunity as the way forward. “My hope is that the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Fathoming The Reactionary Mind
I readily admit that I find it difficult, if not impossible, to fathom the extreme right-wing mind. To me, it is a mind mired in a world of fantasy, willful ignorance, and intractable denial. Magical thinking seems to be a substitute for cogitation. Name-calling in lieu of discussion. Denunciation instead
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Perhaps He Should Try Thinking Before Speaking?
Last week I wrote a post on two inane ideas uttered by young Tim Hudak, the hapless leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party. He proposed tying post-secondary funding to rates of employment upon graduation, along with the idea that only those who achieve a certain mark shuld be elegible for
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Mike Harris Redux
In his ongoing attempt to resurrect the ‘glory’ days of his close friend and mentor, former Ontario Premier Mike ‘the knife’ Harris, young Ontario Conservative Tim Hudak has a not-so-new-idea. A man, I deduce, not given to a great deal of introspection or critical thought, young Tim has apparently come
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: Hudak would end support for students from low income families with attack on 30% tuition rebate
Tim Hudak rolled out his latest double down on right-wing policy, announcing he would end the 30% tuition rebate for Ontario post-secondary students. Hudak and his post-secondary education critic, Rob Leone framed the tuition cut as not helping mature students or single parents (ironic, given the not so high regard
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