Yesterday, we discussed the branding problems of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. In the discussion, the fourth option for her was deliberately left off the table. The fourth option, under current political conditions in Ontario, requires its own discussion.
The premier is fully capable of ignoring those who are telling her what to do. As desperate as she is for a political solution she seems to have few trusted politically-savvy people to whom she will listen. The problem then starts with the first option.
Frankly, it is the best option. It involves Kathleen Wynne’s resignation. The non-political person has a hard time getting their mind around this. They see the danger for the Liberal Party as being forced into an election campaign while without a leader. Think about it for a while though and think also of an open and honest leadership race. It certainly could not be like that phony and corrupted event at the old Maple Leaf Gardens a year ago.
An open race during a general election means that you have over 100 potential leaders running as Liberals across Ontario. All candidates will have to be chosen by their local riding associations. They will be free to espouse liberal principles as they see them. All politics in that campaign will definitely be local. The party hierarchy will be able to pull the campaign components together but they will not have much discipline. It would be that time when all good people will come to the aid of their party. It will drive the news media to the wall.
The advantage would go to the potential candidates for leader as they waged their own campaigns and launched themselves into the provincial scene. Their success in even getting province-wide attention will tell us much about them. In the cauldron of an election campaign, true leadership can shine.
But that is the first option, not the fourth. The fourth option is for Kathleen Wynne to go through the machinations of supposedly governing. She would allow Charles Sousa to prepare another callow, uninspired, do-nothing budget. The New Democrats can then self-righteously vote against the budget and the Lieutenant Governor would call an election. And we can easily guess the outcome of that scenario.
Ontario would have that nice chubby Andrea Horwath as Premier of a minority government, shorn up by a rump of Liberal Party MPPs. It would be a do-nothing government. It would continue to fight against modern distribution of alcoholic beverages. It would wonder what to do about the Ring of Fire. It might raise the minimum wage a bit. It might lower auto insurance premiums. Other than that it would dither until the few Liberal MPPs can no longer support it. And then you get Timmy Hudak. Which is why the fourth option is frightening.
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Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
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