The cold seems to bite through the thickest thermal clothing at this time of year in Sudbury. Yet the Super Stack in Copper Cliff still dominates, layering the city in its customary grey after each snowfall. The February 5 by-election just adds to the greyness of the scene. Mind you the temperature and desperation seem to be rising in Queen’s Park as the foolishness of the Liberal position in the by-election becomes clear.
Wynne was whistling past the graveyard when she opted to ignore the wishes of the local Liberals and appointed the former Sudbury New Democrat MP to represent her party. While the only published public opinion poll is likely inaccurate, the possibility of the real provincial New Democrat candidate winning is a warming thought.
It could be of benefit to all of Ontario if Premier Wynne was delivered a lesson in democracy. It might even surprise her to learn that Glenn Thibeault, who had represented the riding in Ottawa for the past six years as a New Democrat, might have won in an open nomination contest. Nobody said he was not welcome if he came openly and wanted to contest for the party nomination.
But kicking a quadriplegic to the curb was not Kathleen Wynne’s finest moment. Andrew Olivier might not be running to win this time but he is running to teach Ms. Wynne a lesson. And he is draining off some of the Liberal support from Ms. Wynne’s candidate.
It is unlikely that anyone this far south of Sudbury can tell you who will win. Polls are a waste of time in the circumstances. You need a good weather forecaster and a sunny day on February 5 and hopefully the temperature will not be much less than -15 degrees. The contest is between the Liberal and the New Democrat and frankly the New Democrats are better at turning out their vote in that town. And the Liberal cause is hardly helped by pissing off the former candidate and local Liberals who believe in democracy.
It is not as though the by-election is going to mean more than bragging rights for either Premier Wynne or New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath. Ms. Wynne’s majority will probably be good for a full term.
But it sure would be nice if Wynne and her Whigs moved into the 21st Century. We have democracy now and they need to learn about it.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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