The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party will announce its new leader tomorrow. Will anyone care? Is it going to make a difference? With three years to go before an election in Ontario, will the voters notice the change? When you hear that timing is everything in politics, you get the idea that this is lousy timing.
And what possible difference in leadership potential is there between MPP Christine Elliott and MP Patrick Brown. Has either ever shown any? Has either one suggested in any concrete way how they would make life better in this province? Is either in demand as a speaker for Kiwanis or Rotary meetings? Has either ever held people spellbound by the brilliance of their argument? Both candidates have been in politics for nine years. They are both lawyers.
Christine Elliott’s claim to fame is that she was married to the late federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. She took over his old provincial electoral district in 2006 when he had moved to federal politics. She ran for the Ontario party leadership in 2009 and was defeated by Tim Hudak. Hudak appointed her deputy leader and then ignored her.
And if you think Christine Elliott is dull, you have never met MP Patrick Brown. There are three things in Patrick Brown’s life: they are political organization, hockey and marathon running. He is not very fast on ice or track and found he needed to make his money from politics. His only problem is that in politics, he is a drone. He does nothing, he contributes nothing and he is barely responsible enough to be on time for votes. He would rather be out running or playing pick-up shinny.
And if you think this guy is boring when reading other people’s speeches, try his cocktail conversation. Have you ever been to a cocktail party and been told afterwards that a person was there. And you do not remember them being there. Patrick Brown is not memorable in a crowd of three. He has no appeal, personality or possible reason to be chosen leader of the Ontario Tories.
You could flip a coin between these two for leader of their Ontario party and if you are really lucky, you will lose the coin.
There is no question that between the two, Christine Elliott is the more appealing person. She even has the blessing of Ontario Conservative icon Bill Davis. Mr. Brown has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It seems that most of Mr. Brown’s supporters have no knowledge of Ontario politics, probably did not pay their own membership and might not even be eligible yet to vote in an Ontario election.
Surely there is a better way to chose leaders.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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