It is grating when we read about Ontario politics and a careless reporter refers to Patrick Brown as ‘winning’ the leadership of Ontario’s Conservatives. He hardly won it. It would be the same as saying Donald Trump won the most votes on November 8, 2016. He did not win the most votes; he won the United States’ Electoral College.
But there is little anyone can do about it now. Despite the questionable circumstances in both cases, it is too late for change.
You can have recounts for Clinton in Wisconsin, Michigan or Ohio and what are the chances? Sure, the FBI made improper allegations about Clinton and the CIA held back their allegations about the Russians helping Trump until after the election. Would it have made a difference? Who knows? The saddest part of it was Donald Trump claiming the election was rigged before hand, because he thought he was going to lose.
But Brown in Ontario is small potatoes compared to manipulations south of the border. All he did was steal the leadership of his Conservative Party. He dumped more than 40,000 new memberships on a party with less than 25,000 members. How did he do it? He cheated. He beat the popular choice of the Ontario PCs by his massive sign-ups of thousands of immigrants—mainly from the sub-continent of India.
Did all these newcomers to Ontario pay their own memberships? No. Obviously not! Were not some of them the same as those who were signed up to support Kathleen Wynne win the Liberal leadership two years earlier? Yes. The same organizers signed up the same people. It is so routine!
And do they pay their own membership fee? No. Payment is optional and most often ignored. Who cares?
Some of us care. Honestly still has to count for something in politics. Voters just assume both sides cheat and consider it part of the game.
But politics is not a game. Politics has a purpose to serve people. Political office is a position of trust. To give the finger to that trust is despicable.
Americans do not really deserve the turmoil of the next four years. They have chosen a President who is not political. He is not even democratic. He will make mistakes and he will cause problems—hopefully nothing that cannot be repaired.
Conversely, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party leader is a politician. He is a conniver and a sleaze. He is dishonest. He does not think he needs follow the rules. Think back to Michael Harris’ Ontario at the turn of the century. Mr. Brown could be far worse.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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