Johnny Au
Senior Member
2014 provincial election: nonsense election
None of the major three parties are any good.
None of the major three parties are any good.
The Liberals who were already mad with the gas plant scandals have already left for the NDP. The other liberals are extremely hardcore almost like Ford supporters, they aren't going anywhere. The NDP call for an election causes those liberals who left to question why did they leave and what is their play now. I think its more likely they come back to being liberal then to go to the PCs. Its easier to vote for someone you dislike but who has your core values in mind then it is to vote for someone you dislike and has opposing values just to make a point.
This statement is very true. Many Liberals supporters are equally illogical and hardcore to the Ford supporters. The only chance Ford has is if the illogical Liberal vote supports Wynne and that riles up the illogical Ford supporters.
People make all sorts of nightmare scenarios. But those don't lend themselves to political realities. Here's the reality. 905 wins the parties elections. Not the 416. So getting a setup where GO and the TTC subway network are fare-coordinated will most certainly pay off at election time.
GO doesn't take much subsidies. And last I heard, people keep saying that the TTC subway network is profitable on net. So I don't think it's far fetched to rip out the subway network, merge it with GO and hand it to a Metrolinx that may well have a provincial minister run it. Let Toronto take care of its own buses and streetcars.
This may seem crazy to some, but the PCs are perfectly rational and pick policies that win them suburban votes. When Mike Harris, cut and slashed, he did it with the full backing of the 905 suburban belt. Back then, that suburban belt was more concerned about the deficit and taxes than Toronto's transport situation. Today, the 905 suburban belt is concerned about traffic congestion and transit to some extent. But they don't care about the Sheppard or Finch LRTs. They'll vote for more GO service, TTC fare integration, and subway extensions that benefit them (BD to STC benefits Durham, Yonge North benefits Richmond Hill, DRL relieves severe congestion on Yonge...hurts those VIVA riders). Of course, just as before too, the 905 is still concerned about economic and fiscal concerns before transport. Hence, PC's targeting those issues.
Believing that the PCs are irrational haters of transit is the first mistake that all their transit-loving opponents make. They don't hate transit. They just don't like transit that doesn't have any electoral payoffs for them.
The 905 was happy to whine when the teachers went on strike. Of course, they are the ones that will feel the pain first when it happens again. There are a lot of greedy people in Ontario.
The 905 was happy to whine when the teachers went on strike. Of course, they are the ones that will feel the pain first when it happens again. There are a lot of greedy people in Ontario.
I hear that much. If anyone thinks that the teachers won't suffer under a PC government, and I personally know some people who think just that, they're deluding themselves.
Who said they were unique and why is the 416 coming up? I just said they were happy to vote for him until they knew the costs.Again, I am confused....what evidence is there that people the 905 whined about teachers on strike and what evidence is there that they were unique in this and that parents in the 416 did not whine about it?
I disagree that the PCs are not haters of transit though. In reality, they're haters of most "unnecessary" "expenses" which don't appeal to the 905-belt voters that may carry them to victory this election, and transit is one of those things. They will only support transit, like Yonge North or BD to STC, when it politically benefits them. It has happened before and it will happen again.
I hear that much. If anyone thinks that the teachers won't suffer under a PC government, and I personally know some people who think just that, they're deluding themselves.
Who said they were unique and why is the 416 coming up? I just said they were happy to vote for him until they knew the costs.
Well of course. I know some teachers that support the PCs. Let them have it.
Well by singling out the 905ers as the ones who "whined" I took it that you were excluding the 416 from the whining....if not, why not say everyone in the GTA?
I personally live in the 905...unfortunately...the 905 is the region which is likely to carry the PCs as opposed to the 416 anyways.
Because the question was about the 905 suburbs, that's why.Well by singling out the 905ers as the ones who "whined" I took it that you were excluding the 416 from the whining....if not, why not say everyone in the GTA?
Because people only care when it hits them. They did the same to Rae. If Hudak is elected, he should carry out his mandate.It's cringe-worthy listening to teachers talk about the evils of the Liberal government and their intent to vote PC. Utterly cringe-worthy.
I personally live in the 905...unfortunately...the 905 is the region which is likely to carry the PCs as opposed to the 416 anyways.
She also criticized Wynne for dealing with Norm Kelly instead of Rob Ford!?!I don't see why progressives would vote for Horwath. No substantial platform; mistake-prone leader; $100 Hydro cheques for everyone from Regent Park to Rosedale; took down the Big Move funding plan and all the work of Golden et all; Can't even sign a pro-transit petition; Removing HST on hydro, gas and fuel to encourage more driving and fossil fuel consumption; tepid support for increasing the minimum wage despite this being in their 2011 platform; abandonment of the labour and environmental movements.
edit: here we go....Rick Salutin: Andrea Horwath's right-wing populism http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/05/08/andrea_horwaths_rightwing_populism_salutin.html