Dalton McGuinty that is.
How else does one explain his recent threat to call a Summer Election with his Party trailing both the Tories – in first and the NDP, a close second.
I think being Premier is wearing thin on him and I believe it has little to do with his Party’s minority status.
If you have a better explanation, I would be happy to hear it.
The one that constantly comes up though is that he wanted an Election so he could resign after it and run for the Federal Liberals. The problem with this explanation of course is that given their 3rd place standing in the polls, an Election would likely result in his defeat. Ergo, the Federal Liberals would not be too keen to have a defeated Premier as their new Leader.
I also discount the minority status as the reason for his erratic behaviour – first, parties naturally cling to power regardless of whether they enjoy a full majority. Second, if McGuinty really wanted a majority – he could easily have one. The recent resignation of Elizabeth Witmer proves that in spades, as does the near Speakership of Frank Klees – two of the most stalwart Tories. Think how little it would take to get a low profile PCer or NDPer to cross the floor.
So if it is not the Federal Liberal Leadership, nor the current Minority Status causing McGuinty’s bizarre behaviour – I go back to my original premise that it is due to the fact that Premiership of Ontario is no longer the fun post it used to be.
Let's just look at one issue to see the truth in this. In his first two terms, McGuinty bought and paid for Labour Peace – the Teachers, the Nurses, the Doctors, and the Bureaucrats, but now his even minimalist steps to address the deficit have caused those groups to turn against him. Talk about fair weather friends.
With the recent downgrades in the Province’s credit rating, McGuinty knows that the jig is up. The days of spend, spend, spend – are over; and with them, has gone the joy of office.
It is a lot more fun to spend than to save and McGuinty is quickly tiring of the latter.
That McGuinty has come to his senses and called off an Election is but a temporary pause for him. I believe we will soon see McGuinty step down and leave it to someone else to clean up the mess he has made over the course of the last decade.
For Ontarians this will be good news since their current Premier does not seem to have the heart to do what is needed.
As I see it …
‘K.D. Galagher”
