There’s rumbling behind closed doors about Kathleen Wynne as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Don’t kid yourself, this is one sly fox !
Wynne opponents have been lining up their political missiles: hydro rates, insurance costs, kiboshing Toronto’s toll road proposals, financial waste from poor office rentals to gas plant boondoggling. The list just seems to grow and grow. And at the beginning of the new year, names of likely replacements were being tossed around. That list included:
Minister Michael Coteau
Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca
Health Minister Eric Hoskins
Education Minister Mitzie Hunter
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi
Finance Minister Charles Sousa
Sandra Pupatello, former minister and runner-up to Wynne in 2013 leadership race
None of the potential candidates has stepped forward openly and the grumblings have decreased with the arrival of spring in the province. But the murmuring has not died off completely though it is very low key after Wynne stepped in with a very expeditious regulation to turn down the heat in the Toronto real estate market.
The latest polls show the Conservatives ahead with a whopping 43%, the NDP at 28% and the Liberals at 19% ( March 30). Most likely, the polls will have changed since Wynne initiated regulatory measures for the real estate market in Ontario.
Wynne’s strengths
Wynne is an indefatigable campaigner with great energy and durability. She is a superb communicator with a very appealing and persuasive manner. She is will be relentless in her campaign efforts once the election is called.
Wynne has supplemented the real estate regulation with promises for a minimum wage of $15/hour and a guaranteed annual income program for low-wage earners and welfare recipients. These are vote winning proposals.
Patrick Brown
Once again, I pose the question, “Who is Patrick Brown?” Nearly 6 weeks ago, I tried sending his office an invitation to speak at our Issues in the Media weekly discussion group. Suffice to say, after email address confusion and a legislative office telephone which remains unanswered after more than two dozen rings, this political leader needs some help with the simple things. Makes one wonder about any provincial policies.
Andrea Horwath
Horwath was out of the picture until late April when she announced a new Pharmacare policy for Ontarians. Her plan has been criticised as being impossibly expensive at the starting gate, an unfair criticism to make before she even has a chance to lay out the policy in greater detail.
Read Jamie Watt’s opinion in the Toronto Star Commentaries: Toronto Star commentary
The next provincial election is becoming a real race, finally.
What do you think?
