5 ON by-elections August 1.

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
34,892
129
63
Libs 2, NDP 2, Cons 1. Libs lose 3 seats, NDP gain 2, Cons gain 1.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa
Mackenzie King became Prime Minister after loosing in his own district (riding).......twice

John Turner became PM without having a seat himself. Oddly when he got a seat he lost his job as PM. Funny how the system works. I'm not a fan of those loopholes. Personally I think if a person does not have a seat in parliament or the provincial legislature they should not be premier or pm - regardless of their position within the party which has the most seats.

No premier or PM is directly elected by the people. That isnt how our system works. We elect a parliament and they pick the premier/pm.

We call that "Civics" down here. How 'bout up there?

Also called Civics here. Unfortunately the only mandatory Civics class in Ontario is half a semester in grade 10. Not nearly enough time. Well, unless that has changed since I was there.

The premiership will not change no matter how the by-elections go.

Could have potentially. Still could any day. The Liberals are in a minority government. At any moment the opposition can either defeat the government or come together and offer a coalition government thereby changing who is premier. Not likely to happen but the system does allow for it.
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
1
36
Here in ON we have 5 by-elections on August 1, the beginning of a long holiday weekend. Our new premier, unelected by the citizens of ON, is testing the waters to see if she should call a full election this fall of continue till end of term in 2015.

20 lies the Libs told you | Columnists | Opinion | Toronto Sun



Despite these 20 lies being provided and the biggest scandal ever (gas plant) Hudak and the Tories are still so despised that the only seat they can claim they won was Holydays and that is seen by anyone as Holydays win, not Hudaks.

I have actually met him by chance when I was walking around the dismal shopping mall in Ft Erie where he had his office and was being interviewed regarding the local destruction caused by a terrific storm the day before.

He comes across as a smarmy, arrogant f--- and I can't believe the CONS think he's the man, but then again, I'm not a CON so I don't think like them......................




The results are in: Tim Hudak is an awful campaigner and a liability for Ontario Conservatives


Thursday's five by-elections in Ontario were another blow to Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak. This constitutes a real crisis of confidence.

The results need to be analyzed based on the expectations created by the polls and the media’s belief that ex-premier Dalton McGuinty had fatally undermined the Liberal party. On that basis, it was perfectly reasonable to expect the Liberals to lose every one of their seats, maybe just squeaking by in Scarborough; the Tories to win three or four of the five; and the NDP to win only Windsor-Tecumseh. From that perspective, a single Liberal win would have been a real godsend, allowing them to boast they were still contenders. That's in fact what the Liberals expected and how they were prepared to spin it publicly. But that didn’t happen.

The Tory and NDP responses would have been equally predictable. Given the Conservative shut-out in Toronto for so many years, any victory would unleash delirium, while winning both Toronto seats, which they expected, would have been heaven. With three, or, as they quietly believed, four wins -- everything but Windsor -- they'd have been celebrating their unstoppable ascent to government. And they would have been right. But none of that happened.

Similarly, the NDP would have crowed about an easy Windsor win -- an amazing 61 per cent in a former Liberal stronghold -- but one victory was rightly not considered enough. They needed London West as well, although polls showed them running behind the Hudak candidate. Had they won only one of five, and had star candidate Adam Giambrone received only 21 per cent in Scarborough, as polls forecast, Thursday would have been a bad day in NDP circles. That Giambrone had won the nomination in dubious circumstances with unseemly backing by the party brass would have meant much salt in raw wounds. But none of that happened either.

Given this background, the results actually meant that Tim Hudak personally suffered yet another major defeat, after the 2011 election plus six by-election defeats in the past two years. Premier Kathleen Wynne was a surprise winner, with two seats where there could have been none; and the NDP did exactly what it needed to, with sudden new strength in western Ontario, having won a Kitchener-Waterloo by-election last year from the Conservatives, new seats in Windsor and London from the Liberals, and a surprisingly strong run by Giambrone in Scarborough.

What happens now? Conservative wheelers and dealers know what a liability Tim Hudak has become. In a nice bit of symmetry, he's his party's albatross just as ex-premier McGuinty has been the Liberals'. Hudak threw himself into these by-elections, yet the only one he won, in Etobicoke–Lakeshore, was a close thing, and he owes the victory to the candidate and the Ford brothers' local machine.

And that machine showed its severe limits, failing to deliver Scarborough-Guildwood to the Conservatives. (Mayor Rob Ford's typically vicious attacks on Premier Wynne will no doubt help the City of Toronto to no end in its many dealings with Queen's Park.)

The PC leader is an awful campaigner, sour, excessive, pushing people away with his very harshness. He’s utterly failed to enhance his public presence since he so badly blew the 2011 election. He’s also pushing perhaps the most reactionary, flagrantly class-based policies Ontarians have ever seen, making Mike Harris look like a bleeding-heart liberal.


more

The results are in: Tim Hudak is an awful campaigner and a liability for Ontario Conservatives | rabble.ca
 

Walter

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 28, 2007
34,892
129
63
The results are in: Tim Hudak is an awful campaigner and a liability for Ontario Conservatives
So far Hudak ain't no Mike Harris who won two landslides in ON. But Mike didn't win his first election as leader of the PC's either so the next general election is sink or swim for Hudak.
 

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
1
36
The Harris/Hudak CONS gave away a cash cow..........


The 407 giveaway was a huge economic loss for all Ontarians and not just those who may have benefitted from using it.

If the Province had retained operation of it and even if the travel rates were a quarter of what they are now it would be an incredible cash generator which would allow for the Province to have more cash.

Even if the rates of a Public 407 were half of what the Private rates are the Province would be flourishing with cash realizing $64.30 (+HST) per light vehicle.


The 407 was an obvious cut through to benefit traffic on the 401/ 403/ Hwy 7. Of course the building it with taxpayers money then leasing away an obvious cash cow was a political blunder that costs not only the citizens of Ontario in lost revenue for other projects but costs those who use it dearly.


In the example below if the rates were a quarter of what they are now the 407 cost would still be more than double the NY Thruway rate at 32.15 (+ HST).


I looked at the New York Toll Road as a comparison in usage fees.


I never use it but if the rates were less I'm sure a lot more people would use it and for longer distances thereby generating more income.


Tolls from
Exit 53 - (I-90) - Buffalo (Downtown) - Canada - Niagara Falls - I-190
to
Exit 19 - (I-87) - Kingston - NY Route 28 - Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge



Additional E-ZPass discount plans are available for commuters, motorcycles, motorhomes and other vehicles.
.​
Interchanges
Cash Tolls
E-ZPass TollsWilliamsville Toll Barrier to Exit 19 - (I-87) - Kingston - NY Route 28 - Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge $15.50$14.73 Total$15.50$14.73
Approximate Distance: 334.8 miles
Estimated Travel Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes.


http://www.thruway.ny.gov/tolls/calc/index.html


Using the 407 Rates at a mean of $00.23.88 cents per kilometer


(334 miles = 538.81 km)

the same trip on the 407 would cost $128.61...............but only if you have bought a Transponder, and higher if you travelled only Peak Hours.


407 ETR Concession Company Limited | 407 ETR Announces 2013 Rate Schedule
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
Make no mistake about it. Harris wanted to kill Ontario Northland too - but for different reasons. No Toronto garbage to the Harris/Minogue/McGuinty (another one) investment in Adams Mine - no train