"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 11 August 2013

Party Trappings and All That Jazz

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Messy Management is Not Management. It's Chaos": 16:21 August 10 Unfortunately there is not enough space here nor an inclination on my part to cast spears at the "leaders/former leaders" of the major political parties every time I say something. If my observation appeared partial it is because I was commenting on three members of the PC/C party. I could just have easily have zeroed in on members of the others, and then I would be criticized by someone else. If the RCMP is investigating senators over inappropriate expense claims I feel that former Premier McGuinty should likewise be investigated, for having directed and abetted a cover-up. In his case we are not talking about a paltry few hundreds of thousands of dollars but rather about several hundreds of millions of dollars. Have a nice evening. Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 10 August 2013 19:19 **************************** If I understand the bits ad pieces I've picked up along the way and what Frank Klees has said,cancellation of the gas-fired generators at the lakefront, the decision is currently under investigation by the police. The current Premier has declared that no decisions will be made for the benefit of the Party in her administration. The Lady is having to think fast on her feet. The problem for the Party extends farther to previous to the last election. When on the eve of same, then Premier Dalton McGuinty made the decision to shut down the gas -fired generators at the lakefront. In his time, he created a second agency of government to manage Hydro generation and distribution. The first was Hydro One previously known as Hydro Ontario, which itself was responsible for the supply of power to keep the Province humming and developing. Something like the Ontario Lottery Association. That institution moved lottery decisions to arms length from politics. It didn't stop the current Premier from leaping in with both feet and assuring the Liberal Mayor of Ottawa and a prior provincial colleague there would be no difference between cities when it came to an agreement. Nor did it stop her from firing Paul Godfrey who had chaired the organization competently ,within the rules ,since he had that responsibility. Paul Godfrey has been a mover and shaker in Toronto politics for forty years. He is a prominent Conservative. Did he have anything to do with the Conservative win in Etobicoke -Lakeshore ? Did the Premier's "political" decision to placate the Liberal Mayor of Ottawa at the expense of the Toronto economy? have an impact? I think so. It didn't do a hell of a lot for the Provincial economy either which is in dire need of whatever help it can get as opposed to a kick in the teeth. Paul Godfrey did not complain. He did not explain. I would not be in the least surprised to learn, he got even. The Premier had set him free. I am continually surprised by the absence of political acumen demonstrated at every level of government. On election night, Doug Holyday stood in the shadows behind Tim Hudack and waited while the Leader used up the oxygen of victory in promoting himself. The Conservative Party had nothing whatsoever to do with the win. Doug Holyday had more than forty years of service in elected office to offer the voters of the Riding. It was like the old time religion. He was sought out for the nomination on the basis of proven competence and public recognition. It wasn't the colour of his skin, or his religion , or the numbers of this ethnic group or that on the voters' list. But there was Tim Hudack on election night displaying his total lack of comprehension that the voters get it. The time is long gone since people voted blindly for a party label. I think , in this day and age, we should be able to discuss the merits of this campaign or that without tying ourselves into knots with party trappings.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our Province and Its Business

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if there was ever a province as ticked off at politicians as Ontario is at the moment. The lack of a viable alternative is partly responsible. Imagine having a kid who is bright, good at public speaking & hard-working & who suggests he/she might want to be a politician !

Anonymous said...

There will always be those determined to pigeon-hole individuals into convenient little boxes. It just isn't working the way it used to for them. Maybe it's the advent of social media but whatever the cause, political parties need to do some serious thinking. That would include those on our doorstep.

Anonymous said...


I would take Frank Klees with a grain or two of salt.