Lunenberg ON – The Ontario PC Party under Tim Hudak seems to have come to the conclusion that if they shout all their sound bites, nobody will notice the complete lack of substance in what they are saying.
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This was certainly true of Tory MPPs Lisa McLeod and Steve Clark during their recent visit to Cornwall, part of a Tirade Tour of Ontario blasting Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). They have promised to close the LHINs down, calling them “bloated bureaucracies” and “middlemen.” Here’s what they AREN’T telling you:
LHINs replaced the District Health Councils that were first put in place in 1975. While part of the Mike Harris government, Hudak had nothing to say on these Councils, despite the fact that Cornwall and pretty much all of Eastern Ontario were given short shrift by them. The McGuinty government replaced those Councils with LHINs and made sure they were representative of and accountable to the regions they were responsible for.
Being on the ground in the communities they serve, LHINs are mandated to find out where in local healthcare funding is needed, and by keeping the system integrated, makes sure gaps and overlaps are avoided – ensuring our money isn’t wasted and no needed services are neglected. To find out exactly what they do, visit http://www.champlainlhin.on.ca/faq.aspx. If the Hudak PCs plan to cut the LHINs entirely, how are they going to find out where support is needed? They will either have to replace LHINs with some other “middleman” or have critical decisions made by some political staffer in Toronto who doesn’t know the distance or difference between Cornwall and Winchester. Either Hudak hasn’t thought this through, or he has, and isn’t telling us his intentions. Not a good way to build confidence.
Of course, we already have good reasons not to trust the Hudak Tories with our healthcare. Just this week, they flip-flopped on whether they would cut the health premium and gut $3 billion from Ontario’s healthcare budget. Hudak’s office and Tory MPP Sylvia Jones said they wouldn’t cut the premium, and then days later, Hudak himself said he would. This is the same sort of stance they have taken on the HST; they were all for it until the McGuinty government implemented it, and now say they’re against it, but won’t promise to cut it. To distract the public from these inconsistencies, Hudak has suddenly made lowering the price of beer one his priorities.
Whether the Tories don’t have a plan, or have a plan they aren’t sharing, it’s clear they aren’t being open with Ontarians. Maybe they should sort out their internal problems and figure out what they stand for FIRST; then maybe their MPPs can focus on content rather than just volume.
James Borer – Lunenberg Ontario
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Speaking of Mike Harris – where the hell is he when you need him?
Mr Hudak is not doing anything different than Mr Ignatief or Mr Layton in trying to get some recognition out there. Of course, a difference is provincially we know voting day is this year as opposed to wondering, federally.
No party is going to come up detailed plans with over 7 months to go. The ideas could be harped on consistently in hopes of dicrediting or even “borrowing” the idea to make it their own. Mr McGuinty harped on endlessly last election about funding for faith based schools, but here he is allowing schools for poor, Black and Inuit in Ontario. Where is the outrage over that?
The 14 LHIN’s in Ontario are an administrative level that gets money from the Ministry ( who got the money from us) and uses some and sends the rest to the hospitals.
Concerning the supposed flip flop, we heard for about 6 years from the Liberals how bad the books were when they took over, so having not the specifcs is probably good planning.
so having not the specifcs is probably good planning
Should read
so not having the specifcs is probably good planning
If Hudak has half a brain, and I think he does, he’ll send Harris off to Lower Slobovia until the election is over.
” This is the same sort of stance they have taken on the HST; they were all for it until the McGuinty government implemented it, and now say they’re against it, but won’t promise to cut it. To distract the public from these inconsistencies, Hudak has suddenly made lowering the price of beer one his priorities.”
Actually, Hudak also said on record he cannot promise anything about lowering the cost of beer to a buck a beer, he said he would “consider” it… The guy is wishy washy, plain and simple.. I keep saying this, if Hudak gets in, we’ll get more of the same or even worse in the long run.. Protest vote is the way to go for this, don’t vote con or lib for this one.. thats my suggestion.. this will be the most stark message sent to the major parties that they better clam up and work for the people for once, instead of themselves..
Grimalot I personally believe; it is my opinion; that not voting is never a solution. Even if it’s putting into power the lesser of two evils; it’s better than just being a victim. If people really want to vote. If they really want to make change, they have to get involved early and often.
For example right now, here in the Cornwall area, people are wanting to run for MPP. They have to sign up new members. If you ever want to be noticed and have your cause noticed now is the time to learn more about those running and find someone that you feel will represent you best.
Same at the Federal level to a degree and of course it’s always good to watch what your city council is up to; how they vote and what they support or not support.
If we want a better world we all have to play a part. No vote is not valuable.
Jamie, protest vote, and no vote, are completely different. You have seen me yourself say many times on this site and others, that if you do not vote, you have NO SAY!
By protest vote, I mean vote any other party other than the cons or the libs in this case.. vote green, vote rhino if they show up, vote whatever, just don’t vote con or lib.. both of them are playing games and its time to send the major parties a major message that we aren’t going to deal with it anymore!
Grimalot, the items list for taxation and the rate charged are in a signed document our McGuinty Government signed. Changes would mean giving back the 4. 3 billion dollar transition cheque so that is not wishy washy.
Mr. Hudak has said their are other areas to reduce in, and most everything will be looked at, so don’t protest vote, just vote and give a new government a chance. It is not like they can take any more money from us!
Grimalot, please do not encourage people to vote for parties that may not be ready to govern. Bob Rae admitted that his NDP government was not ready when thrust into the job, and that did not turn out all that well.
Joe, Mike Harris is an adviser with David Peterson’s Law firm on Bay Street in Toronto.. Harris was also instrumental with the Rob Ford campaign to have him elected as Mayor of Toronto. Although Mike Harris works behind the scene’s, he is well on his way to help make Toronto a colder uncaring city than it already is. David Peterson is also an adviser to Dalton McGuinty and a close family friend of the McGuinty’s. Conservative and Liberals are one of the same.
Bob Rae is, and always will be a Liberal in NDP clothing
Nice to see you posting again Willie. It’s been awhile. 🙂
Eric, I have sent many messages to Hudak, with never a reply. I don’t care what McGuinty did or does at this point, someone needs to take a stand to score points with me. As well, forget not that its Flaherty (federal conservative frothing at the mouth) that dangled the carrot in front of McGuinty to apply the HST in exchange for the 4.3 billion we received. Hudak is just a wolf in sheeps clothing as Bob Rae with a Liberal in NDP clothing. Again, as he said about lowering the cost of beer, he can’t even make a solid stand on that and speaks in his wishy washy tone as usual, and that I will not vote for. Someone has to take one for the team, and so far, no one seems to be willing, so I’m not going to vote for the cons or the libs. I would never vote Bob Rae but that is federal, not provincial at this time.
I will however continue encourage people to do what they feel is right, they can vote for who they want, but if they keep choosing lib or con, then both of the parties are going to feel comfortable that they can keep pitting eachother off eachother and winning the peoples hearts every time, only to sit there and eventually shaft us all even more.. so as I said, my original message that a stark and stern message should be sent to these main parties stand, and as far as I’m concerned, everyone should protest vote. Even if it doesn’t get any other party into power, at least with the drop in loyalty to the main parties, they might soon discover that people are getting pissed with them and realize that they all need an actual good change. They work for the people, not themselves.
I don’t see any of these leaders actually showing any leadership and taking a pay cut themselves, or am I wrong? That’s the kind of leadership I’m talking about. Lets finally see government work for the people. Otherwise we’re in for many other years of this continuous crap!
Grimalot. Trying to communicate with government can be an act of futility, particularly our current federal government. My wife and I wrote to the PM many months ago with regard to the way the feds hung the Nortel workers out to dry. Clement has said the government would be coming up with a program for the disabled from Nortel – the wait gets longer than the amount of money spent on Clement’s riding by Harper & Co. during the G8/G20 fiasco. Our own MP does nothing, comes up with no ideas, he just seeks to get his photo in the news. Wouldn’t it have been nice if he had answered for the PM?
Don’t I know it.. and all we get is lip service in any case from our MP.. I know of someone that even tried to call him, that went no where as well.. I don’t expect anything better with Hudak, and I think that some major changes need to happen in all levels of our government.. quickly the citizen is getting less and less protected with these morons we have in office..
I totally agree with James. How stupid can you get if you try to take away any element of a sound health program? What will you replace it with? Has the replacement plan a proven record of success? These are the questions I would need Tim Who-dun-it to answer. Sadly, to date, Who-dun-it doesn’t appear to understand anything unless it is in a bottle [beer that is]. A recent international study poll placed Ontario as the best health plan in Canada and fourth in the world so why would you want to destroy it? Only a Conservative would consider such an action.
Joe Gunn. Mike Harris is where he should be learning from a leading Liberal. We DO NOT need another Mike Harris era, thank you
Mike Harris is still the ONLY politician who did what he said he was going to do if elected! The other colours of the rainbow parties have never lived up to their promises. We’ll never forget Bob Rae here in Ontario.
well maybe….the reason he was elected was that nobody actually expected him to do what he said he do…..
I don’t recall Harris saying that he’d have Dudley George killed, force thousands of people to live on the streets, fire half the water and food inspectors, sell off public assets (Hwy 407 etc) at fire-sale prices, force amalgamation on municipalities, download social program costs on municipalities, create a crisis in out education system, give professional sports organizations huge tax breaks, close hospitals and fire thousands of nurses, and on and on.
Actually Furtz, he DID say that he would create a crisis in our education system. (or at least his minister of education did on camera)
Mission accomplished on that one Mike.
Anyone who votes for the McGuintey Gov’t in this year’s election, really needs to give their head a shake…regardless if you’re a long-time liberal, how can you vote for this man & the scandals caused within his gov’t (OLG, E-Health, and the billions of $ wasted in hiring useless consultants, etc.)…lest we forget this mindless spending on our dime! Oh, and don’t get me started on the LHIN’s and that useless level of Gov’t with an appointment of A. Munster as the CEO? OMG, Pewee Herman would be a better candidate-and, by the way, this liberal appointment will end within the next few months with a full pension for Munter—more cost to us taxpaying Ontarians…
Mike Harris truly did what he said he would, Pity he did not have the intelligence to see the damage his plan would create. No one is perfect but some are more perfect than others. Mike Harris has to come second to Dalton McGuinty even though they were driving in different directions. Mike Harris was a typical Conservative, take away from the poor and give it to the rich. Sorry, but I really think he should have stuck to golf, he could have played Joe Gunn and Standup all day – that would have been more productive. Because of Mike Harris the average citizen who wishes to attend ALL school board meetings for the schools in our area must travel long distances at their own expense. A super strategy to eliminate public participation. Typical Conservatism don’t let the public know what is happening.
Brave Girl. Do you apply the same criteria to our federal government?
On the HST, McGuinty did not have a gun to his head to sign into law the items that would be taxable. Early on he said it would be tax nutral, that did not happen for the consumer. He took the federal incentive because he did not make the hard choices that Mike Harris did!
All those programs listed by Grimalot on Feb 11 need to be addressed. The vast majority of government workers are pricing themselves out of jobs and taxpayers have no more money.
Sure government workers pay tax, buy homes, cars and food locally, but the whole salary and benefits are too expensive. I would not be surprised if it took 100 taxpayers to pay for the average governement worker from the annual income tax they submit.
Mr.Hudak did talk about health care BEFORE the over taxing on beer comment. Mr McGuinty is socially engineering us and people let him. McGuinty said essentially that people will drink more if it is cheap. The vast majority of people can be their own liquor control board and we do not need more government intrusion of our daily lives.
Mr Mines, why would the average citizen need to attend ALL school board meetings? And why should taxpayers pay for their travel?
The Upper Canada Board like many are very large geographically, do not post minutes on a website?
Most people could care less what is going on UNTILL it effects their daily life, gas prices, waiting times and excessive taxation to pay for so many programs for example.
I surely would like to debate the LHINs and our provincial health plan with the not-so ‘Brave Girl’. On another side of her tirade against Dalton McGuinty she forgot there is a positive side to any story. How about being a ‘good girl’ and look at the positive side of the coin, – for just a moment. Better yet ask Eric and Joe to list all the positive things the Liberal government has done of our province.
Now, now, Mr. Milnes, a Liberal will always be a Liberal, won’t he…perhaps Mr. McGuimpey (oops, I mean McSteeler, oops, I mean McGimpey, geeze…) and his high-paid Liberal consultants should begin by at least looking at their policies on infection control and Hospital aquired infections within our Ont. Hospitals ~ an 80-page bureaucratic document in which our Hospitals must abide to, costing billions of dollars with simple things such as masking, gloving, gowning & hiring more house-keeping staff on an ongoing basis…oh, and staff must mask, gown & glove, (even if taking a box of tissues in the room) from patient to patient; patients becoming isolated & infected regardless of this policy – it’s pure insanity costing incredible amounts of money which really doesn’t solve infection control matters. Long-term care facilities do not have to do such measures, and who is hurting in the long run? The patient, of course. And, this is only one example. Obviously, Mr. Milnes, you have a lot of time on your hands to be able to continuously back McGimpey, and it’s your perogative to do so. Good luck in your efforts-Cornwall always seems to vote against the grain anyway…let’s keep our Provine in the «Red» alright. Cheers!
Eric. I never said everyone should attend all schoolboard meetings. I only lamented that I was denied the chance because of a Mike Harris strategy. I have always lived with my responsibilities and attended such meetings so that I had the right to comment because one can only comment on that which they have first hand knowledge of. Ask Joe, he will confirm my involvement in attending meeetings when they were held in Cornwall. It is not the same getting something secondhand via the Web I like to hear it myself and will take the time to do just that. There is no way I am suggesting that taxpayers should pay for my travel – just do not remove the process so I may not participate. That is Conservative territory, stop people from being able to participate.
Oh, and Mr. Milnes, perhaps you may want to think about the opportunity of taking over Mr. Michael Waddell’s position as CAO of the United Counties of S. D. & G….he’ll be retiring at the end of March, ‘seemingly’ yet another ‘Liberal-appointed position’…and, and yet, another bureaucratic, useless level of Gov’t…would love to debate any matter with you, but, no point – your sky will always be red, maybe orange at times, but hey, that’s okay…enjoy the provincial election results in October & until then, here’s to a «Buck-A-Beer» Cheers…
Thanks James for this dialogue. Thanks also to everyone else who contributed to the discourse you were super. Isn’t it wonderful to be in a democracy. John
You are welcome John. PS: Whatever did I do to you that you would put me in a golf game with Mike Harris and Joe Gunn?
Bravegirl said “enjoy the provincial election results in October & until then, here’s to a «Buck-A-Beer» Cheers…”
Sorry, Hudak cannot even promise that… For that matter, what did Hudak promise anyways that would make you support him Bravegirl? Fight the HST? How? Buck a beer? No promises though.. Do something? But what? So far all I hear is hot air and no action or promises.. Ill wait until he can at least come out with some sort of solid platform that he can work with..
Well, then, Mr. Grimalot, sounds-like you have a pretty big chip on your shoulder – you should run for office and see where you get. ~ Enjoy 🙂
I don’t intend on running for office, but your comment doesn’t shed any more light on any of Hudak’s “non-promises”.. what, would you prefer someone that doesn’t promise anything or have any solid platform to run with running in office? Is that the whole, well if you have no expectations then you cannot be disappointed attitude going on there?
In the meantime, indeed I have a huge chip on my shoulder when it comes to the different levels of conservative governments running in this country. Harper is just as bad with the lies as McGuinty is. Fixed elections? what’s that? Transparency? whats that? The way the government runs right now, reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons where Chief Quimby is asking a mobster if he knew anything about a truck of cigarettes disappearing, and the mobster quickly answered “whats a truck?”…
Hey Standup ~
I think you would enjoy 18 with Mike and me – let me know and we can attempt a shot at it!
Enjoy our world!
Joe (Gunn)
Thanks for the gracious offer Joe. Maybe when the weather is better we can work on that but I don’t think we’ll be able to get Mike out.