‘It’s time for a change’ (2)
MARKHAM — Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party took a right turn Saturday as it elected Niagara-area MPP Tim Hudak — a man who has promised a return to middle-class values and plain talk conservatism — as its new leader.
Hudak, 41, whose campaign slogan was “Right for Ontario,” won the leadership in a third-ballot decision against fellow MPP Frank Klees.
Hudak wasted little time in fixing his sights on the province’s Liberal government.
“Dalton, your days are numbered,” he said, addressing Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty. “It’s time for a change. … We must take Ontario down an entirely different path than we are on. Ontario is dead last in economic growth.”
Hudak said he would fight “tooth and nail” to stop a Liberal plan to harmonize the provincial sales tax with the federal GST, a move that will add the eight-per-cent tax to a range of products.
The Liberals, in turn, were quick to portray Hudak’s victory as a return to a Mike Harris-style government, a reference to the former premier who implemented a regime of tax and spending cuts.
Hudak, whose wife, Deb Hutton, was a senior Harris advisor, was endorsed by Harris as his choice for leader.
“Hudak will be running for the third Mike Harris term,” said Attorney General Chris Bentley. “He’ll be fronting, the Harris gang will be pulling the strings. The only thing the Tories could agree on during this convention were the politics of division — how much to undermine human rights, pitting one group of Ontarians against another. That’s not how you build a strong province.”
But Hudak was unapologetic about his campaign, which included a pledge to disband the province’s human rights tribunal.
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Updates:
4:06 pm EDT, June 28th, 2009 — Video Tim Hudak Victory Speech
Notes:
Thanks for making the video available, Darryl. I’m certain many will be interested.
I’ll also note I linked a free ad to the Ontario PC site an hour ago in my sidebar. If visitors are interested they can go there to find out more and “oh yes”…there is also that “pic” I created yesterday and posted. I want to keep things moving…
…And so, there is now a PC ad in the video area of my sidebar. Bob Runciman no less. How can you not like this man?
Popularity: 16% [?]
Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
Mac Says:
I wonder if the HST is the right hill to fight on? Realistically, going to HST will make it easier to collect sales taxes, reducing the burden on vendors and cutting bureaucracy. Since the GST is so much more encompassing than Ontario PST, perhaps the best bet would be to reduce the percentage of provincial taxation to make HST revenue neutral?
There are so many other hills which are more appealing… but perhaps I’m not a typical voter?
Posted on June 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Jack Says:
Good answer, Mac and one I was worried about. Harper urger Ontario to combine the tax. Little did he know that McShify would play games with it. I think you’re right but Ontario Liberals won’t like that idea.
Posted on June 28th, 2009 at 7:54 pm