Election in air

Sniff . . . sniff. Smell that?
Yes, spring finally is in the air but what’s really wafting about these days is the distinct odour of an impending provincial election.
Fort Frances Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft said he definitely picked up that vibe at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association’s annual meeting last week in Thunder Bay, citing what he called the largest-ever turnout of provincial ministers for a forum in our region.
Couple that with a rash of announcements this past week, covering everything from a $100-million fund to build roads and bridges in rural and Northern Ontario to a comprehensive strategy to tackle youth unemployment, and you’d think the campaign already was underway.
The governing Liberals, with Premier Kathleen Wynne now at the helm, say they don’t want to go to the polls, claiming—like every minority government clinging to power does—that voters don’t want an “unnecessary” election.
And certainly the Liberals look to be bending over backwards to appease the provincial NDP with 11th-hour promises to address things like auto insurance premiums in tomorrow’s budget.
The Progressives Conservatives already have said they will vote against the budget. New Democrats, on the other hand, said they would at least wait to see the budget before passing judgement. But while voters may applaud that reasoning, the truth is whether the NDP prop up the government or pull the plug rests solely on which option would most benefit the party.
In other words, is the NDP more likely to gain seats or political leverage if an election is held now or further down the road?
The Liberals, meanwhile, seem to want the best of both worlds. Tarnished by scandals and unpopular decisions, the party clearly would like time to repair its image before facing the electorate.
By that same token, the party has been touting itself as the “new Ontario government” ever since Premier Wynne replaced Dalton McGuinty in late January.
Well, no it’s not. There is a new face at the wheel, and fresh faces in various cabinet portfolios, but it’s the same government that was elected in October, 2011. The only way for a government to be “new” is to get a fresh mandate from the people.
That’s precisely what’s needed now—not when it’s best for the NDP and certainly not until Oct. 1, 2015.