Rocky start

Well, that didn’t take long.
On the first day back at Queen’s Park, barely six weeks after the Oct. 6 provincial election, the opposition Progressive Conservatives already have raised the spectre of bringing down the minority Liberal government by vowing to defeat the throne speech just minutes after it was read yesterday by Lt.-Gov. David Onley.
Fortunately, the Tories’ bombastic threat likely won’t trigger another election in the immediate future because the throne speech did make reference to the need for the three parties to work together—a pledge the NDP appears content to accept for now. As such, Tim Hudak & Co. can rattle their sabres without fear of actually sending Ontarians back to the polls so soon.
Still, it’s obvious hopes the first minority government in Ontario in more than a quarter-century would usher in a new spirit of co-operation have been nipped in the bud. Instead, this next session of the legislature could well resemble what took place in the House of Commons in Ottawa during that lengthy stretch of federal minority governments—characterized by perpetual brinkmanship, snap elections, and prorogations at the expense of getting anything done.
Sure, under our system of government, opposition parties are tasked to do just that: oppose. But the PCs unleashing such a strident partisan tone right from the get-go, without willing to give the ruling Liberals at least a chance to govern, is not what voters want and certainly isn’t what our province needs at this time of economic uncertainty and pressing issues.
By denying any of the parties a strong majority mandate back on Oct. 6, voters clearly weren’t comfortable with the prospect of either the Liberals, Tories, or NDP having complete control over the next four years. Rather, we are demanding compromise on policies and decisions in the best interests of our province moving forward and expect our MPPs to heed that message.
Yesterday’s rocky start just doesn’t cut it. Drop the theatrics and make this minority government work for the good of all.