The thrust of this Conservative campaign is to undermine union funding and silence workers' collective voice. In every case, they erect flimsy straw targets to disguise their agenda and the same is true of their attack on the Rand Formula -- the funding model for unions and a cornerstone of labour relations in Canada.
The Liberal Party is split on who is best positioned to win -- but we seem to agree on one thing: it's gonna be a girl. This isn't some instance of affirmative action. From every conversation I've heard, Liberal partisans want the most qualified person to be Premier. It's just that most Liberals believe the best person is either Sandra Pupatello, the front runner, or Kathleen Wynne, her clearest rival.
According to a new poll, the Ontario NDP and its leader, Andrea Horwath, are falling far behind to third place. For Horwath, who has been addressing business friendly crowds in recent weeks, the polls reflect a struggle within the ranks of her members in the direction of the union-inspired party. Should the party maintain its controversial and stubborn perspectives on public issues or should it modernize itself?
Stripped to its core, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak's vision is not about "modernizing" the labour market in the interests of prosperity for all. He seeks to usher in an era of permanent uncertainty for all working people to the overwhelming benefit of corporations. To accomplish this task, Hudak must neutralize his opponents in every possible arena, from the workplace to elections.
The Green Energy Act is an issue that has been festering in rural Ontario communities for years. The Liberals are campaigning in defence of their Green Energy Act, while the opposition has centred around three key issues: health and environmental impacts, process issues around decision making and the economics of the feed-in-tariff program.