Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty resigns

[Daradon]

I doubt he's thinking federal politics. At least not immediately. He's been under a lot of pressure lately.

EDIT: Political pressure that is.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Are you trying to say that you are running for leadership of the Liberals?
I'd buy a membership to vote for you.

That would be awesome, but no, I'll be sitting this one out. I might buy a membership if it looks interesting or something, but most likely I'll watch it on TV!

Originally Posted by Rathji

I would buy 17.

After all, the left wing party is always about voter fraud to win elections, right?

If you would get off your wallet and buy about 117,000 I'm in.

[GP_Matt]

Is it wrong to buy a membership in a party you don't support so that you can vote for their leader?
I have done it before during a PC campaign at a time when the PC candidate was guaranteed his seat, and I suspect a lot of NDP and Liberal voters did the same to elect Allison Redford.

Federally though the race is a lot closer so it feels wrong to vote in their leadership election.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Is it wrong to buy a membership in a party you don't support so that you can vote for their leader?
I have done it before during a PC campaign at a time when the PC candidate was guaranteed his seat, and I suspect a lot of NDP and Liberal voters did the same to elect Allison Redford.

Federally though the race is a lot closer so it feels wrong to vote in their leadership election.

Well, that's the system. I'm pretty unlikely to vote Liberal, but I'd buy a membership to vote Slava for Liberal leadership if we get a CP "Draft Slava" jihad going.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Or he finally realized the amount of debt that Ontario has run up. Quite a bit worse than California now.

Worse than Cali? Is Ontario in danger of defaulting or not being able to pay their employees because that is the position Cali was in.

[mykalberta]

They also just lost 1/2 byelections which would have given them majority. It could be that he saw the writing on the wall and its better to go out on your own terms then be thrown out.

I can see him running for the Fed Libs as an MP, not as Leader though.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Worse than Cali? Is Ontario in danger of defaulting or not being able to pay their employees because that is the position Cali was in.

I'm sure it's not an apples to apples comparison, but there are numbers like this:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canad...210518512.html

I haven't been following the Ontario stuff much, anybody know if have they acted on the Drummond report yet?

[Jacks]

I don't have a problem with proroguing in general, every government does it, this is crazy though. I wonder if we'll see protests (not bloody likely).

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4615458/

Mr. Hudak complained in his letter that Mr. McGuinty had not followed the rules that require a government to announce an approximate date for reconvening the legislature before a session is prorogued.“Once again, your government and a senior minister are at odds with the rules of the legislature, which is most regrettable and embarrassing,” wrote Mr. Hudak.
Mr. McGuinty said Monday he will stay on until the Liberals elect a new leader, adding the timing of the recall of the legislature would have to wait until then.
“I want my successor to make that decision,” he said.

Seriously? They aren't bringing back the Legislature until they pick a new leader? How long is that going to take?


This seems like a suicide move, they are getting taken down guaranteed if they don't change this.

[GP_Matt]

Looking at the last 3 years and comparing Alberta to Ontario I have found the following for number of days sat in the legislature.

2012
On - 73
Ab - 28

2011
On - 57
Ab - 47

2010
On - 93
Ab - 50

It would appear that voters don't care how often the politicians sit in the legislature. Alberta seems to sit about 25 days in the spring and 25 in the fall. So as long as they find a leader by the end of March they should be fine to prorogue until then.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

So as long as they find a leader by the end of March they should be fine to prorogue until then.

Seriously?

[GP_Matt]

I don't agree with it, but seems to be how things work in the legislature.They rarely sit.
Alberta did the same thing, they didn't sit in 2011 after Ed announced his retirement and waited until Redford won in the fall. She initially cancelled the fall sitting and then agreed to sit for a few days. The Spring 2012 sitting was shortened for the election and after the election they only sat for a few days. Now the fall sitting is just getting started for 5 or 6 hard weeks of 5 hour sittings 4 days a week before taking a 6 week break for Christmas.