PC Ontario Policy Convention in Niagara Falls a Success
I am now back in Newmarket, and left Niagara Falls with a positive direction about the PC Party, John Tory and our chances of forming government in 2011.
When the weekend was said and done, one person who I was extremely impressed with was Laurie Scott. She got the loudest applause of the weekend and delivered a fantastic speech. Her selfless sacrifice, loyalty and determination to get John elected in the upcoming by-election was inspiring. At the same time it was disappointing to see such as great MPP and strong female voice in our party resign her seat. I really hope she gets back into the legislature in 2011 because I believe she has a bright future in our party and is exactly the type of MPP we need to move forward as a party. Laurie is a class act and deserved the standing ovation she received Saturday evening. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet her in Niagara Falls.
John Tory also delivered a very good speech that shows why he is going to be Premier in 2011. Economically, he has more credibility than Dalton McGuinty and has been proposing solutions and warning about this recession in Ontario for a very long time. While some may question his decision on faith based schools, some of his policy positions and the time it has taken to find a seat in the legislature; no one can question his tireless work ethic. His efforts in the by-election, with fundraising and debt repayment and in the amount of people he has taken the time to consult with cannot be challenged. I am looking forward to him getting back into the legislature and holding Premier McGuinty accountable at Queens Park. Those who have had the opportunity to meet John and his wife Barbara can vouch that both are genuine down to earth people. I am very happy that things are turning around positively for John and the PC Party of Ontario. While he has taken some hits within his own party, it is clear that the media is far more friendly to Tory than perhaps other Conservatives including Stephen Harper.
Speaking of Stephen Harper it was great to see him address the PC Ontario convention via video. Federal support throughout the weekend was impressive with several MPs hosting hospitality suites. Jason Kenney delivered a great speech on outreach to various cultural communities. Van Loan, Clement and the federal party’s Ontario MPs hosted hospitality suites. Jim Flaherty was in attendance as were several other cabinet ministers and Conservative MPs. Many of the people from Ontario who I saw in Winnipeg were also in Niagara Falls. I support a strong integration between the federal Conservative Party and our equivalent provincially.
I was also happy to see Jane Pitfield at the convention in Niagara Falls as well as other Conservative events over the past few years. Given the current leadership in Toronto, I would be very happy to support Jane in another run for mayor. I would also be happy if she instead decided to throw her hat in the ring for a provincial or federal seat in a Toronto riding. She would make a great MPP or MP. It is important to recruit strong candidates in the GTA to ensure representation in Ontario’s capital and Canada’s largest city. The media has so far underreported the type of gains being made in the 416 over the past three elections.
On a personal note, it was great to see such a large representation from the University of Windsor and the city of Windsor in general. I would love to see more ridings in that area elect more Conservatives such as Jeff Watson who has brought real results for that community.
The overall crowd on Saturday was around 1000. Media coverage was positive based on what I have seen in the papers. It is clear that the free ride for Dalton McGuinty is over.
It was also great to network in the hospitality suites. I had the opportunity to meet and hang out with bloggers Gerry Nicholls, Stephen Taylor and Andrew Prescott. York Region MPPs Frank Klees, Julia Munro and Peter Shurman had a great hospitality suite as did John Tory and Ken Zeise.
Overall I left the convention optimistic about the direction of the Ontario PC Party and our chances to form government in Ontario in 2011. I am looking forward to heading out to Lindsay to campaign for John Tory over the next few weekends leading up to the March 5 by-election. I expect to see some gains once Mr. Tory is back at Queens Park. The provincial budget on March 26 could be a key opportunity with John back in the legislature to challenge Premier McGuinty’s handling of the Ontario economy. I think our party is now united and ready to do the work required to prepare us for the 2011 election.
